I have interacted with Tim Kaine a number of times over the years, and it’s true what they say about him: he’s an incredibly nice person, the kind of fellow who would mow your lawn for you if your mower were busted, and then apologize for missing a spot. His reputation for political moderation is overstated—he is a liberal bona fide in just about every way that matters—but he is well-liked for a reason: he is affable, pleasant, friendly, and likable. He was an excellent choice for Hillary’s running mate. He’s a good guy.
He is also a moral and political coward of the highest order. This has been apparent for some time, although it has not detracted from his reputation. Indeed, his cowardice only seems to strengthen the esteem in which people hold him.
I am speaking of Kaine’s position on abortion. The senator has held for some time now that while he is “personally opposed” to abortion, he wants it to remain legal. He claims his opposition is rooted in his Catholic faith, stating he takes the “traditional Catholic position” on the matter, but believes “women should make these decisions and government shouldn’t intrude.”
So Kaine Believes Abortion Is Murder and Should Continue?
This is a rather odd approach for a Catholic to take, given that the church itself explicitly calls for the abolishment of abortion without any qualifiers. But leave aside the catechetical incoherency for a moment and just consider: if Kaine is telling the truth, that he agrees with the “traditional Catholic position” on abortion, then he believes, in the church’s own words, that from the moment of conception “a human being must be recognized as having the rights of a person—among which is the inviolable right of every innocent being to life.” Abortion, which constitutes an absolute and irrevocable denial of that right, is thus rightly understood to be murder.
In other words, Kaine is perfectly okay with the legal murder of innocent human beings.
There is not an intellectually defensible way to interpret this otherwise. Kaine himself might even agree with it (he is a very nice guy). But it should give us all pause that a successful career politician can rise up the ranks of American government, from the terminally screwball Richmond City Council to being a heartbeat away from the office of the presidency, while advocating for the legal killing of innocents—a position he holds by his own admission.
This is not the tenth century; it’s not even the nineteenth. We should be past the days of southern Democrats arguing for the disenfranchisement of an entire class of human beings. Instead, we’ll probably elect one as our vice president. It is a horror for the ages.
Actions Speak Louder, Tim Kaine
On the campaign trail and in the White House, it is entirely likely Kaine will harden his stance on abortion—it is probably difficult to stand too close to Hillary Clinton without becoming more of a monster yourself. In any event, the political winds may impel him to do so: Kaine has been awarded sterling political commendations from the major abortion advocacy groups, and has always professed his desire to keep abortion legal. Yet because of his “personal opposition” to the practice, he has been described by major media outlets (and more than a few rank-and-file progressives) as “anti-abortion.” A man can surely lose even the pretense of conscience in such a viciously pro-abortion environment.
But for now, Kaine is able to walk the tightrope, professing a fidelity to Catholicism and to pro-life beliefs while signaling to the pro-abortion Left that he has no interest in living out his faith in any meaningful way. He will probably be vice president come November; he himself may even be president one day. He deserves to be congratulated: he has had a long, successful career, and for all appearances has a good and happy life. The same cannot be said for the millions of unborn babies who have been aborted throughout the years in part because of cowardly men like Kaine.
Those babies are dead; they were murdered. And your future vice president is just fine with it. Think about that.
