Governors had the microphone. Mark Kelly did not

Would you accept the nomination?

“This is not about me,” Kelly said. “This is about the future of the country.”

Baby food.

The country barely knew Mark Kelly, so it watched these first glimpses of him along with footage of the other contenders – Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania, Andy Beshear of Kentucky and Tim Walz of Minnesota.

All governors.

The contrast was striking.

The governors owned the microphone and the room. They seemed relaxed when dealing with reporters.

Kelly did not do this.

And if you were to run for president right away, it would have been difficult to develop those skills.

Kelly was invisible, even in Arizona

Governors regularly face media clashes in their role as heads of state, but Kelly managed to keep a low profile for years as Arizona’s junior senator.

I don’t blame him for that.

His first foray into politics was election to the U.S. Senate, and his greatest triumph. The first leg happened to be one of the greatest legs of his national governance. Nevertheless, he was a political yearling.

Most senators do not make it to the “world’s largest advisory body” without having a long career from mayor to supervisor to state legislator to congressman.

Kelly got there because of his military and space-related achievements.

He needed time to figure out his core values, put them into an implementation plan, and communicate them to the public. He had time to approach the whole business cautiously, and that’s what he did.

Looking back, he was too cautious.

If I’ve heard one complaint about Kelly from Arizonans, it’s that he’s invisible. That he’s holed himself up in his fancy Senate apartment for too long. That we barely know him, even in Arizona.

Attending a discussion about microchips changed my mind

I had a similar feeling last fall when Kelly appeared before the Arizona Republic’s editorial board to talk about the federal government’s billion-dollar investments in Arizona.

His appearance changed my mind.

Microchips were the buzzword, and Kelly promoted a national strategy aimed at bringing microchip manufacturing back to the country.

Currently, the Asia-Pacific region dominates the market for microchips, the tiny data-processing machines that power everything from refrigerators to cars to fighter jets and satellites.

Kelly writes: Arizona at the forefront of microchip production

As a soldier, Kelly knows that the world is becoming increasingly dangerous as China seeks to retake Taiwan. If that happens, we will likely witness a global catastrophe.

A Chinese blockade of Taiwan could cripple the Asia-Pacific’s most important shipping routes, triggering a new Great Depression or even another world war. It could also cut off American manufacturers from the all-important microchips that power the machines of modern life and national defense.

As a Democratic senator, Kelly faced opposition from Arizona unions angry at their Taiwanese overlords who were overseeing the construction of Arizona’s new major microchip factories.

Kelly skillfully led the way at TSMC

Join Senator Mark Kelly for a look behind the gates of the TSMC plant in Phoenix

The Arizona senator is touring the Phoenix factory with Rafael Carranza, host of “The Republic” and host of the show “The Briefing,” to talk about the importance of semiconductor chips.

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), one of the largest microchip manufacturers and perhaps the most important company in the world, had invested $65 billion in the Arizona factories while receiving $6.6 billion in subsidies from the state.

They expected workers in Arizona to work quickly and obediently – like workers in Asia do. But the unions were angry about the fast pace and poor safety standards on Arizona construction sites.

Kelly had to contend with the fierce grievances of workers and the impatience of Taiwanese. By angering TSMC – as Arizona’s construction unions apparently had – the company could shift its priorities and money to other states and countries.

TSMC is one of the most sought-after companies in the world. Western Europe and Japan are hungry for TSMC’s factories. It’s a seller’s market and TSMC knows it.

Kelly therefore sought balance by detailing the unions’ grievances while stressing the urgency of making rapid progress on microchip production in the United States.

In my opinion, he handled the moment with real composure and tact.

I wrote at the time that he was beginning to remind me of John McCain, someone who had the composure and the sense to hold that seat in the U.S. Senate for many, many years.

Expect Kelly to achieve even more with some practice

According to coverage of Kamala Harris’s vice presidential race, the final decision rested with two governors – Tim Walz of Minnesota and Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania.

Both men have more experience and are better communicators than Kelly because they have stepped into the breach themselves.

Kelly needs more time in the media spotlight. He needs to get used to the spotlight enough to feel comfortable when it’s on him – as if he’s in charge and not the reporters.

He also needs to make a name for himself in an important policy area. He seems to have chosen national defense as his top priority, and his resume and interests fit that well.

Kelly did not fail in the vice presidential race. He has won national recognition for his impressive record of service as a Navy pilot and NASA astronaut. There is a good chance he will one day be called to a higher position than that of U.S. Senator.

The time for caution is over.

Phil Boas is a columnist for The Arizona Republic. You can reach him by email at [email protected].