Hillary Clinton picked former Virginia governor Tim Kaine as her running-mate. She could have picked someone from the left wing of the Democratic party, so as to placate Bernie Sanders supporters, but instead she chose a widely-experienced government official with the reputation as a moderate. Perhaps her strategy is to reach out to those, including Republicans, who are alarmed by Donald Trump.
What do you think of her choice? Does this apparent move to the center calm any apprehensions you may have about her? Does this seemingly responsible pick make her seem more like the adult in the room, compared to the volatile and inexperienced Trump? Or is this a choice that could backfire? Might it cause many progressive Democrats, already frustrated with the way she shot down Sanders, to turn to Trump, given his populism and his “revolutionary” shakeup of the establishment?
From Hillary Clinton Picks Tim Kaine As Her Vice Presidential Running Mate : NPR:
Virginian Sen. Tim Kaine is Hillary Clinton’s choice for her vice president, giving her a running mate with experience at all levels of government to round out the Democratic ticket.
Clinton told supporters the news in a text message and a tweet on Friday evening just after 8 p.m. ET.
In recent days, Kaine had emerged as the favorite, albeit safe, pick for Clinton, over other finalists such as Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, Labor Secretary Tom Perez and New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker.
Kaine’s addition to the ticket gives her a loyal ally who can help reach out to the Hispanic community and possibly woo disaffected independents or even some moderate Republicans turned off by Republican nominee Donald Trump.
He is a low-risk pick, comes from a swing state that has become increasingly crucial in presidential elections, has a reputation as a moderate who works across the aisle, and doesn’t overshadow the top of the ticket. In fact, in an interview earlier this month on NBC’s Meet the Press, Kaine even admitted, “I am boring.”
Kaine was a finalist eight years ago in President Obama’s vice presidential search, and he had endorsed the then-Illinois senator early on. This time, he joined the “Ready for Hillary” bandwagon before she even announced.
The 58-year-old is a former housing lawyer who took off time from law school to work with Jesuit missionaries in Honduras, during which he became fluent in Spanish. Kaine got his start in politics on the Richmond City Council and later became the mayor of the Virginia capital. In 2001, he was elected the commonwealth’s lieutenant governor.
In 2005, he won a hard-fought race against then-Republican Attorney General Jerry Kilgore, helped by strong margins in the Northern Virginia suburbs and exurbs. His father-in-law is also a former Virginia governor.
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