Sen. Tim Kaine Seen as Clinton’s VP Pick

[DemocratSinceBirth]

Sen. Tim Kaine Seen as Clinton’s VP Pick
Virginian with Spanish skills and low-key style could aid Democrat Hillary Clinton in the general election

Hillary Clinton is on the verge of announcing her vice-presidential pick, with Democrats familiar with her search believing she will settle on a Spanish-speaking ally from a battleground state: Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia.

http://www.wsj.com/articles/sen-kaine-seen-as-clintons-vp-pick-1469144626?mod=e2tw

I like Elizabeth Warren, Sherrod Brown, Tom Perez, and Xavier Becerra in that order.

However I do not have access to the information Clinton and her team have. If I hire a lawyer I don't question his or her strategy and choice of co-counsel.

Kaine checks so many boxes

Comes from a swing state
Has a choirboy image
Speaks idiomatic Spanish
Belongs to a inner city black Catholic church
Has foreign policy experience
Has executive experience as a mayor and than governor.

I know there is a lot of noise about this being an outsider election but the Clinton team is betting the center holds and a plurality or majority of Americans won't choose crazy.

P.S. I don't dislike Tim Kaine. There aren't too many current Democrats I dislike !!!

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

1. I like him better than Tom "fire Shirley Sherrod" Vilsack.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

5. Me too!!!

[TheBlackAdder]

40. That sounds about as reassuring as what my reply would have been.

[chillfactor]

2. NO! n/t

[fun n serious]

3. I am happy with whoever she picks.

I am proud to have so many wonderful people on our side and in the dem party

[Bluenorthwest]

4. Kaine was a virulent opponent of LGBT rights. These last minute 'I don't hate you anymore'

types need to realize they are the past. Tim Kaine spent years saying he disliked LGBT people to the point that he wanted to deny us basic rights.
Kaine would be nothing but stage weight. Opposed marriage equality, opposed civil unions, can't keep his faith out of his governance. And of course he botched his term as Party Chair when we really needed skill we had Tim, a divisive and atavistic force. I hope it's virtually anyone but him.

[hollowdweller]

48. I think he sucks

Please Hillary! Pick somebody cool!

[tallahasseedem]

6. If they've done the internals

and are confident this wins the election, then I'm on board.

[JudyM]

7. That would be a weak choice, says this Virginian.

It's not as if Kaine is so beloved here... But he'd go along with whatever she wanted, if that's part of what she's looking for, rather than a highly principled leader with a POV.

[DemocraticWing]

8. I hope not.

I like all your picks better.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

15. I don't have the responsibility Hillary has.

Trump is so freaking awful.

[DemocraticWing]

18. I'm worried about some of Kaine's background

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=433x583217

[femmocrat]

26. That was from 2011. Does he still feel the same way?

The link is dead, BTW.

[TeddyR]

9. There's nothing wrong with Kaine

But there's nothing particularly right with him either. He'll do ok in the debate with Pence but he won't really help Hillary in Virginia (and if VA is a concern then Hillary is in trouble) and he certainly won't fire up the base. This seems like a "safe" pick when safe isn't what Hillary needs.

[mr_liberal]

10. Yes! Good pick.

I think Vilsack also had "an email problem" and thats probably why he was ruled out.

Im just glad its not Warren. Two women is a risk, and she's too far left and I dont think would play well in a GE - she comes off as shrill.

[awake]

31. "Two women is a risk" what the F*ck

Are you kidding we have had Two men for ever and I never heard that there was a problem.

[DawgHouse]

53. Someone who doesn't like a two-woman ticket wasn't going to vote for HRC anyway.

[Scruffy1]

56. Great answer.

personally I think seeing the former Republican as too far left is a sign off how far right the Democratic Party has gone. She only talks about common sense financial reforms, not destroying the capitalist system, as any self respecting leftist would. Besides which
I've never seen any evidence VP's make a bit of difference. Maybe they should just be picked by the sound of their name.

