Disclaimer: This is a Hillary Clinton appreciation thread, which means that most people who come here really like Hillary Clinton. If you have criticisms, please be respectful.
If you haven’t had the chance, check out the daily News & Views and the Hillary Writers Circle, as well as the afternoon Hillary Hangouts and the #ImWithHer evening open threads. In addition, here are some new diaries:
theone718: “The Progressive Case For Tim Kaine As VP”
BWilson: If You Know Politics Better Than Hillary, Kvetch Away
El Mito: BREAKING: Hillary/Kaine It Is!!!!!!!
David Nir: Praising Kaine: How Clinton’s choice of a widely respected senator drives a deep wedge into the GOP
teacherken: A teacher gets to experience Tim Kaine for the first time
jagerran: Clinton/Rock, Clinton/old shoe, Clinton/Pantsuit, and Clinton/FDR’s Wheelchair would all get my vote
Little Blue: I Was Meh on Kaine. Then the Virginia Supremes Made Virginia a Lot Less Certain Without Him
GoGoGoEverton: No, I wouldn’t have picked him. But he’s a good man and a fine pick.
Reinvented Daddy: Kaine Is Not “Safe” Pick — Hillary Is Going For A Rout
teacherken: Some statements on Tim Kaine from those who know him
teacherken: Barack Obama on Tim Kaine
I remember back in 2008 when then-candidate Obama chose Joe Biden as his partner on the ticket. I was underwhelmed, disappointed, and even angry. Though I didn’t want Hillary Clinton to be Obama’s vice president, his not offering the job to her felt like a slap in the face. It felt as though Obama didn’t understand her historic candidacy and was dismissive of what she had achieved because he chose the most run-of-the-mill running mate available. (Especially if you knew Joe Biden only from his role in the Anita Hill hearings.) Flash-forward eight years, and it’s clear President Obama and Vice President Biden have a great relationship, which has no doubt made Obama’s load lighter.
So I can understand what Bernie Sanders supporters who reluctantly back Hillary Clinton are feeling. It would have been great to see her choose Elizabeth Warren, to see two women on the ticket, or Tom Perez, or Xavier Becerra, and it’s depressing to think that this country isn’t ready for two non-white men on a presidential ticket.
Tim Kaine wasn’t my first choice, or even my third, but I trust Hillary Clinton. I think she wanted someone with broad experience, who was well liked and respected, and with whom she felt comfortable. That’s not to say she wouldn’t have felt that with Warren or Perez or someone else, but maybe Tim Kaine met those factors a bit better than they did. I obviously wasn’t involved in the selection process.
I suspect by November (and especially by the end of President Hillary Clinton’s first term), I will love Tim Kaine. Right now, I look forward to getting to know him better.
ETA: I wrote most of the above last night, and since then, am liking what I hear about Tim Kaine.
Some other views:
Melissa McEwan at Shakesville writes:
And right at the moment where he says, "Hillary's ready to be our leader," it struck me like a ton of bricks: There is a white man standing on the stage in support of a woman running for president, and he is saying that she will be our leader.
And he is standing there in support of her, her second in command, saying he's going to help her make history.
Whoa.
I just feel very overwhelmed with how powerful a message that is in this moment.
Also:
I know there's a lot of concern about Kaine's record on choice, which I totally understand, although it's clear that he has moved significantly left on reproductive issues in the last decade. As I noted in comments last night, I would be a lot more concerned about his mixed record were it not for three things:
1. I don't believe that Hillary Clinton would have chosen him were she not certain that he would be 100% committed to supporting pro-choice Supreme Court nominees.
2. I have already been through the "Catholic dude who is personally squishy on choice but is publicly pro-choice" with both John Kerry and Joe Biden, both of whom were more reliable on choice the more influential they became.
3. Normally, when there's someone who's chosen for veep who isn't flawless on choice, I'm super pissed off because it doubles-down the ticket on being insufficiently robust in their support of choice.For the first time ever, because Hillary Clinton is at the top of the ticket, that isn't happening! And that actually isn't a small thing to me.
(And, hey, she pushed Sanders left on Hyde; I've no doubt she can push Kaine left on choice if he needs pushing.)
Definitely read the whole article.
D.R. Tucker at Washington Monthly:
As Evan Popp notes, Kaine’s record is not nearly as offensive to progressives as is commonly assumed. He is not perfect, but who is? He is certainly well-qualified to be Clinton’s second-in-command, and promises to be as effective of a partner as Al Gore and Joe Biden were for Bill Clinton and Barack Obama, respectively.
There is no question that Kaine has the intellect, personality and skill necessary to pound Pence in a Vice Presidential debate; Pence will be as cognitively compromised as Palin was against Biden in their 2008 debate. Kaine versus Pence will be wisdom versus wingnuttery, compassion versus cruelty, decency versus degeneracy; the leader of the Hoosier State simply won’t be able to rate in a debate.
There’s no doubt that Kaine is seen as having a mixed record on climate. However, there’s also no doubt that the Virginia Senator understands the existential threat of carbon pollution, as opposed to Pence, whose views on climate change are Inhofe-esque in their irrationality. Some climate hawks will regard Kaine as half a loaf at best; I would argue in response that half a loaf is better than starving.
Those who felt bad (like me) initially that Elizabeth Warren wasn’t chosen? She’ll still be kicking ass and taking names.
For those who want to watch the first Clinton-Kaine rally, here is a feed.
This is your open thread.