After the first presidential debate concluded on the 26th of September, the announcement was made that the vice-presidential debate was going to be held the following week Tuesday. Little has been talked about with this years vice-presidents. Before voting on November 8, make sure to know who the vice-presidential candidates really are.
Government Experience
Republican Vice-President candidate Mike Pence entered Congress in 2000; he was then re-elected to his congressional seat 5 times . During his time in congress, Pence rose through the Republican ranks. In 2005 Pence was elected head of the Republican Study Committee. Pence then won the position of Republican Conference Chairman unanimously in 2008. Pence decided to run for Governor of Indiana in 2012, in which he won in a close race. Pence was governor of Indiana until he was named Donald Trump’s running mate earlier this year.
Tim Kaine, running mate to Democrat Hillary Clinton, entered the political world in 1994. Kaine served six years on Richmond City Council; the last two years at Richmond City Kaine served as mayor. In 2001, Kaine was elected to be Virginia’s lieutenant governor. Kaine then became governor of Virginia in 2006. Following his time as governor of Virginia, Kaine served as the chairman of the Democratic National Convention in 2009 to eventually step down in 2011. Following his resignation, Kaine was elected to the senate in 2012 where he stayed until Clinton nominated him as her Vice-President candidate.
Why they were nominated to be Vice-President
Pence was able to gain Trump’s respect through his far right conservative ideology. According to MSNBC, Pence is the most far right running mate in modern history. One of the reasons Trump chose Pence is because Pence is extremely pro-gun; in 2005 Pence voted for a bill to block law suits against gun manufacturing companies. Like many other far right conservatives, Pence is also against Planned Parenthood; in 2011 Pence attempted to defund planned parenthood in Congress. During the primaries, Trump was struggling to convince some of the republicans that he was the right choice for them; however, with Pence as his running mate, Trump has a better chance with the extreme right conservatives.
Clinton’s choice in Kaine is considered a safe vice-presidential pick. Kaine, being a moderate from a swing state, helps Clinton lock in Virginia, solidify most of the moderate voters, and persuade some republicans to cross borders and vote democrat this upcoming election. Kaine can be considered a moderate because his views on certain political issues are not to the extreme that some republicans and democrats take it. For example, Kaine is personally against abortion, but he thinks that it shouldn’t be outlawed; however, Kaine does think that partial birth abortion should be banned. Kaine is able to support pro-choice without going to the extreme of saying all abortion should be legal or illegal. Moderate views like this is one of the big reasons Clinton chose Kaine as a running mate. Clinton’s chances at locking in the independent vote increase with the vice-presidential candidate of moderate Tim Kaine.
