Sen. Tim Kaine Seen as Clinton’s VP Pick
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... Mrs. Clinton is likely to announce her selection Friday in the form of a text message to supporters. On Saturday, she is set to campaign in Florida, a potential stage for a joint appearance with her newly minted running mate.
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Voters tend to focus on the top of the ticket, but Mr. Kaine could offer a political boost for the Clinton campaign. Though unflashy by his own admission, his Spanish fluency might be able to cement her lead among Hispanic voters, a key general-election constituency. He is considered a loyal figure who would mesh well with Mrs. Clinton’s leadership style.
Geography may be another Kaine selling point.
Former President Bill Clinton believes that if his wife wins Virginia, the Republican ticket has virtually no realistic path to the 270 Electoral College votes needed to win, a person familiar with his thinking said. In presidential elections dating to 2000, the candidate who won Virginia went on to win the White House. A look at the electoral map shows that if Mrs. Clinton wins Virginia, Mr. Trump could lose the election even if he captured Florida and Ohio, assuming Mrs. Clinton holds other battleground states won by Barack Obama in his two presidential bids.
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If elected vice president, Mr. Kaine’s replacement in the Senate would be selected by a Democratic governor. That isn’t the case with three other people Mrs. Clinton considered: Sens. Booker, Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Sherrod Brown of Ohio. Under Virginia law, Gov. Terry McAuliffe, a longtime Clinton ally, would name a temporary replacement for Mr. Kaine, while the remainder of his term would be filled through a special election in November 2017.
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Mrs. Clinton gave no hint in the interview of whom she favored, but offered her take on several people under consideration. Asked about the perception that Mr. Kaine is “too boring,” she said that was a plus: “I love that about him.” She added that he has never lost an election and was a “world-class mayor, governor and senator.”
Democratic consultant Steve Elmendorf said Republican nominee Donald Trump’s choice of Indiana Gov. Mike Pence as a running mate allowed Mrs. Clinton more flexibility in her selection. With a different Trump choice, Mrs. Clinton might have felt pressure to respond. If Mr. Trump had picked Newt Gingrich, a sharp debater, she might have wanted to ensure her choice was ready to face him.
http://www.wsj.com/articles/sen-kaine-seen-as-clintons-vp-pick-1469144626
