WHEN TIM Kaine arrives on Grounds for a "Cavs for Kaine" get-out-the-vote rally tomorrow, his Wahoo well-wishers will have more reason than ever to hold both their signs and their heads high.
You see, those of us political junkies who have followed Virginia politics since the 2005 gubernatorial race's starting gun in late 2001 didn't count on any surprises this fall. After all, the battle royal between Democratic candidate Kaine and Republican candidate Jerry Kilgore has been raging more or less publicly for the past four years, and it's not hard to imagine that the multi-million dollar ad barrages we now must cope with on television are the products of a yearlong meticulous calculation on the part of seasoned operatives. But some races have defining moments, and for me, this race's defining moment came on Oct. 9 during the final gubernatorial debate, when Jerry Kilgore shocked more than a few Virginians by rather embarrassingly refusing to directly answer basic questions, including one concerning the tone he wished to set for his own campaign.
The thoroughly Kaine-dominated debate was progressing about as predictably as a bad movie that night until its moderator, our very own Politics Prof. Larry J. Sabato, asked the candidates a question each should have knocked out of the park near the debate's conclusion. Reluctantly acknowledging that negative ads are simply a fact of modern political life, Sabato asked each candidate to pledge that at least half of their campaign commercials in the final month of the campaign would be positive spots. Certainly all too often in American elections, we hear the old echo that there are no real differences between the parties and their candidates anymore. But on this question, the difference between the answers of the two candidates competing for our votes could not have been clearer or more telling.
Kaine calmly asserted that he was proud of his record and his ideas and readily accepted the challenge without hesitation -- and that was possible because he can point to a real record of accomplishment. As mayor of Richmond, Kaine built the city's first new schools in decades, dramatically improved the region's business climate and led the implementation of a gun safety program that won applause from even the National Rifle Association. As lieutenant governor, he has worked closely alongside Gov. Mark R. Warner to bring good jobs to Virginia, drive down the cost of healthcare and rise above the gridlock to turn around Virginia's economy by instituting sweeping budget reforms. As governor, he will protect a woman's right to choose and continue to put the needs of Virginia's families first, especially by keeping college tuition as low as possible in the face of the Higher Education Restructuring Act (HERA). Of course Kaine is eager to discuss his record and his vision.
Visibly uncomfortable when presented with the challenge, Kilgore bobbed and weaved, professing his intention to "stand by" whatever ads his campaign would choose to run and attacking his opponent until Sabato put him out of his misery by taking his answer as a "no" at the expiration of his allotted time. In hindsight, it is obvious to see why Kilgore, who can't seem to make up his mind between criticizing the massively popular Warner-led "tax increases" that restored economic growth to Virginia and repeating the line that "Tim Kaine is no Mark Warner," refused to take what seemed such a no-brainer of a pledge.
In the weeks since the debate, Kilgore has hidden behind slick attack ads on the death penalty and immigration that distort Kaine's record and attempt to play on Virginia voters' basest fears -- ads that new polling evidence suggests have backfired. Still, as Virginians watched the beads of sweat develop on Kilgore's face three weeks ago, his response begged the question: Does a candidate who balks at the chance to spend as little as half his time and resources sharing a positive vision for our commonwealth deserve to be taken seriously in the arena of public service?
I urge any student who has not yet made up his or her mind to research the issues, the candidates and the candidates' records. When Kaine addresses Wahoos tomorrow, he won't be hiding behind negative ads and he won't be afraid to share his positive news story with all of us here at U.Va. But above all, we University Democrats implore you to vote on or before Nov. 8. The stakes in Virginia have never been higher, and when you are faced with the decision of whom to elect to the governor's seat Mr. Jefferson once held, consider honoring his legacy by casting your ballot for the candidate who most embodies putting principles before politics. We are positive that candidate is Kaine.
David Wasserman is president of the University Democrats. He is a fourth year in the College. The College Republicans were offered the opportunity to write an adjacent column advocating for Mr. Kilgore, but they declined.
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