FARMVILLE, Va. -- Democrat Tim Kaine plans to use his time in the spotlight during tonight's vice presidential debate to keep the heat on Republican opponent Mike Pence for his boss' recent headline-grabbing incidents, according to a top Hillary Clinton surrogate.
Whereas past VP matchups have generally focused on whether the candidates would be fit to serve in the country's top office should the worst occur, Clinton campaign Chairman John Podesta predicted this year's undercard debate would hinge more on Kaine and Trump's famous and polarizing bosses.
"When you think of Mike Pence's task tonight, it's going to be a very high bar for him get over because he really can't make the case for Donald Trump," Podesta said.
Podesta indicated that Kaine is likely to bring up Trump's recent back-and-forth with former Miss Universe Alicia Machado, as well as his business acumen after a New York Times report showed that he may have been able to avoid income taxes for years after logging a nearly $1 billion loss on his 1995 tax returns.
At the same time, Podesta said the Virginia Senator plans to echo Clinton's "positive case" that her platform is the most inclusive when it comes to women, minorities and the middle class.
We'll update you on the Trump campaign's plans when we hear from them. Check back to Political Insider throughout the day for more coverage from central Virginia.
Related coverage:
Here’s what to watch for in tonight’s vice presidential debate
AJC poll: Georgia voters are ‘meh’ on Mike Pence, Tim Kaine
Mike Pence fires up Cobb County crowd with wide-ranging speech
Tim Kaine at Gwinnett’s Fiesta Mexicana: Georgia is important
About the Author