[B Calm]

11. If she wants to unite the party, Warren seems like the logical choice!

[TheCowsCameHome]

14. Unite which party?

[oasis]

12. Hillary wins big no matter who gets the VP slot. nt

[metroins]

29. She could pick Trump and win

We just need to GOTV.

[oasis]

61. Hard work ahead with no slip ups, no matter how minor. nt

[BlueStater]

13. I'd welcome him to the ticket, personally.

He's obviously qualified. He's been a governor and a senator. He speaks fluent Spanish. He wouldn't cost us a senate seat. I don't personally give a shit if he's boring.

He'd be better than Perez, who has never held any elected office and whose resume seems to entirely consist of a bunch of lightweight cabinet positions.

[geek tragedy]

16. Not outraged, but resigned to him.

Uninspiring and not someone who will play well with white working class voters.

[AwareOne]

17. Kaine supports NAFTA and voted

To fast track TPP.

[sinkingfeeling]

19. As a backer of Bernie, Hillary picking Kaine does nothing to

increase my enthusiasm. Don't care for a number of his positions including almost anything dealing with trade or finance.

[dflprincess]

35. Agreed

The one advantage to the RNC this week was that it was making it much easier for me to come to terms with having to vote for her.

If she picks Kaine it will make it so much harder. I'll take it as a clear sign that her "move to the left" meant nothing and we'll soon hear she has once again changed her mind about the TPP (among other things(.

[StevieM]

20. My first choice was Becerra but I would much prefer Vilsack to Kaine. (eom)

[Joe the Revelator]

21. This excites me greatly! nt

[BlueStateLib]

22. tim kaine is 58, i think hillary wants to pick someone that after 4 or 8 year would be still

young enough and well known enough to run in 2020 or 2024.

[hollowdweller]

50. Yeah but I think he would suck as president

Not enough for the working people.

[Warren DeMontague]

23. BUT WHAT ABOUT THE SLED

[colsohlibgal]

24. I Hope Not

I guess she is banking on garnering those middle of the road types because that pick would not fire up the progressive wing.

And again, she might lose a senate seat with that move, not likely a problem with Merkley.

[Thrill]

30. If Trump doesn't fire them up

nobody will

[BainsBane]

43. Why on earth would it be Merkley?

That makes zero sense whatsoever. He hasn't been mentioned at all, except in an article saying Sanders favored him for the sole reason that Merkley endorsed him, which is hardly a reason for Clinton to choose him.

[Her Sister]

25. I trust the nominee to pick her running mate!

Many great choices: Great problem!

[chillfactor]

27. no, no, no!

[Thrill]

28. Up to 83

https://www.predictit.org/Market/1530/Who-will-win-the-2016-Democratic-vice-presidential-nomination

[KPN]

32. I'm hoping the WSJ is wrong and that this article

reflects their wishes and desires more than reality.

[DemonGoddess]

33. I will be supportive of my nominee

and her choice. She is the one who has to work with him or her. She is the one who has to be able to be comfortable with that person in a working relationship, not any of us.

[RoadRunner]

34. I doubt it

I would be good with whomever she picks but I'm thinking it will be someone else.

[Adrahil]

36. Hoora..... Zzz....

Boring pick :/

[Retrograde]

37. Better than Vilsack, not as good

as Becerra. Too East Coast for my tastes (yeah, I'm biased towards candidates from west of the Mississippi) but there's no way I'm not voting for the Democratic candidate in November.

[BainsBane]

38. Brown is out of the question

It would mean the GOP picking up a Senate seat. We can't risk it.

I don't have an order of preferences. I'm fine with whomever Clinton thinks is best for the position, except Brown--because of the Senate.

[pansypoo53219]

39. say hello to preznit rump or preznit PENCE.

[BainsBane]

41. Really, you seriously think people who would otherwise vote for Clinton

will vote for Trump because they don't like her VP choice? I guess you don't see American voters as concerned at all about policy or issues.

