Donald Trump officially named his Vice Presidential candidate, Mike Pence, on Saturday morning. This was an anticlimactic event after a week full of strong hint dropping and a Thursday leak picked up by major media news outlets. Then there was a highly questionable logo (which has already disappeared) that created plenty of social media laughter, but Mike Pence is a safe choice. He’s the pick that could help Trump gain Republican establishment support, so now Hillary Clinton is free to counter this effect with her own VP selection.
Plenty of names — many of them juicy — have circulated as possible Clinton picks. She must find a candidate who will help her unite the Democratic party and recruit Bernie Sanders’ fans. She could also use someone to help her fend off the inevitable Trump attacks. Many voters believe Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren could fit that profile perfectly, but her scheduled DNC speaking spot (although it could change) may have shut down speculation that she is the chosen one.
Well, Clinton met with multiple VP hopefuls this weekend at her Washington, D.C. home. Warren was among these invitees, along with another person already under media consideration, Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julian Castro. Virginia Senator Tim Kaine’s name has circulated plenty over the past few weeks too, but CNN reports that Kaine was not present. One new, surprising name surfaced in the media fold — Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper:
As for Hickenlooper, who met with Clinton for more than an hour, aides say the former secretary of state personally likes the Colorado governor and he is seen as someone who could help deliver Colorado, a crucial battleground state.
Asked after the meeting how his time with Clinton was, the governor declined to comment. Clinton held an event on tech investment last month in Denver and met with the popular Colorado governor over breakfast before the event, according to aides.
If this was a few weeks ago, Hickenlooper may have been another candidate who surfaces briefly and disappears after a smattering of op-eds and public discussion. However, the Democratic National Convention is coming up later this month, and the pressure is on Clinton to select the perfect compliment to her platform. She’s working hard to absorb more progressive platform points and even pocketed Sanders’ endorsement. His followers will likely take his lead, so that pressure has lessened somewhat.
Although his name seems unfamiliar to the VP discussion, Hickenlooper isn’t new to the Clinton fold. He’s held several Clinton fundraisers during primary season, including one last week at the his Denver home. Clinton attended, and the two reportedly had a “brief” discussion that went “very well.” He would be an under-the-radar choice and one who hasn’t surfaced in any major scandals. On the issue of gun control, critics say he’s prone to “arguing with himself,” but that’s not unexpected with such a heated issue and competing interests. Hickenlooper’s also undergone a self-confessed evolution on marijuana legalization. He previously argued against his state’s cannabis rescheduling initiative but has come around to appreciating the effects. Those who still feel the Bern may be impressed.
(Via CNN)