Washington, DC — Watching the Virginia governor’s race unfold last year, it was clear GOP candidate Jerry Kilgore was a bad candidate — not the worst, put pretty bad. His syrupy demeanor in his paid advertising and news coverage was a turnoff. He looked weak, whiny and wimpy.
But Democrat Tim Kaine really wasn’t that much better. The race was a generally desultory affair with
neither guy showing a hint of star power or spark. That’s why when it was announced that Tim Kaine would give the Dem response to the state of the union, i was like, “good — he’ll screw it up and be reavealed as the lightweight he is.”
But he was friggin’ good — far better than i, or anyone, could have expected. Working with Dem speech pro Mike Sheehan beforehand helped Keane with his pacing and on-camera demeanor. And the lighting was excellent — a huge variable often overlooked on these remote shots, and so damaging when it’s sloppy and looks like a barely lit cave. Very professional. Need to know who did the lighting.
So, to Tim Kaine and his team, you did good for your first time on the national stage.