The contests for Republican and Democratic presidential nominees are all but settled, meaning the latest question is "Who will be the picks for Vice President?"
Last week, Anderson Cooper asked Hillary Clinton that question on CNN. Clinton didn’t respond with names.
“I think the most important quality is that this person could become president on literally a moment’s notice. There is no more important quality than that,” answered Clinton.
A lack of specifics has led to speculation, and one Virginia politician’s name keeps coming up: Senator Tim Kaine.
The first rule of choosing a Vice Presidential candidate is fairly straightforward, says Geoffrey Skelley, a political analyst at UVA’sCenter for Politics.
“The first rule of VP selection is do no harm,” Skelley says.
And Tim Kaine -- ex-Virginia Governor, current Virginia Senator, once chairman of the Democratic National Committee -- fits that rule pretty well.
“For one thing, he is a senator from a key swing state,” Skelley says. “He also has a pretty good reputation in the Senate.”
For another, he’s got executive experience and is fluent in Spanish. He’s also served as Virginia’s Lieutenant Governor, suggesting he wouldn’t mind playing the support role. But, being a safe play might also be Kaine’s downside.
“I can’t imagine that Bernie Sanders fans are going to be like ‘Oh Tim Kaine, he’s our guy!’ Skelley says. “They would probably prefer someone like Elizabeth Warren or Bernie Sanders himself.”
But a more radical pick like Warren, a progressive senator from Massachusetts, might do more to upstage Clinton than help her cause. Skelley points to McCain’s choice of Sarah Palin in 2008 as an example.
For his part, Kaine's only comment on the speculation has been to not believe the hype.
"I'm just doing my work here in the Senate and in Virginia," Kaine said during an interview with Andrea Mitchell on MSNBC. "My highest and best use is really in Virginia because I do think this will be a critical state in November."
