The Left’s Beef With Tim Kaine: Bernie’s supporters see a rebuke in Clinton's ‘safe’ VP pick

[Squinch]

91. Hillary has already solidified support from the left. You are voting for her, and so am I. She has

all of her primary supporters, and 92% of Sanders's primary supporters. So you don't get much more solid support from the left than she already had.

The VP pick was really an opportunity for Hillary to pick up support from Independents and the center, and do it in a way that is largely ceremonial and doesn't much affect her policies.

It also gives her a crucial swing state.

And look at it this way: a big objection to him was his support for the TPP. He has agreed, as the VP candidate, to align his position to Hillary's and she has come out against it. But even if he hadn't done that, his being VP candidate actually takes him out of the ratifying process. Her picking him actually reduces congressional support for the TPP.

Another big objection to him is his coziness with the banks. Again, this takes him out of the ratification process for any laws Liz Warren comes up with to increase regulation and make the banks safer for us.

And I have said all along that there are plenty of people out there who, consciously or not, are freaked out by the idea of a woman president. Others may disagree, but I have no doubts that this is more widespread than any of us would guess. A guy who looks like the kinds of politicians they are used to, who is a backstop to that scary woman president, might reduce their freak out and make her more palatable.

He is not who I would have chosen, but the more I think about it, the more I realize that Hillary is a lot better at this politics thing than I am and her choice is actually a very good one.