In the end, Mrs. Clinton decided that Mr. Kaine, 58, a former governor of Virginia who sits on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, had the qualifications and background, and the personal chemistry with her, to make the ticket a success.
Mrs. Clinton had entertained more daring choices. She considered Thomas E. Perez, the secretary of labor, who would have been the first Hispanic on a major party ticket; Senator Cory Booker of New Jersey, who would have been the first African-American to seek the vice presidency; and James G. Stavridis, a retired four-star Navy admiral who served as the supreme allied commander at NATO but had never held elected office.
Instead, the campaign, which had become concerned about its deficit with white men, focused on Mr. Kaine and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, and looked more closely at Gov. John Hickenlooper of Colorado.
REMARKS: Well if the stakes were lower, if she had a less fierce competitor (for instance if Marco Rubio had been the Republican Presidential pick) then she might have went with a female VP, but she knows now, this is going to be the fight of her life. She has to call on someone who is recognized for his Foreign Policy experience because she knows hers will be under attack and scrutiny.
I think that unless you pick an idiot like Sarah Palin, the VP is about as important as your local Assemblyman.... (who I'll wager 99.7% of those here can not name)....
