Hillary Clinton and Tim Kaine

Hillary Clinton announced her selection of Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine as her running mate late on Friday evening, and something incredible has already happened: Major Republican figures are speaking up to offer their praise. Here, for instance, is Arizona Sen. Jeff Flake:

x Trying to count the ways I hate @timkaine. Drawing a blank. Congrats to a good man and a good friend. — Jeff Flake (@JeffFlake) July 23, 2016

And here’s Pennsylvania Sen. Pat Toomey:

x Pat Toomey offers high praise for Tim Kaine, saying he has "high regard and respect" for the senator from Virginia. — Alex Roarty (@Alex_Roarty) July 23, 2016

There will be more to follow, because, in the words of Virginia's Republican state House speaker, Kaine is an “honorable public servant” who commands respect both broad and deep from fellow lawmakers—even Republicans. Now, there’s no question that other considerations are playing a role for guys like Flake, who is positioning himself as the post-Trump leader of the sane faction of the Republican Party, or Toomey, who is seeking re-election this fall in a blue state and is very vulnerable.

But that’s precisely the point: Clinton knows that these fissures already exist, and they’ve only been exacerbated by Donald Trump’s toxic candidacy. Tim Kaine is her wedge to split those fissures wide open. And it’s not just about winning in November but looking toward January as well: Kaine is the sort of person who will help her forge good deals with Congress and pass good legislation if she’s president.

When Trump tapped Indiana Gov. Mike Pence for his VP slot, Republicans hoped—prayed, really—that Pence would serve as an escape hatch for an estranged establishment to wander in from the wilderness and embrace Trump. So far, though, there’s been no sign of that happening. Instead, it’s Kaine who’s offering a way for Republicans disgusted with their own nominee to accept Hillary Clinton. In this bitterly polarized age, that’s a remarkable feat. It will only send the GOP even deeper into disarray and, with any luck, pay dividends at the ballot box.