GREENSBORO and RALEIGH Vice presidential nominees Tim Kaine and Mike Pence called upon their “neighbors” and “friends” to put their support behind them their respective running mates, Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump.On Wednesday, Kaine, the U.S. senator from Virginia, toured AmeriFab International, which manufactures bedding and window equipment, and later spoke to a crowd at the Greensboro Transit Authority. The next day Pence, Indiana’s governor, hosted a town hall event at the Duke Energy Center for the Performing Arts. Former president Bill Clinton was in Raleigh Friday campaigning for his wife, but held private fundraisers and meetings that were not open to the public.The two running mates had opposing views of North Carolina. Pence compared the economic progress to Indiana’s, giving credit to Republican Gov. Pat McCrory for putting in place conservative laws.”In the state of Indiana, just like here in North Carolina, we have been putting common sense conservative principles in practice,” Pence said. “Your good governor, Pat McCrory, needs to be re-elected and he has been doing the same thing.”Kaine took time in his speech to lend his support to the state’s Democratic gubernatorial candidate, Attorney General Roy Cooper, who spoke before him at the Greensboro rally, and explain recent legislation was not in line with North Carolina’s values.”This is not who North Carolina is,” Kaine said. “These are not our values. And that’s one of the reasons why North Carolina is so intensely focused on this race is Roy Cooper said to me when he walked in, ‘We don’t want people around the country thinking that we’re fighting to go backward rather than forward.”Some of the controversial legislation Kaine addressed were the passage of H.B. 2, voter ID laws and tuition costs for historically black colleges and universities.On July 29, North Carolina’s voter ID laws were ruled unconstitutional. The courts said requiring voters to show ID was discriminatory to minority voters. Kaine explained to supporters if their vote didn’t matter, Republicans would not pass voter ID legislation.”If you ever talk to anybody who’s a friend or family or neighbor or anybody and they tell you that they think their vote doesn’t matter, then what you tell them is this: If your vote doesn’t matter, why is the other side working so hard to keep you from being able to vote?” Kaine said.At the town hall meeting, Dallas Woodhouse, the North Carolina Republican Party executive director, asked Pence what “horrible things” have happened in Indiana with the passing of voter ID laws there.”The integrity of the vote is the foundation of the integrity of a democracy,” Pence responded. “In the state of Indiana, what I can tell you we helped lead the nation in voter ID, and it has not been a barrier to access to the ballot place. That protects everyone’s viewpoint.”One question at the town hall that received attention was from 11-year-old Matthew Schricker, who took the microphone after Woodhouse to ask Pence if his role as vice president would be “softening up” Trump’s policies and rhetoric.”What I’ve learned, Matthew, and you’ll learn when you’re governor of North Carolina, is sometimes things don’t always come out like you mean,” Pence said. “Donald Trump and I are absolutely determined to work together. We have different styles, you might have noticed that … But differences in style should never be confused with differences in conviction. I will tell you right now: Donald Tump has the right vision for America.”Kaine told his audience that if they worked together they would win North Carolina in November.”We’re all on the field,” Kaine said. “Are you on the field with us? We will make history on Nov. 8 with North Carolina the wind in our sails.”
