Kaine began his political career as a city councilman in Richmond, Virginia, in 1994.
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Kaine, 58, is a fluent Spanish speaker after serving as a missionary in Honduras, and his presence on the ticket could help Clinton in Virginia, a heavily contested swing state.
His resume is far more fulsome than when he was vetted as a potential running mate for Obama in 2008.
“I’m thrilled to tell you this first: I’ve chosen Sen”. Tim Kaine as my running mate.
“One of the wonderful things about Tim is that he does not need anybody’s title”, said Tom Wolf, a former law partner and longtime friend.
According to a Democratic source, Kaine, 58, edged out two other finalists – Cory Booker, a United States senator from New Jersey, and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack.
Widely seen as a safe choice in a brutal election race – Kaine himself jokes that he is “boring” – the senator emerged as frontrunner in the veepstakes because he ticks so many boxes.
“In a time when she is trying to cater to Sanders supporters, it was more catering to conservative voters and she’s not going to get any wave from it”, said Morelli, who said she would have preferred New Jersey Sen. Kaine is one of several Democrats that Hillary Clinton is considering for her vice presidential running mate.
Ultimately, Clinton was swayed by her personal comfort with Kaine, as well as the belief that the senator is fully prepared to do the job.
Clinton called the speeches at the Republican convention “scary”, and in a preview of what could be her 2016 campaign slogan, Clinton told the crowd “love trumps hate”.
“He’s never lost an election”. Before that he served both as mayor of Richmond and governor of Virginia.
Hillary Clinton’s search for a vice president started with a commanding victory in the NY primary and a special delivery in a plastic Duane Reed bag.
Crews were still sweeping confetti from the GOP convention hall floor, as the Clinton campaign signaled an announcement was coming soon.
Clinton held two lengthy private meetings with Kaine, including a lunch at her NY home last Saturday with their spouses and children.
“Just got off the phone with Hillary. Can’t wait to hit the trail tomorrow in Miami”, Kaine said on Twitter. Due to his preferred use of diplomacy over force and articulated support for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the organization has in the past listed him as one of their “On the Street” candidates, to whom their supporters can directly donate through their political action committee’s website.
“Republicans will run hard against Democrats on trade this year”. She called him “a relentless optimist who believes no problem is unsolvable if you put in the work to solve it”.
Top Republicans were quick to criticise Clinton’s choice.
Kevin Ring, vice president of Families Against Mandatory Minimums, a Washington advocacy group lobbying against federal sentencing minimums, said that Kaine, like Clinton, will have to demonstrate to black voters that he has “evolved” on the issue.
Clinton’s announcement and move to seize the spotlight from Cleveland follows four days of steady attacks by Republicans against the presumptive Democratic nominee – over her email scandal, her reputation for poll-tested politics and her record in public office.
Jocelyn Bucaro, an OH superdelegate and Clinton supporter, praised Kaine as someone who will appeal to a broad range of voters in swing states, even Republicans uncomfortable with Trump. “Drawing a blank. Congrats to a good man and a good friend”.
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That’s not a role Clinton, a former secretary of state and US senator from NY, takes lightly, said Skip Rutherford, a longtime friend of the Clinton family who is dean of the University of Arkansas Clinton School of Public Service.
