By choosing Senator Tim Kaine (D-Va.) as her running mate, presumptive Democratic nominee, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is telling progressives that she doesn’t care what they think. Either she’s gambling that they will vote for her anyway, or she thinks she will make up for them by winning over the constituency Sen. Kaine can deliver.
Kaine Is Not a Progressive
Sen. Kaine’s positions on many issues are just not progressive:
- He favored fast-tracking the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP).
- As of Thursday, July 21, he still spoke favorably of the TPP, though he expressed some concern about the provision that would allow companies to sue governments for making decisions harmful to their commercial interests.
- He helped abolish Virginia’s estate tax when he was governor.
- He supported parental notification requirements for teens who seek abortions.
- He supports so-called clean coal technology and off-shore drilling..
- He recently signed a letter to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau urging it to ease up on some banking regulations, including one that requires daily reporting of liquidity by commercial banks.
In fairness, however, Sen. Kaine’s positions could be described as nuanced or middle-of-the-road, but not conservative. Specifically:
- In the Senate, he has voted against every proposed restriction on abortion rights.
- He favors development of new, clean, green energy sources rather than relying on coal forever.
On the positive side, we should also be aware that:
- Kaine spent 17 years as a civil rights lawyer.
- He did service work in Honduras, where he became fluent in Spanish. He is the only person ever to have delivered an entire speech in another language on the floor of Congress.
- He wants Congress to vote on military commitments rather than letting the administration use the Bush-era post-9/11 authorization as blanket permission. He would support military action if Congress voted to do so.
- He is one of the few senators who have introduced gun control legislation in the current congressional session, even before he participated in the mini-filibuster in June.
Response of Progressives
It’s no surprise that progressives are upset. As John Queally wrote for Common Dreams:
“If Clinton has reached out to Bernie supporters, it appears that she has done so to stick triangulating thumbs in their eyes.”
The activists who supported Sanders to limit the role of corporate money and power in U.S. politics will see Kaine’s positions as too far to the right. Some were hoping that Clinton would choose Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA). I did not expect that. For one thing, we need Warren in the Senate, and she’s happy there. And it wasn’t realistic to expect Clinton to choose another woman, especially one who is much more popular than she is.
Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown might have been the best choice. He is considered progressive, as the Senate goes. He could have helped her win Ohio, a key swing state that Republicans can’t win without. It’s not clear what constituency Kaine would deliver.
The Common Dreams story details the disappointment and anger that many progressives feel about Clinton’s choice. Will we get over it before November? It’s hard to say. Many will go for the Green Party. Some might sit the election out. But the more we stay home, the more likely she is to lose. Could this be another example of Clinton’s lack of sensitivity to voter opinion?
Featured Image: Screenshot Via YouTube Video.
