Tim Kaine's Arching Left Eyebrow Is Capturing Attention at Democratic National Convention

As Virginia delegates root for Sen. Tim Kaine at the Democratic National Convention, they also are poking good-natured fun at a distinctive part of his face -- his left eyebrow.

Virginia delegates cheered on the senator carrying vivid orange signs bearing a smiley face with the left eyebrow cocked, just like Kaine's.

Delegate Vivian Paige explained.

"Tim Kaine gave us these in 2008, at the convention. He was governor at that point," she said.

Kaine's eyebrow first rose to national prominence in 2006, when the newly sworn-in governor delivered the State of the Union response. His arched eyebrow grabbed attention. Not all of it was positive. 

"... That eyebrow is too distracting for the party to ever put him on national television again," political blogger Brendan Nyhan commented at the time.

His fans in Virginia said they have observed the eyebrow over the years.

"When he talks, his little eyebrow goes up on one side, so it's a little joke, but he goes along with it. He loves it. He's a good guy," delegate Susan Rowland said.

Kaine himself made the first buttons with the arched eyebrow smiley face, passing them out to Virginia delegates when he spoke at the 2008 convention.

"He's a fun-loving, down-to-earth, everybody-loves-him kind of guy," Paige said. "So, this is him poking fun at himself, and he's pretty good at that."

At the convention this week, delegates may find their vintage buttons now are a hot commodity. But Paige says she will not give hers up.

"Let's just say I would make a few bucks if I wanted to sell it. But I'm not about to sell it. Not now," she said.

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