Why Tim Kaine is exactly what millennials need

This election has reached the apex of absurdity, or so I thought yesterday, and the day before that, and the day- well you get the point. Every time a television is turned on, a Facebook page is logged into, or an alert is made on your mobile device; you’re immediately bombarded with scandals, speeches, and articles claiming to have done some real “investigative journalism.”

You’ll see the likes of Mike Pence, Chris Christie, Rudy Giuliani, and the cringe-worthy Sean Hannity advocating for the Republican candidate, while Donald Trump seems determined to make their jobs harder by the hour, or should I say tweet. 

In contrast, Secretary Clinton has her own professional-grade surrogates: presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton, Vice President Joe Biden, Sen. Bernie Sanders (D-VM), and…Tim Kaine?

When Sanders endorsed Clinton as the Democratic presidential candidate, many of his supporters felt betrayed and many took it as far to say that they would vote Trump in the upcoming general election, simply out of spite for the establishment. Yet, those same Sanders supporters seem to have overlooked a key member of Clinton’s campaign, her secret weapon, her Cask of Amontillado that will lure Trump’s campaign into a sealed crypt, Tim Kaine. No, you didn’t read that wrong.

Kaine is a proven public servant, having held office as Mayor of Richmond, Lieutenant Governor of Virginia, Governor of Virginia, Chairman of the DNC, and currently serving as a US Senator for, you guessed it, Virginia. In each of those several political endeavors, it’s important to note – Kaine has never lost an election- in what many deem a “swing state”. Kaine’s proven public service and strong background even caught the eye of Obama’s campaign in 2008, when they quietly passed over him in favor of Joe Biden as a running-mate.

Kaine’s strong record doesn’t end there; following the 2008 recession Governor Kaine was able to cut state spending by $5 Billion dollars while investing in infrastructure projects across the board, allowing for a smoother economic recovery in Virginia. While Kaine hasn’t been able to accomplish everything he’s passionate about, his record and stances show that he champions the middle class and truly cares about those treated unequally.

As someone who voted for Bernie Sanders in the primary, I didn’t feel cheated that he lost, but I was let down at the chance his movement would weaken as a result. I had hoped Clinton would choose him and secure a number of Democratic defectors that were loyal to Sanders. After all there were only two real options for the Democratic candidate and it’s been a pseudo-tradition to pick a running-mate from the lot of primary rivals, instead of someone who showed no interest in the presidency. 

However, Clinton chose a different direction and selected Tim Kaine, who I will admit, I knew very little about. Yet, after researching Kaine and his positions, his successes, his failures, I started to wrap my head around the fact that Clinton may have made one of the best strategic picks we’ve seen in decades.

Kaine, like Biden, believes abortion is a women’s choice, despite it conflicting with his personal religious views, appealing to moderates as well as liberals. He took a year off law school to serve as a missionary and help those in need in foreign countries, furthering his humanitarian stance. Kaine has voted in favor of equal pay for both genders, LGBTQ rights, overuse of incarceration, and providing tuition assistance for families in need. Kaine’s professionalism echoes into each of his political positions and is a breath of normalcy in a campaign that’s devolved to the lowest levels of decency. 

Kaine may not be the gold herring that defined a movement, but he is certainly one of the harbingers of the political revolution Bernie fought so hard to bring to the forefront of American politics. But don’t let his soft heart fool you, having lost no election thus far, the aftermath of tonight’s debate could very well end in the headline “Kaine Kills Abel a Second Time.”

Diccicco is a precinct leader for the Democratic Party in South Florida. Follow him on Twitter @JordanDiccicco

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