See live blog below the video. Overall, I’d say the rally was solid – no electricity or gushing warmth or anything, but the two are clearly comfortable with each other. Also, I thought Kaine did a good job – framing, content and delivery all strong – although I’ve seen better speeches by him in my 11 years following him. All in all, I don’t think Kaine hurt himself for the running mate/VP position, but nothing blew anyone’s socks off as far as I could tell.
4:18 pm: “We are going to have a great convention in Philadelphia. I have no idea what’s going to happen in Cleveland. it is going to be entertaining I’m sure, if you’re into bigotry, bluster and bullying…insulting groups of Americans…you want to round up and deport 11 million people…enjoy seeing women demeaned.” Trump said he’s qualified to be commander in chief because he took Miss Universe to Moscow. “Remember, when someone shows you who he is, believe him.” We need to “keep this campaign about the future,” recognize that we are better united not divided, “we’re going forward…with pride, confidence, optimism and we’re going to win in November!”
4:17 pm: “I believe we need to join the rest of the advanced economies and have paid family leave.”
4:15 pm: Clinton says the wealthy need to pay their fair share, as they’ve benefited the most. We don’t “begrudge success,” but we have “work to do” to help give a lot more people the chance to be successful. “I will not raise taxes on the middle class, and I mean it and I won’t do it.” More incentives for companies to create jobs in America and bring jobs back from overseas. “It is not the 1950s,” need to focus on the way people actually live today.
4:13 pm: Clinton now mocking Trump as having no plan, other than to say it’s great, “huge,” etc.
4:09 pm: Clinton says she wants to make community college free and four-year public colleges/universities debt free. Universal pre-kindergarten and “good schools in every zip code in America.” More support for gaining skills that don’t require a four-year college degree. “I don’t know who created Pokemon Go” but I’d like them to figure out how to get “Pokemon Go to the Polls.” Family income shouldn’t stand in the way of any family succeeding.
4:07 pm: Hillary Clinton now talking about equal pay for women. She says Donald Trump mocks this as the “woman card.”
4:03 pm: “We are going to be the clean energy superpower of the 21st century.” “Unlike Donald Trump, who thinks climate change is a hoax,” we think it’s an opportunity (for clean energy jobs) as well as a problem. Wants to pay attention to parts of the country that have been neglected; this “needs to be about ALL of America.”
4:00 pm: Clinton says she just saw “Hamilton” and it “tells us some important lessons.” The founders didn’t all agree or even all like each other, but they worked together and set out to transform the colonies into a nation. Also, George Washington actually stepped down after two terms, didn’t stay president for life. “The eyes of history are on us.” We aren’t facing the existential challenge faced by President Lincoln, but we face serious challenges of our own. “We are stronger together, when we set goals for America, when we listen to each other.”
3:57 pm: Clinton speaking, says she likes the three questions Kaine posed. This is a “giant job interview to decide who you want to be your president for your community…country.” “I think what Tim said really is worth considering” – do you want a “you’re fired or you’re hired president,” a “trash talker or bridge builder president, a “me-first” or “kids-and-families-first” president?
3:54 pm: Kaine says this is a time of anxiety, people worried about the state of the world, and one political strategy – what Trump is doing – is to try to divide people against one another. “But that’s not what leaders do…when times are tough.” “What leaders do” is to embrace the challenges and bring people together, “and that’s why I’m so glad to present to you our great friend and the next president of the United States, Hillary Clinton.”
3:53 pm: Kaine says Clinton has been a leader in expanding health care for kids and families.
3:49 pm: Kaine asks if you want a “me-first president” (Trump) or a “kids and families-first president” (Clinton)? Kaine rips Trump for not releasing his tax returns, says the reason is that Trump knows if he does, it will reveal a lot of bad stuff that will hurt him politically.
3:46 pm: Kaine asks, “Do you want a trash talker president or a bridge-builder president?” Says Trump trash talks Latinos, women, people with disabilities, gays, Muslims, NATO, our troops, veterans, etc. Kaine says Hillary Clinton is a bridge builder who believes in diplomacy.
3:45 pm: Kaine now ripping into Donald Trump as the “you’re fired” guy vs. Hillary Clinton, who would be the “you’re hired” president.
3:44 pm: Sen. Tim Kaine introducing Hillary Clinton, calling her “ready” in the Spanish sense (“listo”) — well prepared to be president.
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