Why Tim Kaine Won’t Be a Vice-Presidential Candidate

There has been much speculation lately about the possibility of Virginia Governor Tim Kaine being the Democratic vice-presidential nominee. He has been a strong supporter of Barack Obama. Therefore many pundits feel that Obama, should he win the Democratic presidential nomination, might select Kaine as the number two man on the ticket. To those who think this is possible, I say: Forget about it – it’s not going to happen.

How can I be so sure? Well, there’s one little problem that’s going to keep Kaine off the Democratic national ticket. His name is Bill Bolling. Bolling is Virginia’s lieutenant governor – and he is a Republican. Should Kaine be selected to run for vice president and win, Bolling would become Virginia’s governor. Both major parties are reluctant to turn governorships over to the other party. No party’s national organization wants to be blamed by any of its state organizations for handing over that state’s governor’s mansion to the other party. Therefore, while Kaine might be a tantalizing source of vice-presidential speculation, he will not ultimately be selected.