It was a tale of two auditions: Tim Kaine and Mike Pence, both recognisable figures in US politics though hardly household names, getting a taste of the national spotlight.
As Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump inch closer to choosing their running mates ahead of their respective party conventions, the two unshowy figures are facing great scrutiny.
Kaine, a senator and former governor of Virginia, took the stage with Clinton in his home state on Thursday armed with one-liners that sought to frame the choice before the American electorate this November.
“Do you want a ‘You’re fired’ president or a ‘You’re hired’ president?” Kaine said, invoking Trump’s infamous slogan from The Apprentice.
“Do you want a trash-talker president or a bridge-builder president? Do you want a me-first president or a kids-and-families-first president?”
The critiques, made before a packed gymnasium at the Northern Virginia Community College, rolled off his tongue as more of a mild-mannered disagreement than a scathing takedown.
But Kaine, a centrist Democrat who is well-liked by colleagues on both sides of the aisle, wasn’t looking to put on a performance. If chosen by Clinton, he would instead reinforce her promise that the Democratic ticket will be one of experience and competency over bluster and bravado.
The joint appearance came hours after Trump’s campaign signaled its own intention to announce Pence as its vice-presidential pick – although Trump aides tried to sow doubts ahead of a planned Friday morning unveiling.
Pence, like Kaine, is broadly respected by elected officials within his party and similarly known for his polite disposition. And as the governor of Indiana and a staunch conservative, he is regarded as one of the few options before Trump who could bring a sense of legitimacy to a candidacy yet to persuade a large swath of skeptical Republicans.
When Trump took Pence out for a test drive on Tuesday, at a rally before a home state audience, the governor attempted to shed his soft exterior and prove he, too, could prove a worthy attack dog, claiming: “It would be extremely careless to elect Hillary Clinton.”
Clinton has a deep bench at her disposal, with names such as the labor secretary, Tom Perez, and progressive Massachusetts senator Elizabeth Warren floated as prospects.
Kaine, however, hails from a must-win battleground state where he remains a popular figure. The senator is also fluent in Spanish, as he was eager to show off moments into his introduction of Clinton on Thursday.
“We’ve loved him in Virginia. We like the fact that he’s worked with local government,” Veronica Komieczny, a voter from Springfield, said after the rally.
“I think he’d make an excellent vice-president and I think he’d help carry Virginia.”
John Schmid, of Herndon, was also confident in Kaine’s background and impressed with the senator’s debut on the campaign trail – even if as a surrogate.
“I think he demonstrated exactly the points that the country needs to hear and focus on for the election,” Schmid said.
In her own remarks, Clinton was quick to show Kaine approval: “Everything Tim said is absolutely on the mark,” Clinton said, while singling out his “trash-talker or bridge-builder” quip as a line she might borrow.
The election, she said, was after all being waged before a global audience. “The eyes of history are upon us.”
The contrast was further reflected on Capitol Hill, as Republican senators reacted positively to the news of Pence’s announcement but continued to maintain a safe distance with Trump.
Jeff Flake, a senator from Arizona who has declined so far to endorse Trump, said choosing Pence was “a good move”.
But he hedged immediately when asked if it was good enough for Trump to earn his support.
“I want to see where Donald Trump goes from here,” Flake said.
Moments later, Clinton arrived for a lunch with Senate Democrats where her former rival Bernie Sanders was also in attendance.
“It’s great to be back in the Senate,” she jovially declared upon her arrival in the chamber, where Clinton served two terms as a senator for New York.
She was escorted into the room by members of the Senate Democratic leadership. Although the meeting was private, loud applause could be heard as the doors closed behind her.
