Following a week of headlines dominated by the Republican National Convention, Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton took to Twitter last night to announce Virginia U.S. Senator Tim Kaine as her vice presidential running mate. Today, Clinton officially introduced Kaine during the duo's first public appearance at a Miami campaign rally, giving the country a taste of the competition Donald Trump and Mike Pence will be up against in November.
Clinton first took the podium to introduce Kaine and expound upon his political views and credentials, while Kaine sat behind her waving and smiling to enthusiastic rally attendees. "Next week in Philadelphia we will offer a very different vision for our country, one that’s about building bridges not walls, embracing the diversity that makes our country great, lifting each other up, standing together because we know there’s nothing we can’t accomplish once we make up our minds," Clinton said. "And that’s why I am so thrilled to announce that my running mate isn’t a man who just shares those values, he lives them!”
Clinton went on to praise Kaine's missionary work in Honduras, his commitment to justice as a young civil rights lawyer, and his ability to lead the commonwealth in Virginia through one of the worst financial crises in a generation among several other highlights from his political career.
Kaine took the podium after Clinton, welcoming everyone at the rally in Spanish. "Somos Americanos todos," he said, which means, "We are all Americans." He continued to flex his Spanish-speaking skills, making the largely Latino crowd go wild: "I’m feeling a lot of things today, most of all gratitude. I’m grateful to you Hillary for the trust that you’ve placed in me and we’re going to me compañeros del alma (soul mates) in this great lucha (fight) ahead."
Kaine went on to tell the audience more about himself, referencing his Kansas City upbringing, the values of faith, family, and work he adopted during his missionary work in Honduras, and his work as a Virginia Senator. Turning attention to Clinton, Kaine said he and Clinton will deliver through a "strong progressive agenda" and detailed his personal commitment to ending gun violence. "They don't come tougher or any more compassionate than Hillary Clinton," he added.
While Bernie Sanders supporters are generally disappointed that Clinton didn't pick a more liberal running mate, others are hopeful about Kaine's fluency in Spanish as well as his work to prevent gun violence in Virginia and the fight he waged against housing discrimination and homelessness as a young lawyer. We'll hear plenty more from both Clinton and Kaine at the Democratic National Convention, which kicks off Monday in Philadelphia and will feature speeches from Michelle Obama, California Governor Jerry Brown, Senator Elizabeth Warren, and several other notable Democrats.
