Hillary Clinton has picked Tim Kaine as her choice for Vice President. There are different views in favour and against the choice. Most delegates of the Democratic National Convention gave positive reviews to Hillary Clinton’s choice for vice president, saying that he will appeal to moderates, but do little to soothe disenchanted Bernie Sanders supporters.
Clinton made her choice public on Friday, tweeting "I'm thrilled to announce my running mate, @TimKaine, a man who's devoted his life to fighting for others. -H." Within minutes Kaine confirmed his acceptance, tweeting, "Just got off the phone with Hillary. I'm honoured to be her running mate. Can't wait to hit the trail tomorrow in Miami!"
Kaine has been a civil rights lawyer who is also a progressive Christian in a toss-up state that has gradually turned Democratic after decades of Republican stranglehold. Many of those immigrants are from India and in fact, they played a key role in propelling Kaine to the Senate in 2012. The constituency has been assiduously cultivated by Kaine and he was very conscious of when he gently admonishes India of its responsibilities towards minorities, citing America's own obligation towards its minorities and immigrants.
"Virginia has a strong and vibrant Indian-American community representative of the close personal, business and educational bonds between our two nations - world's two largest democracies. Some members of the Indian-American community in Virginia, many of whom are Sikh, have expressed concerns about issues of religious tolerance and liberty in India. I hope that Prime Minister Modi continues the efforts to better protect the inalienable rights afforded to all people, just as we fight against expressions of religious intolerance in our own political climate," Kaine said in a statement last month, after praising Modi's address to the joint meeting of the US Congress.
Angie Morelli, a Sanders delegate from Nevada, said Kaine was a horrible pick. “In a time when she is trying to cater to Sanders supporters, it was more catering to conservative voters and she’s not going to get any wave from it.”
Dwight Bullard, a Florida state senator, said not one of the 70-plus Sanders delegates in his state including himself is happy with the selection. “If you bring in someone with great credentials, that’s fine, but inclusivity of the progressive agenda can be a more important message,” Bullard said.
Donald Trump’s campaign has already given a nickname for Hillary Clinton’s new running mate - “Corrupt Kaine.” The Trump campaign calls Virginia Senator Tim Kaine “ethically challenged,” citing a Politico report that he accepted $160,000 in gifts from 2001 to 2009, when he was Virginia’s lieutenant governor and governor.
Trump’s senior communications adviser Jason Miller said, “the Status Quo ticket of Clinton-Kaine wants us to believe in a rigged system that enriches them at your expense.”
By Premji
