Democratic Party’s presumptive presidential nominee Hillary Clinton has chosen Virginia Senator Tim Kaine to be her running mate.
Advertisement
Rumor has it Tim Kaine is pretty boring.
Campaign chair John Podesta started the process after Clinton’s convincing victory over Democratic rival Bernie Sanders in April’s New York primary, dropping off binders of information with Clinton at her home in Chappaqua, New York. Kaine’s positions in favor of trade and other matters leave many progressives cold. Mark Pryor, said the former “purple state” governor was well-liked by both Republican and Democratic colleagues, with whom he is known to forge bipartisan compromises.
“He will complement Secretary Clinton well”, she said in a text message, adding that she looks forward to hearing from Kaine at the convention.
“I love that about him”, she told Charlie Rose of CBS News and PBS. He has never lost an election.
Clinton acknowledged in an interview earlier this week that even Kaine admits he is boring, and said she did not mind. She plans a formal announcement on Saturday.
“Delegates are intensely discussing and considering options”, said Norman Solomon, a San Francisco delegate who called Kaine’s selection “unacceptable”.
Crews were still sweeping confetti from the GOP convention hall floor, as the Clinton campaign signaled an announcement was coming soon. McCollum remembers Kaine as a bridge builder, especially in the hard 1990s.
Replied Kaine: “Just got off the phone with Hillary”.
“Tim Kaine is a relentless optimist who believes no problem is unsolvable if you put in the work to solve it”, she said. “Can’t wait to hit the trail tomorrow in Miami!” Kaine, a pro-abortion-rights Catholic, gained his language fluency while working with Jesuit missionaries in Honduras as a young man.
Kaine was among a field of candidates that included Cory Booker, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack and U.S. Sen. Along with the email scandal dogging Clinton, the perception that she’s beholden to Wall Street and Clinton Foundation donors will still be nipping at her heels.
Since 2012, Kaine has served as Virginia’s representative, alongside Warner, in the United States Senate.
Clinton announced her VP choice on twitter. Advisers to Clinton see Kaine as a stable force on the bottom of the ticket.
“I want a diverse congressional delegation, no question in my mind”, McAuliffe said. A senator, former Virginia governor and mayor of Richmond, he hails from a top battleground state and, as a fluent Spanish speaker, could help in another: Florida. “Drawing a blank. Congrats to a good man and a good friend”, he wrote.
It’s important to note that if Clinton and Kaine do not win in November, the Virginia senator would lose his senate seat.
Kaine, who said he agreed to back fast-track authority only after getting assurances that workers’ rights would be protected, has said he is weighing whether to vote for ratification of the final accord. If voters want to take a chance on cover-your-eyes uncertainty, Donald Trump is available.
The other possible candidates were U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren, who was the favourite among liberal democrats, and Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julian Castro and Labour Secretary Thomas Perez, the two Hispanic members in the Obama administration.
Advertisement
Kaine has good relations with senators from the opposing party, according to senior Senate Republican congressional aides.
