The Clinton-Kaine presidential ticket
FOR all her impressive achievements as senator, first lady and secretary of state, Hillary Clinton is not particularly popular with voters. Perhaps it is her cool, competent, efficient manner that turns people off. They admire her, but they don’t warm up to her. In light of that, Clinton has just done a masterful job, in her selection of a running mate for the presidential election in November – by choosing Senator Tim Kaine of Virginia. After she called him, Kaine tweeted: “Just got off the phone with Hillary. I’m honored to be her running mate. Can’t wait to hit the trail tomorrow.”
Mr. Kaine, a Harvard-educated former civil rights lawyer, has been mayor of Richmond, Virginia, lieutenant-governor of Virginia, governor of Virginia, chairman of the Democratic National Committee, and now a senator. Tim Kaine is widely described by people in his political orbit as a “likeable,” if less than charismatic, figure. “I’m boring,” he told NBC’s Meet the Press.
As experienced foreign policy hand who serves on the Senate Foreign Relations and Armed Forces Committees, Kaine could help Clinton attract more voters. A center-Left Democrat with working class roots and spotless records as governor and senator, Kaine could also help Clinton win votes from independent male voters. Clinton described Kaine as a “progressive who gets things done.” He is a relentless optimist who believes no problem is unsolvable if you put in the work to solve it,” saying that Kaine’s guiding principle is a belief that “you can make a difference through public service.”
Born in St. Paul, Minnesota, Mr. Kaine was raised in a suburb of Kansas City, Missouri, where his father owned a welding shop. He attended Jesuit high school and the University of Missouri, with a major in journalism. He graduated in three years and entered Harvard Law School – only to decide he needed to “step away from the treadmill and decide on my path in life.” So he took a year off and joined Jesuit missionaries in Honduras, where he learned Spanish. Back in Harvard, he met Anne Holton, whom he married. They settled in Richmond in an integrated neighborhood and joined St. Elizabeth, a mostly black Roman Catholic Church, where Mr. Kaine sang in the gospel choir. Mrs. Kaine is currently the secretary of education for the state of Virginia.
In the Senate, Mr. Kaine focused on issues such as Syria and veterans affairs, and worked on fair housing and gun control. In 2013 he made Senate history by giving a floor speech entirely in Spanish – an address in support of immigration law reforms.