Clinton and Kaine will be officially nominated this week at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia.
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When Clinton formally introduced Kaine to the rally he said, “I’m feeling a lot of things today, most of all gratitude”.
The two walked arm and arm onto the stage at Florida International University before a crowd of more than 5,000, making it one of the largest rallies to date for Clinton’s campaign.
Speaking behind a lectern that included the newly minted blue sign with the words “Clinton Kaine”, Clinton called Kaine a “shining example of faith in action” and “everything Donald Trump and [vice presidential nominee] Mike Pence are not”.
Donald Trump started off his weekend by assailing Tim Kaine on Twitter, attempting to frame the Virginia senator and former governor as corrupt after he was named as Hillary Clinton’s running mate. “He is qualified to step into this job and lead on day one”.
“He fights for the people he represents, and he delivers real results”, Clinton said.
Mr Kaine also speaks fluent Spanish, which could help the Clinton campaign’s outreach with Latinos – a key voting bloc. During his address he alternated between English and Spanish, as he talked about immigration, gun violence and other issues. Clinton said Kaine as governor worked with Republicans and helped his home state navigate the Great Recession without sacrificing funding for education.
“I’m excited for us to get to know one another”, Kaine said.
The Virginia senator has numerous qualities Clinton was looking for in a running mate: he is policy-focused and agreeable, and the two get along well.
“Trump, the Republican nominee for president, started the latest exchange Saturday morning when he again referred to the MA senator as Pocahontas, a reference to her claimed Native American heritage”.
The Democratic Party is already pushing back, enlisting President Obama to vouch for Mr Kaine.
You have left for this month. John McCain wasn’t a hero because he had been captured and served as a prisoner of war in Vietnam. But Kaine had been considered a leading vice presidential contender for weeks based on his broad political experience in Virginia, another presidential battleground.
Although some have called Kaine a “boring pick” or wondered whether he’d be an effective attack dog against GOP nominee Donald Trump, he certainly got in some zingers Saturday.
He is viewed skeptically by some liberals in the Democratic Party, who dislike his support of free trade and Wall Street.
Sitting behind the stage was Mr. Kaine’s wife, Anne Holton. Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton reaches out to touch Orlando City Commissioners Patty Sheehan’s arm during a roundtable discussion with community leaders at the Holden Heights Community Center in. For the second straight day, Clinton’s line about we are better than what Trump is offering drew chants of U-S-A from the crowd.
Since Clinton announced her vice president pick via Tweet and text message to supporters Friday, Trump has been ripping Kaine in a series of tweets, claiming the selection will unnerve supporters of Clinton’s formal rival Bernie Sanders and therefore cause a floor fight at the upcoming Democratic convention.
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The moderate Democrat could appeal to Republicans who have been unsettled by the candidacy of Donald Trump. “Job killer!” Mr. Trump tweeted Saturday. “I know that together, Hillary and Tim will continue fighting to build an economy that works for everyone – not just those at the top”.
