You can trust Tim Kaine, delegates from Arizona say

PHILADELPHIA — U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine’s big-stage debut Wednesday at the Democratic National Convention drew raves from Arizona delegates who watched from inside Wells Fargo Center.

In the Arizona delegates’ reactions, a theme emerged: They felt like they could trust him.

Kaine spoke of his broad experience in government, and his ability to reassure the public — not scare it, said state Rep. Mark Cardenas of Phoenix.

“God forbid, if anything happens to the president, you want somebody to step in on the first day and know what to do,” Cardenas said. “Running a massive state like Virginia, I trust him. I want someone that I can trust with my future, my children’s future, the nuclear codes, with our country’s budget, so many different things.”

As Kaine finished speaking, Cardenas pointed to the stage and said: “This election comes down to trust. I trust this here.”

Kaine, 58, has a long career in politics as a U.S. senator and a Virginia governor and, before that, as mayor of Richmond. But he was not a household name, even among Democrats, until Clinton announced he was her choice as a running mate.

His Spanish-laced convention speech Wednesday, and the biographical video retelling “a lifetime fighting for social justice and fairness” that preceded it, introduced Kaine not only to the nation but to many delegates inside the convention hall.

The speech was heavy on personal background, including a retelling of his record.

It also included a Donald Trump impersonation, suggesting he may approach the V.P. candidate’s role as campaign attack dog with an unexpected vaudevillian flair.

Kaine’s remarks also included overtures to his U.S. Senate colleague Bernie Sanders of Vermont, Clinton’s dogged primary rival, and Sanders’ supporters, not all of whom were thrilled when Clinton selected him as a running mate.

“We all should ‘feel the Bern,’ and we all should not want to get burned by the other guy,” Kaine said at one point.

Shasta McManus, 35, of Tucson, said she hopes the speech will help convince hardcore Sanders supporters to support the Clinton-Kaine ticket.

“We got to hear from one half of our winning team,” she said. “Moving forward, we must work together to defeat Donald Trump.”