The Patriot Post® · Clinton Searches for Partner in Crime

While the Republican National Convention drama plays out in Cleveland, Hillary Clinton is making final preparations to announce her 2016 running mate, likely by Friday.

The presumptive Democrat nominee has some key meetings lined up this week, and it seems the list has been whittled down to the following: former Virginia Governor and current Senator Tim Kaine; former Iowa Governor and current Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack; HUD Secretary Julian Castro; Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper; and of course everyone’s favorite “Native American,” Sen. Elizabeth “Fauxcahontas” Warren.

Clinton has a lot to consider in making her pick. She is already using her presence as a woman on the ticket to break a barrier to the White House. Were she to pick someone to her left, she may appease the Bernie Sanders crowd, but further alienate more independents, a weakness that the Trump campaign can easily exploit. But if Clinton goes the more traditional direction, she may lose votes to her left. Oh, the dilemma.

Warren is just the sort of candidate that would fire up the liberal base, but even Clinton’s own team privately admits this could be a costly pick. Warren makes for a good attack dog against Trump, but, like The Donald, her own mouth has been known to cause some problems. She has been a fine figurehead for the Left’s war on … well, pretty much everything except terrorism. But there is concern that Warren might not stand up under scrutiny in the general campaign, not to mention the dynamic of two spotlight-hungry women — one who’s beloved and one who’s despised — working together on the same ticket.

John Hickenlooper is a relatively popular governor in the Democrat ranks, but he is of the warm milk variety as a vice presidential candidate. In a year where media scrutiny or lack thereof will be a major factor in the race, he is unlikely to add much to the ticket aside from the fact he governs a swing state, a fact in itself that does not always guarantee success.

Julian Castro is considered a favorite because he can help secure the Latino vote. Castro has some baggage, though. The Office of the Special Counsel announced Monday that Castro violated the Hatch Act by engaging in politics while serving in his official capacity as Housing and Urban Development Secretary.

The incident took place on April 4 when Katie Couric asked him during an interview what his thoughts were about the 2016 campaign. Castro, with the HUD seal hanging behind him, spouted off about his faith in Clinton while trashing the Republican field. Castro prefaced his remarks with, “Taking off my HUD hat for a second and just speaking individually…” But that wasn’t enough to protect him from a Hatch Act violation.

The Hatch Act was designed to keep sitting executive branch personnel from using their taxpayer funded time and resources to engage in political activity. They are free to do so on their own time, but just where the line is between public and private time is hard to draw. For his part, Castro clearly violated the law, but since it is up to the Obama administration to do something about it, it is highly unlikely that Castro will suffer for his actions.

Besides, now that Castro has a record of breaking the law without consequences, he might very well be a perfect fit for the Clinton team. However, given Trump’s stance on immigration, Clinton probably does not need much help shoring up her Latino base; surely not enough to donate the VP slot in order to secure it.

If Clinton needs help with any voting bloc, it’s white men. Trump has stirred the white middle class base, and Clinton cannot count on minorities alone to win the presidency. Enter Tim Kaine.

Kaine, a longtime Clinton ally, might be her best bet if the white male vote is of concern to her. He is a well-known commodity in Virginia, and his home state figures prominently in the 2016 electoral college strategy. He could do Clinton a favor in bringing the ticket closer to the center of the electorate, but that will come at the price of alienating the Sanders/Warren crowd, many of whom reject any establishment types.

They needn’t worry. Hillary Clinton may be as establishment as they come, but she’s as far left as Barack Obama. She’s not the wind-driven “centrist” her husband was. If she follows her predecessor’s lead in the Oval Office — with, heaven forbid, a Democrat Senate — the Left will be able to take comfort in the continued unraveling of America.