Is Obama vetting Tim Kaine's eyebrow?
Via Drudge, the Washington Post and Politico are suggesting that Virginia governor Tim Kaine is high on Barack Obama's vice presidential shortlist.
Substantively, I don't have strong feelings about Kaine either way at this point. But on a more practical level, did Obama and his vetters watch Kaine's State of the Union rebuttal back in 2006? After watching it, I wrote that Kaine's left eyebrow is "too distracting for the party to ever put him on national television again," prompting the Columbus Dispatch to call this "the site for chatter about 'Tim Kaine's crazy eyebrow."
You really have to watch the C-SPAN Real Player video with the volume off to understand, but here's a screen shot that gives you some sense of what he looked like:
It's true that (a) Kaine got elected in Virginia anyway and (b) vice presidential nominees probably don't have a significant effect on election outcomes. But given that national politics is centered around television, do you want someone who looks that strange on TV on the ticket? Maybe I'm being superficial, but it seems like a legitimate strategic question.
Kaine's physical imperfections are not an impediment. Obama will heal him by a simple laying on of hands. Praise Him!
Posted by: Rob | July 29, 2008 at 12:24 AM
He reminds me of a compressed version of Liev Schreiber. I think Schreiber is 6'3", but Kaine can't be more than 5'9". He does have the square jaw going for him....
Posted by: Heath | July 29, 2008 at 09:42 AM
Is it important that the VP candidate be good looking? Here are two counter-examples:
Joe Lieberman, no movie star, helped Al Gore get a majority of the votes because his reputation for integrity offset Bill Clinton's shenanigans.
Handsome Dan Quayle didn't do much for George Bush, once he opened his mouth.
Posted by: David | July 29, 2008 at 04:39 PM
I'm sorry: one doesn't get away with being superficial by acknowledging that "maybe I'm being superficial but . . ." Besides, it's not a strategic question but a tactical question. Third, I don't know about Kaine's politics, but shouldn't we at least pretend to care? Finally, who knew that "too hard core for The American Prospect" meant "just right for People."
Posted by: Richard | July 30, 2008 at 10:30 AM
He's channeling Mr. Spock. Live long and prosper!
Posted by: Dr. Dredd | July 30, 2008 at 12:54 PM
Whoa, whoa. Joe Lieberman has integrity? Let's not muddy the waters here. Al Gore would have done better if he didn't have Droopy the Dog as his running mate. And any shreds of "integrity" Lieberman amassed by selling out a President's reputation as a very good President due to personal failings were definitely gone by the time he officially became a neo-conservative between 2004 and 2006.
On the topic of Kaine's eyebrow, that's just idiotic enough to be a McCain/GOP line of attack, so good job writing this and pre-empting it.
Posted by: SK | July 30, 2008 at 02:52 PM