The campaign to put Julian Castro on Hillary Clinton’s VP shortlist
*There’s been plenty of high-volume speculation about Julián Castro as Hillary Clinton’s running mate. And while the speculation is good overall, it’s also pre-mature. Clinton isn’t the nominee, and there are doubts about Castro’s preparation to be a heartbeat from the Presidency. Most of the speculation comes from the viewpoint of attracting the Latino vote. VL
By Gabriel Debenedetti and Annie Karni, Politico
The Democratic National Convention isn’t for 13 months, and Hillary Clinton isn’t the party’s nominee, but some Hispanic Democratic leaders are already pushing hard for Julián Castro to be her running mate — or at least a top contender for the job.
The former San Antonio mayor and current housing secretary was in Washington while Clinton raised money in his hometown on Wednesday, but his name is on the minds and lips of Democrats close to the Clinton camp as the presidential front-runner crosses Texas for campaign fundraisers and a Houston speech on Thursday.
[pullquote]“Yes, he’s a rising star, and people even talk about him being the first Latino president,” said a Democratic strategist allied with Clinton. “But now is just not the time, in this day and age when people are looking for real presidential experience.” [/pullquote]The flashy trial balloon and [tweet_dis]Castro’s innate appeal have likely ensured the Mexican-American Cabinet member a place on Clinton’s vice presidential long list[/tweet_dis] if she wins the nomination, Democrats close to Clinton said. But Castro hardly has any relationship with the candidate herself, and the effort has gotten a mixed reception at best.
Democrats say it’s far too early for this conversation — arguing that it’s unproductive to talk about a general election ticket when Clinton is battling three other declared Democratic candidates and the ever-present perception of inevitability.
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[Photo by Bureau of IIP, Gage Skidmore/Flickr]
