April 14, 2016
"I say to you that this path to darkness is the antithesis of all that America has meant for 240 years."
John Kasich gets ironically, brimstonily preachy about Trump and Cruz and their "political strategy based on exploiting Americans instead of lifting them up inevitably leads to divisions, paranoia, isolation and promises that can never, ever be fulfilled."
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So, Kasich angrily condemns anger, divides the GOP into those who are divisive and those who are not, and snarls that America yearns for a leader with a sunny disposition.
And he's supposed to be the adult in the room.
There aren't enough facepalms on the internet.
Kasich is not Kerry.
Different guys.
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
Problem is, Mr. Kasich is still standing at the fork.
Both Rubio and Kasich will have enough delegates to put Trump over the top on the first ballot. I expect one of them will make a deal.
"The realist Trump v. The fantasist Kerry."
Kerry?
Everyone talks a big game about being free to be you and me, but when the chips are down, it's divide and turn everyone against each other. Remember Hope and Change? We were supposed to be all post-partisan after that. That stuff just works for the T-shirts.
Sorry. I am using one contact until tomorrow"s Eye Doctor appointment. The world looks half not there.
Kasich is a pandering Cliche language machine. Watching Kasich is like watching a Ken Burns series on the 1990s
I see Kasich as the most likely choice of the eGOP if Trump doesn’t make it on the first ballot. He’s nice, conventional, easily controlled and will preserve the status of the current power brokers.
Kasich would lose, of course. He’s just the sort, like McCain and Romney, that the MSM and the Democrats like to run against. But winning is not as important to them as perpetuating the eGOP status quo.
So they would lose with Kasich but the autopsy afterward would of course blame Trump for the defeat. The autopsy after Romney was all wrong too. Fantasies are often a lot more fun than reality.
Speaking of fantasies, the major fantasy obtaining today is on the part of the Cruz supporters and their hope against hope that after rejecting Trump the powerbrokers won’t also reject Cruz.
Cruz is a pawn. He must know this – he’s no dummy. I think Cruz is like his supporters: Hoping for a political miracle at the convention.
I could pretty easily vote for either Cruz or Kasich if Trump falls short. But I think Trump will get the nomination.
Trump is the one the Democrats and their MSM handmaidens fear. It’s Trump’s rallies they try to break up, not Cruz’s, not Kasich’s. It’s Trump they lie about the most.
Since Kasich began to move into his new persona as a stump preacher of Republican holiness, I have lost a lot of respect for him.
My opinion of Trump has improved, and my opinion of Kasich has drastically fallen.
Cruz just gives me the willies. To me he seems like a very intelligent man who lives in his own intellectual world and can talk himself in circles.
Sad as it is, I now support Trump for the GOP pick, and I am hoping he makes it through the gate. Trump's virtue is that he sees reality coming. These other two do not.
This election cycle has gotten so bad that if Trump were to run with Sanders as his VP on a third party ticket, they'd win it.
DC politics has become an incestuous, neurotic, self-serving exercise in national delusion.
Clint - exactly. Exactly.
...political strategy based on exploiting Americans instead of lifting them up inevitably leads to divisions, paranoia, isolation and promises that can never, ever be fulfilled.
Sounds like a pretty fair assessment of Obama, Clinton, and Sanders. At this point we shouldn't be worried about a path to darkness. We should be looking for a path that leads out.
I’ve taken to watching Morning Joe. This AM the Morning Joes circled around Cruz’s problem(that Cruz is a pawn) but just couldn’t find it within themselves to attack it head on. They came close but probably didn’t want to say anything that could be seen as helpful to Trump.
The pawn meme could be fatal to Cruz’s campaign so I predict that the cables will dance all around Cruz’s problem until the convention and after Trump is safely put away. Then they’ll do a joyful square dance on Cruz’s political corpse and begin thinking of ways to attack Kasich.
John Kasich hugs people. Donald Trump doesn't even hug his own kids. He pats them on the shoulder. Meanwhile fraternities are posting huge Trump signs and causing fragile snowflakes to melt. Looks like the a Pajama Boy era is ending (thank God). Someone send a memo to the Ohio hugger-in-chief.
"Watching Kasich is like watching a Ken Burns series on the 1990s"
Burns' stuff is pretty good but someone needs to tell that man to get a haircut.
"Cruz is a pawn. He must know this – he’s no dummy."
I think a lot of people are trying to use Cruz as a pawn, but will come up surprised when they find out who is really being used. There's no real path for them to replace him with someone else and if they're successful at getting a brokered convention, the most likely nominee is Ted Cruz.
Kasich is also a pawn, as he's clearly not going to come out on top here. But he may be playing for a cabinet post (or getting media time to help with his post-governorship gig on Fox).
Brando: "I think a lot of people are trying to use Cruz as a pawn, but will come up surprised when they find out who is really being used. There's no real path for them to replace him with someone else and if they're successful at getting a brokered convention, the most likely nominee is Ted Cruz."
By now most people believe the game is so rigged on both sides that somehow, someway, we will yet end up with "JEB!" and "Hillary!"!
Of course, I get this directly from the "real news", The Weekly World News. Even now this shadowy insider group is no doubt planning the next of their tri-annual meetings at a secretive retreat in Colorado known as "The Meadows".
