Hillary Clinton has named US Senator Tim Kaine as her running mate in the White House showdown against Republican nominee Donald Trump.
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(AP Photo/Mary Altaffer). Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton speaks during a campaign event at the Florida State Fairgrounds Entertainment Hall, Friday, July 22, 2016, in Tampa, Fla.
Monitoring the horrific situation in Munich.
The pair was expected to make their first campaign appearance Saturday at a rally in Miami at Florida International University.
“The Democrat ticket is now comprised of two career politicians who promise to be nothing more than a continuation of the last eight years of failed policies under President Obama”, Michael McDonald said in a statement Friday night. “Conventional wisdom says presidential elections are all about base turnout”, he said in an email.
Governor Pence has previously suggested that HIV prevention funding be drained in order to fund state-sponsored “gay cure” therapy, and earlier this year appeared unable to answer when asked whether it should be legal to fire people due to their sexuality. Following the pick, Clinton aides emphasized Kaine’s readiness to lead and said the senator and presumptive Democratic presidential nominee have a strong rapport.
Two other progressive groups, however, the Progressive Change Campaign Committee and Democracy for America, took issue with the choice, citing Kaine’s support for the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a massive 12-nation Pacific rim trade deal opposed by progressives.
This is real-Donald Trump just accepted the @GOP nomination. “Do you want a trash-talking president or a bridge-building president?”
Virginians are proud of Kaine for being chosen as Hillary Clinton’s running mate.
According to the Clinton campaign official, their vetting process first began back in April with more than two dozen potential running mates. He learned Spanish during a mission trip to Honduras while in law school.
Still, Kaine has liabilities, particularly with progressives. Kaine was a top-contender to be Clinton’s running mate since the beginning, due to his possible appeal to independent and swing voters because of his more moderate stances.
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. Obama described it as a coin toss between then-senators Joe Biden and Evan Bayh but added “Kaine is still a distinct possibility”, according to campaign manager David Plouffe’s book The Audacity to Win.
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The group said that voters are seeking populist candidates. Clinton is picking a Democrat that Republicans like, which in this polarized climate feels like a betrayal. Bay Area Democrats and Republicans are reacting to her decision. He also hails from Virginia, a battleground state, though many analysts predict he isn’t likely to greatly affect her chances there either way. On NBC’s Meet the Press, Kaine recently acknowledged that “I am boring”. He offered his own frame for Trump, saying he would be the “you’re-fired president”, a “trash talker” and the “me-first president”. “And he also is a former Democratic (National Committee) chairman, so he has very extensive contacts across the country and within the party”.
