Kaine And Clinton Paint Themselves As Polar Opposites Of Trump-Pence

Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton and Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., arrive at a rally at Florida International University Panther Arena in Miami, Saturday, July 23, 2016. Clinton has chosen Kaine to be her r... Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton and Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., arrive at a rally at Florida International University Panther Arena in Miami, Saturday, July 23, 2016. Clinton has chosen Kaine to be her running mate. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik) MORE LESS
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In their first joint appearance as running mates, Hillary Clinton and Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA) made the case that they represented everything their Republican counterparts do not.

“Hillary Clinton is the direct opposite of Donald Trump,” Kaine told a lively audience at a Saturday rally in Miami.

Coming days after the close of the Republican National Convention, Kaine and Clinton painted a picture of an entirely different country than the fractured, fearful one that Trump detailed in Cleveland.

Kaine described the U.S. as a “rich and beautiful tapestry” of diversity and a “country of inclusion” that accepts people regardless of race, creed, sexual identity or religion.

The Virginia Democrat, who worked as a missionary in Honduras and civil rights lawyer, repeatedly lapsed into Spanish while introducing himself to the crowd.

“En este país somos Americanos todos,” he said to cheers from the audience. (“In this country, we’re all Americans.”)

Repeatedly, Kaine affirmed his and Clinton’s promises to push comprehensive immigration reform and keep undocumented families together, praising the values of the Latino community in the U.S.

Both Kaine and Clinton knocked Donald Trump for saying “I alone” can fix the problems the country faces in his speech accepting the GOP nomination, comparing the phrasing to that of a dictator’s.

“We Americans, we solve problems together,” Clinton said in her speech introducing Kaine, calling her GOP opponent “dangerously wrong.” “And if Donald Trump doesn’t understand that, he doesn’t understand America. I know that nobody does anything all alone.”

Clinton said that Kaine shared her commitment to social justice and core Democratic issues like raising the minimum wage, enforcing gun control, and protecting social security.

“Senator Tim Kaine is everything that Donald Trump and Mike Pence are not,” Clinton said, as Kaine beamed and waved at supporters from the stage. “He is qualified to step into this job and lead on day one. He is a progressive that likes to get things done.”

“I just can’t think of anyone better to have by my side on the campaign trail, in the White House,” she said.

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