It was Friday July 22 2016 at 7:32 pm when the Democrat U.S. Senator from Virginia Tim Kaine was called by Hillary Clinton who graciously announced him as her vice-presidential pick for the November 2016 general elections.
Starting from this moment Donald Trump had to quickly get out of the Cleveland Republican National Convention ambience and calculate his next steps in order to neutralize the Tim Eyebrow Kaine effect that reshaped the first part of the 2016 Democratic National Convention held from July 25 to 28 in Philadelphia Pennsylvania.
There were at least five factors embodied in as many swing states that Trump had to take into account and neutralize their counter-effects in his quest to presidency.
1. Ohio
Accomplishments: organizing the GOP National Convention in the Buckeye State; many voters like the influential Peter Thiel a billionaire PayPal co-founder and Silicon Valley investor were locals or grew up there.
Things to neutralize: John Kasichs passivity the Ohio governor and Trumps former challenger chose to become invisible during the Cleveland GOP Convention although his responsibilities included some logistical and state security measures during the event.
2. Pennsylvania
Accomplishments: Trump eventually won the state bound and unbound delegates during the Republican primaries.
Things to neutralize: Pat Toomey the U.S. senator for Pennsylvania chose not to show up in Cleveland just like Kasich; the Democratic National Convention was held in Philadelphia.
3. Florida
Accomplishments: Trump won all Florida delegates in the primaries.
Things to neutralize: Marco Rubios weak support -- the U.S. senator for Florida a former Trump challenger chose not to show up in Cleveland although he delivered a televised speech; Hillary Clinton and Tim Kaine had a rally in Miami on Saturday July 23; Kaine spent a year in Honduras (between 1980 and 1981) helping Jesuit missionaries who ran a Catholic school in the country and he is fluent in Spanish.
4. Virginia
Accomplishments: Trump won the Virginia Republican primaries although Marco Rubio came as a close second.
Things to neutralize: Tim Kaine has a long career as a Virginia politician serving as a Richmond mayor (1998-2001) and the state Lieutenant Governor (2002-2006) governor (2006-2010) and U.S. Senator (2013 to date).
5. Another Mid-West State
Accomplishments: Mike Pence the Indiana governor and Trumps pick for vice-president; Trump also won most of the Mid-West states in the Republican primaries.
Things to neutralize: Tim Kaine was born in St. Paul Minnesota grew up in Kansas City Missouri and graduated from the University of Missouri.
Especially during the week dominated by the Democratic National Convention but also after that Donald Trump had to and did maintain himself in the center of the news. With well thought strategic moves he managed to neutralize the adverse effects during his presidential campaign. In the end he won four of the five aforementioned states (he had a narrow loss in Virginia) and became the 45th President of the United States.
NOTE - A version of the article was published previously in SAIPAN TRIBUNE.
Tiberiu Dianu has published several books and a host of articles in law politics and post-communist societies. He currently lives and works in Washington DC and can be followed on MEDIUM.
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It was Friday July 22 2016 at 7:32 pm when the Democrat U.S. Senator from Virginia Tim Kaine was called by Hillary Clinton who graciously announced him as her vice-presidential pick for the November 2016 general elections.
Starting from this moment Donald Trump had to quickly get out of the Cleveland Republican National Convention ambience and calculate his next steps in order to neutralize the Tim Eyebrow Kaine effect that reshaped the first part of the 2016 Democratic National Convention held from July 25 to 28 in Philadelphia Pennsylvania.
There were at least five factors embodied in as many swing states that Trump had to take into account and neutralize their counter-effects in his quest to presidency.
1. Ohio
Accomplishments: organizing the GOP National Convention in the Buckeye State; many voters like the influential Peter Thiel a billionaire PayPal co-founder and Silicon Valley investor were locals or grew up there.
Things to neutralize: John Kasichs passivity the Ohio governor and Trumps former challenger chose to become invisible during the Cleveland GOP Convention although his responsibilities included some logistical and state security measures during the event.
2. Pennsylvania
Accomplishments: Trump eventually won the state bound and unbound delegates during the Republican primaries.
Things to neutralize: Pat Toomey the U.S. senator for Pennsylvania chose not to show up in Cleveland just like Kasich; the Democratic National Convention was held in Philadelphia.
3. Florida
Accomplishments: Trump won all Florida delegates in the primaries.
Things to neutralize: Marco Rubios weak support -- the U.S. senator for Florida a former Trump challenger chose not to show up in Cleveland although he delivered a televised speech; Hillary Clinton and Tim Kaine had a rally in Miami on Saturday July 23; Kaine spent a year in Honduras (between 1980 and 1981) helping Jesuit missionaries who ran a Catholic school in the country and he is fluent in Spanish.
4. Virginia
Accomplishments: Trump won the Virginia Republican primaries although Marco Rubio came as a close second.
Things to neutralize: Tim Kaine has a long career as a Virginia politician serving as a Richmond mayor (1998-2001) and the state Lieutenant Governor (2002-2006) governor (2006-2010) and U.S. Senator (2013 to date).
5. Another Mid-West State
Accomplishments: Mike Pence the Indiana governor and Trumps pick for vice-president; Trump also won most of the Mid-West states in the Republican primaries.
Things to neutralize: Tim Kaine was born in St. Paul Minnesota grew up in Kansas City Missouri and graduated from the University of Missouri.
Especially during the week dominated by the Democratic National Convention but also after that Donald Trump had to and did maintain himself in the center of the news. With well thought strategic moves he managed to neutralize the adverse effects during his presidential campaign. In the end he won four of the five aforementioned states (he had a narrow loss in Virginia) and became the 45th President of the United States.
NOTE - A version of the article was published previously in SAIPAN TRIBUNE.
Tiberiu Dianu has published several books and a host of articles in law politics and post-communist societies. He currently lives and works in Washington DC and can be followed on MEDIUM.
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