MSNBC "Decision '08" - Trascript

Interview

MSNBC "Decision '08" - Transcript

MR. MATTHEWS: The governor of Virginia is Tim Kaine. He's a Democrat. He backs Senator Obama.

Governor Kaine, thank you very much for joining us. You're an interesting kind of Democrat, I find you. You're Roman Catholic. You're populist. You've got a lot of overlays. Is it possible that within the numbers we just saw, Governor, that some Republicans chose to vote for -- independent-leaning Republicans chose to vote for Barack because they simply want him to be the next president?

GOV. KAINE: Chris, I absolutely think that's the case. When I endorsed Senator Obama a year ago, one of the reasons I endorsed him was because I thought he would have huge appeal to the independent electorate in Virginia. And it seems like, at least from the exit polls, that may be borne out this evening.

MR. MATTHEWS: Let me ask you about your state, the conservative side of things. Do you believe that your conservative Republicans are so conservative that they will have a hard time backing John McCain in a general election?

GOV. KAINE: Well, you know, there's certainly been some turmoil on the other side about Senator McCain. And I'm no expert on, you know, the internal divisions on the Republican side. But what I do know is this. I know the independent electorate well in this state, because you can't get to be governor if you don't know them. And I also know the moderate Republican electorate pretty well; got a lot of their support in 2005.

I've just found them very, very open to Senator Obama's candidacy at all points along this election so far. And so I think that makes him a very strong candidate for the general election here in Virginia and elsewhere.

MR. MATTHEWS: Explain to somebody who doesn't live in this area what northern Virginia means. What is it?

GOV. KAINE: Well, northern Virginia is basically Fredericksburg, which is 60 miles south of Washington, north. It is 30 percent of the population of the state and growing. When I moved to Richmond in 1984, Fredericksburg was thought to be halfway to Washington. Now Fredericksburg is really, in some ways, seen as the beginning of northern Virginia.

It is the most economically successful part of the state, highly diverse, great education system and a real value on education, and obviously it's part of the state that is pretty affected and pays close attention to federal politics, because many of the individuals either work for the military or they work for the federal government in civilian capacity.

MR. MATTHEWS: Where do people start speaking southern? How far south?

GOV. KAINE: Well -- (laughs) --

MR. MATTHEWS: I sometimes go over to Virginia. My wife used to be at the TV station over there. I didn't feel like I was in the Confederacy over there.

GOV. KAINE: Well, you know, my wife --

MR. MATTHEWS: I saw the confederate monument over there in Alexandria, but generally you feel like you're somewhere in the mid- Atlantic states down there.

GOV. KAINE: Well, there's a couple of different accents. I mean, the Richmond accent is different than the Roanoke accent. My wife's from Roanoke, and she sounds a good bit different than the Richmond accent. But again, this northern Virginia --

MR. MATTHEWS: Can you do them? Can you do them, Governor? Do some accents for us.

GOV. KAINE: No, I really can't. I'm a Kansan by birth, and I seem to have missed the accents. But, no, Virginia -- look, it's a microcosm state. It's intensely urban and suburban, but it's -- you know, agriculture is our biggest industry. We have the coal fields of Appalachia and the watermen on the eastern shore and northern neck. We're a heavily military state. One in 10 Virginians is a veteran, with active military installations. It is a very diverse state in a lot of ways. But politically it is --

MR. MATTHEWS: And you're ready to outlaw smoking there, aren't you, the home of tobacco?

GOV. KAINE: Well, those bills are still alive in the general assembly. It's changing. And we've gone from a very reliably red state to a truly competitive state in statewide races. And I think the results tonight suggest that we're going to be very razor-thin competitive come November.

MR. MATTHEWS: Okay, Governor Tim Kaine of Virginia, thank you.

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