Another View on Kaine at DNC

by Jonathan Singer, Mon Jan 05, 2009 at 01:05:32 AM EST

Reports are that Tim Kaine has been selected as the next head of the Democratic National Committee. The pick isn't being met with unanimous approval, though I would say that I'm more than content with the pick.

Kaine has been a strong party-builder in Virginia, overseeing a period during which the Democrats added two United States Senate Seats, three U.S. House seats, and in perhaps an even greater coup, took control over the state Senate. Kaine was also a key ally of President-elect Barack Obama, helping the then-candidate for the Democratic nomination carry Virginia during the primaries and the then-Democratic nominee carry Virginia in the general election.

Beyond that, in recent years the DNC Chairmanship has been split into two posts while the Democrats have controlled the White House, with a dignitary serving as General Chairman and a strategist running the day-to-day operations of the committee. Under Bill Clinton, this strategy predominated, with Connecticut Senator Chris Dodd, Colorado Governor Roy Romer and then-former Philadelphia Mayor Ed Rendell serving as General Chairmen -- the spokesmen of the party -- while others were left to handle the details. Indeed, this appears to be the thinking of Obama in tapping Kaine, also choosing the director of his battleground state strategy, Jennifer O'Malley Dillon, to run the committee's operations.

So I see the Kaine pick as a fine one and have few quarrels with it.

Tags: DNC, Tim Kaine (all tags)

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Re: Another View on Kaine at DNC

I think so too.

Kaine is a community organizer like Obama and if he sticks with Dean's 50 state strategy than he will be just fine.

by puma 2009-01-05 02:53AM | 0 recs

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Re: Another View on Kaine at DNC

I see the Kaine pick as a fine one and have few quarrels with it.

As a resident of Virginia, I have a few.

The GOP has already hit Kaine for being partisan in accepting the job but more important, a divided General Assembly is convening for a 45 day session that will largely focus on cutting the state budget. Kaine needs to show that he's not going to drop the ball on this and really, I don't think he can.

For example, Kaine announced last month that he would attempt to increase the cigarette tax to help the state address a $3 billion budget shortfall; it only took minutes for House Speaker William Howell (R) to reject the idea.

Howell has a 6 seat majority in the House of Delegates that gives him the power to determine what bills get heard, control the floor debate and manipulate the chamber's rules to his advantage. Which he has done to kill much of Kaine's agenda last year.

So while you think Kaine will be okay as chairman of the DNC, Virginians ought to be thinking long and hard about how good it is. After two consecutive Democratic governors, the GOP is going to be looking to recapture the governorship. Then with Terry McAuliffe deciding to go after the Democratic nomination will muck up the primaries for sure.

If Kaine is expected to do is some fundraising and be little more than Obama's representative within the party structure, then he'll do well.

by KimPossible 2009-01-05 03:42AM | 0 recs

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Re: Another View on Kaine at DNC

Don't forget the VA-Gov race. Since Kaine himself has said that this will hurt the Commonwealth, this effectively benches Kaine during the race instead of bringing on a DNC Chair as another body to help Kaine and the Senators as surrogates.

Those quotes of Kaine from November are simply devastating.

by Bob Brigham 2009-01-05 04:13AM | 0 recs

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Re: Another View on Kaine at DNC

You, sir, are as ignorant as any member of the GOP is about the RNC. Let me count the ways:

1) The DNC has nothing to do with policy

When's the last time Howard Dean pushed through major legislation? Funnily enough, the right fails to make the same distinction.

2) You mistake personal belief for government action

For whatever beliefs Kaine holds, he hasn't pushed them on others. In this respect, he's better than the entire RNC, and a good part of the Blue Dogs.

4) Day-to-day operations are the key, and Kaine isn't running day-to-day

I know you need a patsy figurehead to rail against, but that's not how the real world works. The new DNC personnel in those positions are the best and the brightest from the campaign trail, including several directly responsible for switching red states to blue at both the state and federal level.

4) One of the major reasons you don't like him is because he's from the same state as a former DNC chair who was an asshole

Congratulations on the stupidest argument around. Hey, Reagan and Schwarzenegger were from California. You think we should purge the entire California delegation because they're from the same state too?

When I find myself comparing MyDD posts (on the front page, no less!) to the KosKids and RedState in terms of sheer ill-informed, poorly-researched, reactionary, and essentially wingnuttish commenting, then I have to shake my head.

by zombieflanders 2009-01-06 07:22AM | 0 recs

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Post Hoc Ergo Propter Hoc, is a logical fallacy

as is giving McKaine credit for the improvement in the D's fortunes in Va. for which Mark Warner and others are far more responsible than McKaine.

McKaine married a former governor's daughter and got the mayoralty of Richmond by vote of his fellow City counselors not the electorate.

The take over of the State Senate was the work of the now Senate majority leader.

Mark Warner didn't need McKaine's, or anyone else's, help to win John Warner's Senate seat.

Mark Warner did far more to help Webb beat Senator Macaca than McKaine.

McKaine hasn't even lined up enough D candidates to challenge R delegates this November to win the 6 seats need to take over control of the lower house of the General Assembly. It's almost too late to effect a successful challenge now.

There will be three bloody primaries for the 3 state wide offices this June. A real waste of party resources which a true party leader would have brokered already.

McKaine supported repeal of the estate tax, opposes stem cell research, bungled the desperately need transportation bills for Northern Virginia (only the bluest part of the state), covered up the responsibility of the Cooke Center for the VTech massacre, botched the Tysons Tunnel/Dulles rail issue, has given the local utility company approval for a new coal fired plant and massive new powerlines across the state to sell the excess power to the Northeast and Midwest, even appointed a power company official to the body that is supposed to regulate the utility. He's achieved none of his programmatic priorities upon which he campaigned.

This guy has no electoral future in Va (both Senate seats are held by young rich D's and McKaine is term limited as Governor) and has falling approval ratings in No Va.

He's got no place to go and limited popularity.

His performance in the reply to the State of the Union was marginal and he's got a weird tick with his left eyebrow that is distracting in interviews.

DNC chair is a sinecure for a guy who came out for Obama earlier than most but has little else to recommend him.

by martinlomasney 2009-01-05 03:49AM | 0 recs

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Is he anti abortion?

anti gay / marriage rights?
ASKING, not looking to argue, folks!

by kosnomore 2009-01-05 03:49AM | 0 recs

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Jennifer O'Malley Dillon is highly capable

I feel better about this situation if she is going to be involved.

by desmoinesdem 2009-01-05 03:52AM | 0 recs

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Beyond

appearing on Sunday shows and at fundraisers and campaign events around the country she will be the new chair and will be running the show.

by Populista 2009-01-05 04:02PM | 0 recs

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Re: Another View on Kaine at DNC

Anti choice, anti gay rights, corporate rights. Yea, I left the Democratic Party just in time.

by glennmcgahee 2009-01-05 05:05AM | 0 recs