Kaine’s record enough to convince millennials

Just when the 58-year- old white guy demographic was starting to feel excluded from the political process, Democrats were gifted Tim Kaine as Hillary Clinton’s running mate, salvaging some favor with a base she has been struggling to attract – working class white men – and bolstering the chance of the battleground state of Virginia as a future victory.

The strategy to pick Kaine forwent several other prospects who appeared to have allure that might galvanize millennial citizens into action for the Clinton campaign – prospects including LGBT rights advocate Secretary Castro, and consumer champion Senator Elizabeth Warren, whose appointment would have consolidated some now long-gone support in the wake of the Bernie Sanders’ campaign and quelled the pervasive influence of millennial distrust that ails Clinton’s run.

{mosads}Kaine has done his fair share of pandering during his political career, most notably during his 2005 gubernatorial run in Virginia when he boasted of conservative credentials to garner support. But now, as Clinton remembers to pack her handbags with hot sauce, the left wants to know what kind of party tricks Kaine can do to impress millennials and earn their votes.

Referred to as the “safe choice” more often than the practice of abstinence, Tim Kaine is about as boring as the undertaking itself. His banal charisma is often the butt of many jokes scrutinizing the decision to pick him, and his skin color and age are seen as anachronistic to a base that heralds diversity in positions of power as progress.

Conversely, the internet has been abuzz with content some of which aims to soften Kaine for a younger generation. Pictures of a handsome Kaine in his youth prompted feedback from goo-goo eyed millennials on social media, and light-hearted jokes about his father figured simplicity promised a commitment to a firm belief in his affability. These are the things many millennial voters care about.

The plan then, to mollify the vote-sapping effects of the third-party candidates Stein and Johnson, would be to appeal to such millennial sensibilities – i.e. have Kaine trade in his harmonica for a set of turntables and a mastery of the millennial whoop.

Or rather, it should be to accept Kaine’s role as the lackluster stage presence, and instead let his voting record – the truly important credentials of any politician – speak for him while he lulls crowd members to sleep in speech.

Kaine is a progressive on many issues, voting no on the keystone pipeline and against subsidies for big oil companies, and backing the Iran nuclear deal, a policy favored by American and Iranian millennials alike. His stance on free trade however, is a red flag for any in the Sanders camp looking to reluctantly pitch their tent with the Clinton campaign. Yet for millennials aware of the consequences of voting third-party but not quite ready to cast for Clinton, this report card might just make the difference.

There are votes to be corralled by using Tim Kaine. But they will not come from assigning him to pander to millennials. They will be earned by laying out his track record as a consistent voter for principles valued by the democratic party. Many will not be captured by the initiative, but it is the best way to bridge the gap between Clinton and Sanders supporters, as it is the honest route. Clinton and her campaign have proved frequently just how abysmal they are at pandering. They should not make the mistake of compelling Kaine to do so in the vain purpose of “connecting” with millennial voters.

Ford is a student at the University of Florida. His work has appeared in the Gainesville Sun. Follow him on Twitter @Justinian_Ford 

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