I'm thrilled by the Clinton-Kaine ticket!

Hillary Clinton has made a smart, politically deft choice in picking Tim Kaine of Virginia as her running mate. Kaine's extremely qualified and experienced, having been both a governor and U.S. Senator, and represents a swing state and important region of America. He's from a demographic with which Clinton may want to make inroads, while also being completely fluent in Spanish. He's popular and battle-tested, having won tough elections in a "Southern" state, and boasts an impressive foreign policy background. Democrats and Republicans alike have highly praised Kaine for revitalizing Richmond and Virginia, and handling the 2007 Virginia Tech massacre with tact.

Yes, some progressive activists have heavily criticized Kaine for not being left-wing enough, asserting that his positions on free trade, Wall Street regulation, and some other issues are insufficiently doctrinaire. Yet, I believe that Kaine's reputation as a pragmatic, centrist Democrat with a pro-business and economic growth track record is actually a strong asset. Base turnout is almost assured given liberals' desire to avert a Donald Trump and Mike Pence victory. With Kaine on the Democratic ticket, however, Clinton can definitely enlarge her political tent, courting moderate independents and even some center-right Republican voters disgusted by Trump.

Kaine will put Virginia firmly into the Democratic column, making it nearly impossible for Trump to attain enough electoral votes to win the general election. Compassionate and brilliant, Kaine consistently responds to difficult questions from both the left and right with civility, eking out common ground with others while displaying a deep understanding of the issues. Overall, I believe that Kaine embodies the right leadership we need in an era of high political polarization and gridlock, and he'll make a solid Vice President under a Clinton presidency. Absolutely can't wait to vote Clinton-Kaine in November.