Thoughts

On John Kasich

Can you please unpack Kasich and why he is good/bad? Sure, I would be very happy with either Sanders or Clinton, but out of all of the Republicans, Kasich seems best. Would it be that bad if he won? (Again, I am SUPER Bernie and also believe that Hillary would do great things, but Kasich seems like a Libertarian-leaning moderate.)

 

Kasich is terrifying because he’s the only candidate who could beat Hillary. Trump is a distraction, Cruz is too galvanizing, and Rubio is a child, but John Kasich is that special blend of unassuming, unoffending, classically bland Presidential white guy that could beat Hillary Clinton by boring enough Democratic-leaning voters into staying home on election day.

That’s why I think he’ll be the inevitable Republican nominee. Sure, I could be wrong, but at the end of the day, Republicans don’t fuck around when it comes to money and elections, and nobody seems to have noticed, but Kasich also happens to be the living embodiment of Wall Street.

Everyone thinks Trump is the fat-cat big-business candidate. He’s not. He’s just a clown with money. Kasich is the true capitalist. He’s a former banker, former Chairman of the House Budget Committee, and a former managing director at Lehman Brothers. He also happens to be a popular Governor of a swing state, and he’s been quietly waiting for primary season to swoop in and save the party from itself.

He only seems moderate because he’s standing next to raving lunatics. He only seems palatable because we expect so little from a Republican presidential candidate. The man’s banality is his secret weapon, and it’s dangerous. The guy is a major fucking threat for the very reason you asked the question, “Would it be that bad if he won?”

Yes. It would.

Don’t kid yourself. A Kasich presidency is a win for the American plutocracy and a loss for the common American.

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14 thoughts on “On John Kasich

  1. PuppyMonkeyBaby says:

    As a lifelong Ohio citizen and a public school teacher, I have to say that the thought of Kasich in the White House is terrifying. He has taken dangerous steps here to criminalize the unions and siphon public school funding into underperforming Charter schools. God have mercy on our children if he gets to appoint the next secretary of Education.

    • J Lynn says:

      Indeed. Kasich is VERY anti-choice. VERY. Worse, he keeps it quiet, acting to block abortion access without public scrutiny.

      It’s not moderate in 2016 USA to reject the *legal right* to abortion via the Roe v Wade *legal precedent*. Sure, have your personal opinions, but working in the political arena to undo what’s been law since 19-freaking-73 is not moderate, it’s reactionary and rejectionist.

      http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2015/07/wolf-sheeps-clothing-gov-kasichs-reproductive-rights-record

      From the article: “He is—if not the worst—among the worst of anti-choice governors in this country’s history. [What] makes this surprising to people is he never talks about this. All you’ll ever find is he says, ‘I’m pro-life.’ That’s it. He wants do this on the down-low.” – Kellie Copeland NARAL Ohio

      Also from the link: Since Kasich entered office in 2011, he has enacted 16 anti-abortion measures.

      Among them:
      – A provision that prohibits state-funded rape crisis counselors from referring women to abortion services
      – Another that stripped Planned Parenthood of an estimated $1.4 million in federal family-planning dollars.
      – Due to this loss of federal funds, during Kasich’s time in office, the number of abortion providers in the state has dropped from 16 to eight.
      – In clinics that receive state funding, women seeking abortions are now required to pay for and receive a medically unnecessary ultrasound to check for a fetal heartbeat.
      – Physicians are also required to read a script, written by conservative Ohio legislators, about the ‘fetal heartbeat’ to any woman seeking the procedure.”

      A gag order on rape counselors?! That’s being a dick, IMO.

      Also, Kasich appointed Ohio Right to Life President Michael Gonidakis to the state MEDICAL board.

      And worst of all, he doesn’t want his record to be known and judged by the public, and acted like a dick to the CPD newspaper reporters:

      “When Kasich was ran for re-election in 2014, he and opponent Ed FitzGerald participated in a taped interview with the Cleveland Plain Dealer. FitzGerald asked Kasich about the 2013 budget provision preventing rape crisis counselors from letting victims know they have a legal right to an abortion. ‘Why was it important to have a piece of legislation that literally imposed a gag rule on rape crisis counselors?’ FitzGerald asked him. ‘Do you have a question?’ Kasich replied. [[me — what a dick!]] After some coaxing from the Plain Dealer, Kasich said he was pro-life except in instances of rape or incest, but refused to address the provision’s effect on rape victims. Following the taping, Kasich’s team tried to get the Plain Dealer to take the video down, saying the governor was unaware that he was being recorded.”

      Again — what a dick!

      Sorry the long post but this is important. Especially because — I agree with Coke — Kasich has the best chance of becoming the nominee by process of elimination. He’s the Romney of 2016.

    • The Coquette says:

      Please. A Clinton presidency is better than a Kasich presidency in every possible way. It’s fine if you’re for Bernie. I get it. I am too, but don’t be lazy with your cynicism.

  2. JK says:

    I’m a litte late on this but I hope no one would ever consider Kasich for president. I live in Ohio and that bastard just signed a bill to defund planned parenthood. His reasoning for being against them has a lot to do with his intense pro-life ideas, which is disturbing to me that whenever someone thinks of PP all they can talk about is abortion. There are many other reasons not to like him but that specific reason is very relevant and upsetting to me, and just shows how ignorant of a human he is.

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