Kaine in the DNC crosshairs

Tim Kaine famously wears two hats as governor of Virginia and chairman of the Democratic National Committee. Wearing either hat Kaine is going to have an interest in the outcome of the 2009 gubernatorial election. But the Kaine that wears a third hat is the one who’s most into the Creigh Deeds-Bob McDonnell race.

“My feeling about the race is Virginia-centric, because I’m going to still be a Virginian after I’m governor, and I still want the state to be run the right way. So I feel pressure for that reason. The other roles and hats, et cetera, don’t really add to my feeling. I want this thing to come out the right way,” Kaine told me in a brief one-on-one chat after the Labor Day Parade in Buena Vista on Monday.

That’s all well and good to say, but I’m not buying that the Kaine wearing the DNC hat in particular isn’t under a heap of pressure to have this thing “come out the right way,” too. Kaine wasn’t put in place as DNC chair after last year’s historic election of Barack Obama in the wake of the success of the smart 50-state strategy of Howard Dean with the idea in mind that he would see his home state turn around and elect a Republican as governor the next time out.

Working against Kaine, in addition to the political winds blowing this summer in favor of Republicans, is the 32-year anomaly in Virginia that has seen the governorship go to the party opposite the party of the winner of the previous year’s presidential election.

“We broke a 44-year history last year, and we’re going to break a 32-year history this year,” Kaine responded to that point. “Because Democrats are now known, not just in Virginia, but nationally, as problem-solvers. We’re not the Party of No. We’re not the guys standing in the way and saying no to everything. We’re solving big, tough problems, and sometimes to solve big, tough problems, you have to make tough decisions.”

Well said, but I don’t know that it will be that tough a decision for the DNC to cut its ties to Kaine if things don’t work out the way Democrats hope they do in Virginia in November.

– Column by Chris Graham