Even as Timothy M. Kaine remains locked in a closely-contested battle with George Allen for Virginia’s open U.S. Senate seat, some have visions of higher office for the former governor.
At a campaign stop this morning at the United Network for Organ Sharing in Richmond, Kaine fielded a question from a longtime supporter who said she wanted to “rephrase and reprise” something she’d asked him years ago.
“After your successful term as Senator, will you run for president?” she asked to laughter and applause from the employees gathered.
“I’ve gotten to know the current president, President Obama, pretty well. And boy, when you see the toll that that job takes…” Kaine said, shaking his head to laughs.
“It’s a huge toll, and so the only reason to do that job is if you have an epiphany or a lightning strike one day and you think that you have something to offer that nobody else can offer,” he said.
“I have not had such an epiphany,” he deadpanned, adding that he enjoys being able to wear jeans and a tee shirt and go out in public without an entourage.
Kaine’s fan was not the first to suggest he might be suited for a shot at higher office. Earlier this year, the New York Times mentioned Kaine and U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner, D-Va., as potential 2016 presidential candidates.
