Tim Kaine DNC Speech (VIDEO) (TEXT)

Gov. Tim Kaine spoke tonight at the Democratic Convention. Watch video of his speech and read his remarks as prepared for delivery below

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What an honor to be here on this powerful night! What an honor to speak not just to those gathered here in Denver but to homes across America--and not just those owned by John McCain.

Looking out at this crowd and feeling the energy, I can tell you this: We are making history.

I am here tonight not just as the governor of Virginia who knows the people of my state need a better partner in White House, not just as a Democrat who is tired of politics as usual, but most importantly as an American who wants to see American values guiding our country again.

For eight years we've seen what happens when a president lets Washington values become more important than American values. Gas prices skyrocket when the White House lets oil companies call the shots. Our children are left behind when an administration cares more about sound bites than sound schools. And middle-class families are left to fend for themselves to save their jobs, their homes, and their grasp on the American dream.

Maybe for John McCain the American dream means seven houses--and if that's your America, John McCain is your candidate. But for the rest of us, the American dream means one home--in a safe neighborhood, with good schools and good health care and a little money left over every month to go out for dinner and save for the future.

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Does that seem like too much to ask? John McCain thinks it is.

He'll keep answering to the special interests and Washington lobbyists--we're ready for leadership that answers to us. And the leader who will deliver the change we need is Barack Obama.

Now folks, it won't be easy. Change never is. And if we are to succeed, we'll need a little extra something. The Gospel of Matthew says, "If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to the mountain 'move mountain' and it will move." My life-long faith deepened when I traveled to Honduras to work with Catholic missionaries after my first year in law school.

Hay algunos Latinos aqui? Estamos unidos, verdad?

I learned from a great mentor there, Brother Jim O'Leary, that faith is about more than words or doctrine--it's about action. And that led me to spend my life in public service. While I was learning how to put my faith into action in Honduras, Barack Obama was doing the same thing on the streets of South Side Chicago--empowering people to rebuild their communities and reclaim their lives after the steel plants closed down.

Joe Biden has also spent his lifetime putting faith into action--overcoming unspeakable tragedy in his personal life, and as a U.S. Senator making our world safer, our air cleaner, and protecting women from crimes of violence.

For Barack Obama, for Joe Biden, for me, for all of us, the principles of faith call us to service.

With faith in the American dream, we strive for better schools, economic justice, and smarter foreign policies because we believe in the God-given principles of equality, freedom, and opportunity. With faith in each other, we work for a common-sense approach to politics that focuses on results, not partisan division, because we recognize that we're all in this together.

Aren't we all tired of a Washington that doesn't have any faith in us? Fellow delegates, fellow Democrats, and fellow Americans, now is the time to let our faith guide us to action once again.

We need to put our faith into action--to elect a president who will put middle-class Americans first again and reward companies who create jobs in America instead of shipping them overseas.

We need to put our faith into action--to elect a president who will end our dangerous dependence on foreign oil and invest in green-collar, clean-energy jobs right here at home.

We need to put our faith into action--to elect a president who will invest in our students, teachers and schools, and make college affordable once again for every American family.

We need to put our faith into action--to elect a president who will responsibly end the war in Iraq, give our veterans and their families the support they need, and reinvigorate our military to face the challenges ahead.

If we put our faith into action, we can move mountains.

We can move the mountains of negativity and division and gridlock.

We can move the mountains of special interests and business as usual.

We can move the mountains of hopelessness that surround too many of our people and communities.

Does anybody here have a little faith tonight? Is anybody here ready to move those mountains?

Starting right here in the Mile High City, we will put our faith into action; we will reject the failed policies of George Bush and John McCain; we will elect Barack Obama our next president.

In the words of the gospel hymn--"move mountain."

Say it with me--"move mountain."

Say it with me again--"move mountain."

Mountain, get out of our way!

Comments

[meanguy]

tim kaine is not a total disaster for virginia; neither is he distinguishing himself...­if he doesn't burn down the governor's mansion, i'll be satisfied he's basically just keeping the seat warm

[amazingdays]

Just read MrApricot's comment. To add some context, I think TIm Kaine was asked to do a faith-heavy address. He is a wonderful governor for us in Virginia and does not normally obtrude religion this way -- except at the Virginia Tech memorial service, where it was extremely welcome. Since I share some of your views I feel bad that people just get this as a snapshot of Tim Kaine when this is only one of his many facets as a politician and leader.

I guess that's true of all the people we heard this week, including that Montana governor. Now we will all expect him to talk about getting off our hind ends every time the poor guy gives a policy speech.

[amazingdays]

It was fascinating to compare what he said with what is apparently an earlier draft of the same speech. It's not a dramatic difference but overall, quite an improvement. Try to read it as you listen and you'll see the differences and the way it got tightened up and improved.

[MrApricot]

I can only express relief that Obama passed on selecting him as VP.

His brand of god-bothering is common (even in the more liberal enclaves): He speaks with a conviction that could be parsed as arrogance; slipping between scripture and policy as if there were no distinction to be made between the two.

Methinks he doeth protest too much. I have found those who claim their faith as their central raison d’etre are generally missing some essential moral ingredient for which faith acts as an easily adopted, but ultimately untenable surrogate. Kaine reminds me of the guy I had to fire some years ago who perused verses from his leather-bound bible at lunch time and teen porn sites on the company network in the evenings.

As well as missing an essential moral core based on humanity rather than superstition, there is often a paucity of intellect. Kaine told CBS without a trace of irony,

“…If somebody advances an idea or position that’s wrong, then attack them
for having a bad idea. But they are not wrong because they are
religious.­”