Charismatic Governor Rises to the Short List

By Kate Zernike - New York Times
Thursday, August 14, 2008 - Web Link
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August 14, 2008

The turning point in Tim Kaine’s campaign for Virginia governor in 2005 was an advertisement by his opponent featuring a father whose son had been murdered by a man Mr. Kaine represented on death row.

“Tim Kaine says that Adolf Hitler doesn’t qualify for the death penalty,” said the outraged father. “The people of Virginia are entitled to know just what Tim Kaine is and what he stands for.”

Mr. Kaine took the opportunity to tell them. Looking directly into the camera, he said: “My faith teaches life is sacred. That’s why I personally oppose the death penalty.”

But, he added, “As governor, I’ll carry out death sentences handed down by Virginia juries, because that’s the law.”

What Mr. Kaine stood for, voters decided, was a new kind of Democrat, not just another liberal, but a man of faith who could talk about religion without it seeming like a prop. Now the Obama campaign is eyeing Mr. Kaine as a potential running mate, seeing in him a like-minded breath of fresh air who has also shown he can win in a red state. But Mr. Kaine’s similarities to Senator Barack Obama are also a potential weakness: he has a legislative record that even some supporters say is thin, and virtually no experience in foreign policy or military affairs.

While running mates typically complement the presidential candidate, Mr. Kaine, 50, more replicates Mr. Obama. He is an inspiring speaker, a Harvard-trained lawyer who spurned corporate work for civil rights. He eludes ideological labels — a Roman Catholic, he opposes both the death penalty and abortion, yet has allowed several executions during his tenure as governor and says he does not think abortion should be criminalized. He describes himself as pragmatic, not partisan — a bridge builder.