[hollowdweller]

51. Possibly those that don't trust Hillary on Trade

With Hillary and Kaine you have two people who are for free trade. Would be better to have a VP who has always been against selling out US workers. That would give her more credibility

[BainsBane]

63. Last night Trump announced his intention to eliminate regulations for business

He does oppose TPP, but because he wants fewer rather than more restrictions. He has also proposed an enormous tax cut for the wealthy and business interests. He's made millions off exporting jobs abroad. To take his rhetoric about TPP seriously requires willful ignorance.

The trade issue is a complicated one, but those politicians clearly don't see themselves as selling out US workers, especially because most are endorsed by unions. No one in the Democratic Party meets your criteria. Warren used to be a Republican, after all, all throughout the Reagan era. Public opinion has changed considerably on the trade issue i the last few years.

[davidn3600]

46. Oh for christ sakes....

...no one bases their vote on the VP pick.

[mvd]

42. Really was hoping for Warren or another progressive

I did read Bernie supporter Krystal Ball's defense of Kaine. I remained unconvinced, though maybe the way he battled the conservatives in VA can help prepare him to battle Trump/Pence. Hillary can not handle all of Trump's attacks on her own. We need an attack dog, and I wonder if he has the personality to do it on this stage.

Best I can say is he may deliver VA and is better than Vilsack.

[BainsBane]

44. I'm so sick of that term progressive being used like a club

With absolutely no ideological consistency. I've seen pro-life candidates heralded as progressive, candidates who oppose the Iran Nuclear deal, oppose gun control and immigration reform, and defend funneling a trillion or more dollars to MIC companies. I've also seen the term used to rail against diversity and equal rights, or a congressmen known for her homophobia and Islamophobia is heralded as "progressive." The only thing I can figure it actually means is some sort of cultural signifier: "people like us, not you." It certainly doesn't mean moving forward, since many who used the term openly express a desire to return to a past some fifty years distant.

[mvd]

45. That is not what I am doing at all

What I want is someone who can appeal more to the millions of people who voted for Bernie. You can have your idea of a progressive, but don't use it to try to undermine mine.

[BainsBane]

47. How about saying

I'm not comfortable with his position on x, y, or z, rather than tossing around ill-defined labels?

[mvd]

49. It's not an ill defined label - in that case, liberal also could be

I don't feel like going through all the positions of Kaine right now. Best to sum it up the way I did: want the pick to appeal to those who supported Bernie more.

[BainsBane]

62. Looks to me like my point about cultural signifiers holds

and that you define it in terms of support for a former and second-place primary candidate shows that it is indeed meant to distinguish the few from the many, even the majority of Democrats.

Bernie is campaigning in order to help bring those voters on board. The vast majority already are.

[GulfCoast66]

57. Amen

And many of these 20 something white male 'progressives' will be republicans in 20 years. Especially the BOB type. A white guy voting against Hillary because she is not progressive enough is throwing vulnerable classes of Americans under the bus. Just a 15 years and $70,000 more in income away from being a republican.

[andym]

52. About as good a choice as Lieberman in 2000

Centrist, boring and brings little to the ticket-- Hillary needs to focus on the rust belt not Virginia.

[mvd]

54. Trade and his stance on financial institutions worry me

He isn't bad on some other things like the death penalty and is pro choice despite being personally opposed to abortion. I just think Hillary can do better.

[kevink077]

55. I like Booker

He would be her best choices. Young, optimistic, progressive, awesome communicator. Very intelligent.

[Beartracks]

58. I Googled Tim Kaine.

Along with the results, Google tells me people are also searching for:

Julián Castro
Mark Warner
Sherrod Brown
Anne Holton (Kaine's wife)
and
Elizabeth Warren


Generally, it seems Google has been getting hit with searches for Clinton's possible VP picks.

=======================

[mvd]

59. I like Brown

I realize that Bernie is one of a kind - even Warren is no Bernie to me. So I do not expect her to pick a Bernie clone. Someone on the more liberal wing like Warren and Brown would be nice though.

[Beartracks]

60. I agree with that.

Still hoping.

Someone said that Kaine is about as inspiring as Lieberman in 2000. That's sort of what I'm afraid of.

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