The Kaine Pick: No Surprises But Big Questions
Hillary Clinton's choice of Tim Kaine as her running mate is the least surprising political thing that has happened all year long. He was the widely recognized front runner from the moment people starting talking about who her pick was likely to be, and that never changed in all the speculation up to the last day. He was one of her earliest supporters; he has very similar stands on issues and approach to governance; he is her close friend; he is very highly regarded by his colleagues in the Senate, and was Obama's first DNC Chair; he was the favorite candidate of the Clintons' closest friend and adviser, VA Governor Terry MacAuliffe, and from what we hear, of Bill Clinton as well. He comes from a critical swing state, has great experience in government and a compelling personal story. In a year full of big political surprises, this most predictable of choices was what most political observers expected to happen. This was a comfortable choice for a candidate who isn't excited about taking big risks.