Dear god, I hope this is all about shitty sources, and not reflective of what’s actually going on inside Camp Clinton:
Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack have emerged as leading contenders after a rigorous vetting process, Democrats close to the selection believe, but they are not the only two prospects still in contention.
Maybe Kaine is being floated to make Vilsack look more palatable? Neither are.
Several Democratic senators, donors and people close to the campaign who have spoken to Clinton say she is aware of the criticism that neither Kaine nor Vilsack is seen as a particularly flashy or exciting candidate. She also has considered Labor Secretary Tom Perez, Sens. Elizabeth Warren, Cory Booker and Sherrod Brown, in addition to others.
It’s not just that they are dreadfully dull, uninspiring, and pretty much generic nothings. And Kaine is particularly crappy.
Kaine, by contrast, is setting himself up as a figure willing to do battle with the progressive wing of the party. He has championed the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal that both Sanders and Warren oppose, and he is now publicly siding with bank deregulation advocates at the height of Clinton’s veepstakes.
Booker ain’t much better on Wall Street than Kaine, and Brown would cost us a much-needed Senate seat (though he’d otherwise be awesome). Warren would be amazing, while Xavier Becerra or Al Franken work great. Perez would be fine, I guess, though he has precious little electoral experience. There are plenty of options that will help motivate the base, rather than piss it off into silence. Make the right call, Hillary.