Tim Kaine as her vice presidential running mate Friday, adding a centrist former governor of a crucial battleground state to the Democratic ticket. Clinton and Kaine will make their first appearance together Saturday in Miami.
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The next year he defeated former Virginia senator and governor George Allen in a tight race for one of Virginia’s two senate seats.
The bilingual Kaine may prove to be a valuable asset in Spanish-language media as the campaign appeals to Hispanic-Americans turned off by Republican Donald Trump’s harsh rhetoric about immigrants.
Kaine, from Virginia, would give Clinton a running mate with wide governing experience but picking the self-described “boring” senator could anger progressive groups hoping for a more liberal choice.
Hillary Clinton (L) has picked Tim Kaine as her running mate in the USA presidential election. It used to be solidly Republican, but President Obama won in 2008 and 2012. After serving as a Richmond city councilmember and part-time mayor, Kaine became the Democratic nominee for lieutenant governor when the presumed candidate dropped out following a cancer diagnosis. Tim Kaine as her vice presidential running mate. She is the daughter of former Virginia Gov. A. Linwood Holton Jr. and serves as Virginia’s secretary of education. In fact, in an interview last month on NBC’s Meet the Press, Kaine even admitted, “I am boring”. “Drawing a blank. Congrats to a good man and a good friend”.
Clinton continues to be dogged by allegations of impropriety relating to her use of a private email server during her time as Secretary of State. And Kaine’s election to the Senate was only possible because the incumbent, Democrat Jim Webb, unexpectedly chose to leave after one term. Long viewed as a likely choice to partner with Clinton, he is a fluent Spanish speaker with a reputation for working with Republicans. Obama’s camp ultimately picked Joe Biden.
Another senator, Cory Booker of New Jersey, along with Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack were also among the final contenders, with Kaine having an edge, a Democratic source with knowledge of the discussions said. “The center of gravity in the Democratic Party has shifted in a bold, populist, progressive direction – regardless of who is selected by Hillary Clinton as vice president”.
Clinton’s campaign largely declined to comment on the search process, trying to keep the details – even the names of the finalists – under wraps to try to maximize the impact of their announcement.
For those outside his political circle, Kaine comes across as a “hard-working, honest public servant”, former Arkansas Attorney General Dustin McDaniel said. Her vetters included Washington attorney James Hamilton, former State Department chief of staff Cheryl Mills and Podesta, along with a group of attorneys and top aides. Kaine asked in Annandale, Virginia, as Clinton nodded.
Mrs Clinton’s ticket was celebrated by the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) as possibly the most LGBT+ friendly in history.
Clinton has faced her own struggle unifying Democrats and winning over liberal backers of Democratic primary rival Bernie Sanders, a USA senator from Vermont.
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If you want FiveThirtyEight’s trademark measured take, the Kaine pick probably won’t have any real impact on the outcome of the election.
