Yet, with polls showing Sanders voters moving toward her and Republican Donald Trump’s pick of Indiana Governor Mike Pence, a strong conservative, as his running mate, strategists say Clinton has more freedom to pick a conventional swing state candidate like Kaine.
Advertisement
Clinton aides, who were far from open about the vice presidential process, have grown even more tight about information after watching how Trump’s vice presidential roll out played out. He has been active in the Senate on foreign relations and military affairs and built a reputation for working across the aisle as Virginia’s governor and mayor of Richmond.
Virginia’s Kaine is a centrist pro-Israel choice should please moderate Democrats as Hillary’s No. 2.
Also on the short list are: Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, who has been friends with the Clintons for decades and is from another key battleground state, Pennsylvania; and Labor Secretary Thomas Perez, a Latino seen as a true liberal.
Kaine repeatedly declined to share his thoughts about the possibility of a Clinton-Kaine ticket.
Liberals have expressed wariness of Kaine for his support of putting the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement on a “fast track” to approval, which both Clinton and primary rival Bernie Sanders oppose. They also note that Kaine recently signed onto a letter asking for less burdensome regulation of regional banks. Vilsack was named the secretary of Agriculture in 2009 when Barack Obama became president.
“If Tom Vilsack were on the ticket, Iowa would be a slam dunk”, Former Iowa Senator Tom Harkin told NBC News. He also has a compelling personal story: He was orphaned at birth in Pittsburgh and his mother struggled with alcohol and drug addiction. Elizabeth Warren, Cory Booker or Sherrod Brown.
A large campaign event is planned later in Tampa at the Florida State Fairgrounds.
FOX23 is monitoring the campaign for the announcement.
Her first presidential campaign ended long before any serious consideration of a running mate began, so this phase of her campaign is uncharted terrain.
“The conventional wisdom in this case seems likely to be right”, one Democrat close to Clinton told CNN, believing Kaine has the upper hand but cautioning that Clinton could still deliver a surprise. Now he’s a contender for vice president. “I don’t know why I’m just not too interesting all the time”. “It’s because Virginia is really important”.
Kaine weighed in on his vice presidential prospects during an appearance before the Northern Virginia Chamber Of Commerce Wednesday.
The Washington Post said Clinton would likely introduce her pick either later today or at a Saturday rally in the Sunshine State. He offered his own frame for Trump, saying he would be the “you’re-fired president”, a “trash talker” and the “me-first president”. A native of Kansas City, Missouri, Kaine moved to Virginia after meeting Holton at Harvard Law School.
Advertisement
He is married to the former Anne Holton, and the couple have three children.
