Tim Kaine's going to Iowa this weekend, and it's not for a vacation after all his hard work during the 2007 Virginia political campaigns. Instead, Kaine will be campaigning for Barack Obama, who he endorsed for President back in February. According to Tim Craig in the Washington Post's excellent Virginia politics group blog:
Kaine will attend a series of coffees and small meetings for Obama in Cedar Rapids, Vinton, Waverly, Charles City, Osage, Mason City, Algona, Fort Dodge and Webster City. Iowa holds its first-in-the-nation nominating caucus Jan. 3.Kaine will be traveling by himself, meaning he will be the top draw and the main messenger for Obama at each location.
According to a statement by the Obama campaign, "Governor Tim Kaine will travel to Iowa to discuss why Senator Obama is the best candidate to move our country past red state and blue state divides and unite us on the values we share." That seems like something Tim Kaine is well qualified to talk about. I'd also love to hear Mark Warner's and Jim Webb's thoughts on the 2008 Presidential race, but my guess is that both will continue playing it close to the vest. We'll see.
P.S. The Iowa caucuses are January 3, 2008...just 48 days from now. The latest Zogby poll has it 29% for Clinton, 25% for Edwards, 24% for Obama and 10% for Richardson.
The Democratic ticket in Virginia is Obama-Kaine, with Mark Warner for Senate.
Obama-Kaine wins and Bolling inherits the Governor's mansion for a few months, but is defeated in a bitterly contested Republican primary. McDonnell, the Republican candidate in 2009's Governor's race, is crushed when the Democratic candidate ________________ campaigns across Virginia with President Obama, Vice President Kaine, Senator Jim Webb and Senator Mark Warner.
Hager leads a mass migration of Virginia Republicans to Texas during the winter of 2009-2010 and Virginia becomes securely blue.