| November 9th, 2016
Tim Kaine Returns to Tallahassee to Win what He Calls the “Checkmate” State
By: journeymagazine
Words By Anjelicia Bruton
Democratic vice president nominee, Tim Kaine, recently returned to Tallahassee last Friday, Oct. 8, in an attempt to encourage students to take advantage of early voting that will end Nov. 6th.
Former Arizona House of Representative, Gabby Gifford and husband Mark Kelly joined Kaine at the event to promote stricter gun laws.
Kaine took the stage at the Florida State University (FSU) Oglesby Union in a room of diverse supporters that included students, faculty, local politicians and citizens from the area.
Florida is what Kaine considers to be “checkmate.” Checkmate, a chess term, meaning the state that will end the election.
Florida is one of the biggest wins with 29 electoral votes and is often a swing state in past elections. In the past presidential election, Florida voted in President Barack Obama with less than 80,000 votes over former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney.
Kaine said Florida is one of those states that is usually up-in-the-air which is why it is important to vote early for that reason.
“If Hillary Clinton wins Florida, Hillary Clinton will be president,” Kaine said.
Kaine took the stage explaining the importance of diversity and equality for all. Including famous words from the Declaration of Independence, “All men are created equal,”Kaine addressed how these words are a challenge for what the nation stands for.
Kaine said although the Declaration of Independence was made by framers who were not living equally, framers still recognized that the nation should be built on equality. Kaine also said through time the flaws in that statement have unraveled and amendments have been made.
Florida State Universtiy student Inam Sakinah opened the event with a speech explaining why she supports the Hillary/Kaine campaign.
“Every generation wakes up and says, ‘Well you said it was about equality, but slavery. How could we have slavery?’ Bloodshed, war, rewrite the constitution because we want to live more like who we said wanted to be.”
Kaine also brought up equality for women. Ninety-six years ago women were given the right to vote. Barbara Dunn said she is voting this election for her mother who passed before given the right.
“This is for my mother,” Dunn said. “My mother and her sisters were born before women had the right to vote, so as soon as polls open up I voted.”
Kaine also pushed a three point plan that would reduce college costs and debt that caused the crowd of college students to cheer. Kaine said students shouldn’t have to mortgage their future to have a future.
Tim Kaine took the stage to a standing ovation of supporters.
“We want to make the promise that this country should be a place where you can have debt-free college,”Kaine said. “Second, if your family makes less than $125,000 a year then you ought to not just be debt-free but tuition free. If you’re out of college and you have debt on your shoulders, we want to make it easier to refinance debt.”
Although the first two points would affect incoming college students, FSU junior Inam Sakinah would be be able to look into the third point.
Sakinah opened the event with a speech explaining why as a Muslim American it is important to be “with her.” In her speech, she referenced the preamble of the Constitution “We the people” and how those words did not include a majority of citizens in America.
“Those words are why I can dream of a life of public service in the footsteps of that woman [presidential nominee Hillary Clinton],” said Sakinah. “Those words are why I, like her, can appreciate the progress our country has made while recognizing the challenges that remain. Those words are why I’m with her.”
Sakinah said the idea to center her speech on the opening words of the preamble of the Constitution is because of the important role that diversity plays in this election.
“This election is a critical one, where one of the essential things that has emerged is our relationship as a country to the concept of diversity,” Sakinah said, “whether we see our differences as threats or the source of our greatest strength. To me, as someone who has lived at the intersection of being Muslim and American, a child of immigrants and a proud citizen, I have always believed that diversity is one of our nation’s most beautiful gifts.”
Sakinah said she supports the Clinton/Kaine campaign for embracing diversity in their platform.
“That’s something that I wanted to convey in this speech because I think that is really reflective of what this campaign is about,” said Sakinah. “The concept that we are stronger together, the concept that we are better when we combine our different ideas, interests, perspectives and visions. That is how our country is formed and that is how our country will progress moving forward.”
To close his speech, Kaine introduced the campaign’s views on stricter gun laws that agree with their guest speakers Mark Kelly and wife, Gabby Gifford.
Gabby Gifford served as an Arizona House of Representative. Giffords survived a shot in the head at her local grocery store during her first event, “Congress on your Corner” which allowed citizens to speak with political officials personally.
Giffords and Kelly are on a 16-state tour proposing stricter gun laws that support their non-profit organization, Americans for Responsible Solutions.
Kaine received a standing ovation as he waved to the crowd standing next to Kelly and Gifford. Audience members rushed the stage to shake his hand and get pictures and others took advantage of the free shuttle taking voters to the polls right after the event.
Florida State Universtiy student Inam Sakinah opened the event with a speech explaining why she supports the Hillary/Kaine campaign.
Former Arizona House of Representative, Gabby Gifford and husband Mark Kelly joined Kaine at the event to promote stricter gun laws.
Tim Kaine took the stage to a standing ovation of supporters.
Tim Kaine encouraged early voting and pushed ideas of equality and cuts in college costs and debt.
