Kaine is all in for TPP and continuing Obama’s legacy.
Via WISTV:
Delegates to the Democratic National Convention are giving mostly positive reviews to Hillary Clinton’s choice for vice president, saying Virginia Sen. Time Kaine will appeal to moderates but do little to soothe disenchanted Bernie Sanders supporters.
Kaine is receiving praise for his wide-ranging experience, even as many delegates acknowledged that he would not generate the level of enthusiasm or party unity as a more progressive or first-ever Latino pick.
Sanders delegates in particular hoped for the selection of Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., who aligns more closely with Sanders on positions such as regulating Wall Street.
“People are going to discount Tim Kaine, and have in the past, and it’s going to be a lot more exciting than maybe what Bernie Sanders delegates will think,” said Katie Naranjo, a Clinton superdelegate from Austin, Texas. She said that while Kaine may seem like a “conventional choice,” he will balance the ticket well for the general election.
Delegates were heading to Philadelphia for the convention starting Monday, with those who support Sanders indicating uncertainty about embracing a Clinton ticket. Sanders endorsed Clinton last week.
It “was a horrible pick,” said Angie Morelli, a Sanders delegate from Nevada. “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.”
She said she’s bothered by Kaine’s association with the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a global trade pact that Sanders and Clinton oppose. Kaine voted to back “fast track” authority for the TPP, a pact that President Barack Obama favors.
Dwight Bullard, a Florida state senator, said not one of the 70-plus Sanders delegates in his state including himself is happy with Kaine’s selection. He worried that the centrist choice could magnify progressives’ view that Clinton will backtrack on issues important to them, such as climate change and tuition aid for college students.
“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.