This group, known as The Pentaverate, can get pretty much anything they want since they are composed of The Queen, the Vatican, The Getty's, The Rothschilds and Colonel Sanders before he went "tits up".
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TPMS6tGOACo
The CNN Special on the 1828 contest was really good.
The Adams Jr. v. Jackson rematch was brutal. The Jackson campaign accused Adams of pimping women when he was ambassador to Russia, and the Adams campaign went after Jackson by hitting his wife Rachael over hooking up with Jackson before leaving her husband.
It been this way in Presidential politics forever.
"By now most people believe the game is so rigged on both sides that somehow, someway, we will yet end up with "JEB!" and "Hillary!"!"
Does anyone really think Jeb is still considered by anyone? I can't imagine any donors putting cash behind him at this point. I don't think even he wanted it.
The sad fact though is the way things stand right now any Republican is going to be swimming upstream this fall. They're going to need to pull out every stop and have some luck work their way, with no stupid mistakes. Hillary can afford to make several (and she sure has).
Professor - all Obama has done is divide us, and yet you support him. By that metric, I don't think it's fair for Cruz's downsloped eyes, large nose, and uncomfortable manner be reason enough for you to vote against him.
It's almost like you submit to cults of personality - you were certainly sniffing Trump's leg earlier this season.
Obviously John Kasich should add a light saber to his presentations about the Dark Side in order to add a certain je ne sais quoi to his oratory. But I'd stay away from any sort of helmet. The helmet thing totally did in Dukakis, after all.
I think some of it may be that the upscale purple voters are upset that nobody's courting them this election. Cruz and Trump are basically saying, "Sorry Fairfax/Bucks/Montgomery counties - it takes too much time and effort to court you, we're going to focus on Lynchburg and Berks counties and turn those people out."
Democrats do the same thing and play their ethnic base hard ("They gon' put y'all back in chains!", but the media makes up for it by casting the Republicans as simply unpalatable to any right-thinking person, so the purple voters in Fairfax county vote Democrat by default.
This is why Purple People find the tactic divisive when Republicans do it.
"Mr. Kasich is still standing at the fork."
When you come to a fork in the road, take it.
A famous philosopher said that but Kasich doesn't know any famous philosophers. Only politicians.
His creepiest moments are when he is assuring us of what he will do WHEN he is president.
No doubts are allowed. I'm not sure even Obama is that delusional.
@Michael K
Kasich isn't delusional, he's being optimistic. We only elect optimists, or those who pretend to be optimists.
"So, Kasich angrily condemns anger, divides the GOP into those who are divisive and those who are not, and snarls that America yearns for a leader with a sunny disposition." - Clint
I didn't sense anger in the clip Ms. Althouse imbedded, but disgust. I hope you were as disgusted as I was during some of the debates. And embarressed. So I share Kasich's sentiments.
As to his self-confidence, you have to have followed his career. I always sensed a dogged determination in him while in Congress.
Which can also be a fault. As was mentioned in another thread, Kasich overrode the state legislature and accepted Medicaid expansion funds for Ohio. As governor he was doing what he felt was best for the people of Ohio, trying to recover from a deep recession. I suspect Ohio and the rustbelt was harder hit than other parts of the country. The fact he did that and overrode the legislature is troubling.
As President he would have to then deal with the larger deficit that expansion created.
But I'm sympathetic to the plight of those slightly above the poverty level. My family experienced it. My wife chose to quit her job and work at home raising our young children. At the time, it was difficult. I didn't have any benefits, so we relied on the Lord to help us through. We placed ourselves in that situation by choice and it was the right one for us. But I certainly can understand some of the stress for families that didn't choose.
Whether or not Medicaid is the best solution to the problem is a different discussion. And whether or not expanding Medicaid for individuals rather than families was the best policy choice for limited federal resources is also fair game.
I do think what we see in Kasich is genuine. And I do agree that we want to elect optimists. Given the size of the approaching cliff, that optimism is harder to find.
The Trumpkins are always griping about how the supposed "eGOP" never had enough fire in the belly; not enough fight for their tastes.
They are going to find out just how much fight there is, in the Republican Party.
"As was mentioned in another thread, Kasich overrode the state legislature and accepted Medicaid expansion funds for Ohio."
I don't fault him for that--as a purple (and maybe blue) state governor, he has to make decisions that "purist" Senators and deep Red governors don't have to, and so I cut them more slack. He could have defended his acceptance of the extra Medicaid money by saying "we are in a recession and accepting this money helps us alleviate some of that without hitting our budget too hard--it's not ideal but I believe it makes sense to take this option". But instead by saying "Jesus will judge you negatively if you don't take these funds" he is combining everything wrong about Republicans and Democrats at once, playing the God card (as if he knows what Jesus would think) and implying anyone making the opposite decision was cruel and nasty at once. I cared less for his defense of the decision than the decision itself.
"They are going to find out just how much fight there is, in the Republican Party."
They only want that fight directed at the Left. When it comes to Trump they want to see only weakness, otherwise it's "unfair". Remember, whining and frivolous litigating are now signs of strength.
Karl Rove is now telling the Big Players who want to buy a political candidate all of their own that Trump will win it all.
The GOPe Establishment only wants Trump to sell them some appearance of influence and he will be acclaimed on a unanimous voice vote of every one of them and their lackeys. Kasich is already Kaput.
The only question is now whether Trump's bullet proof vest is strong enough.
Who knew that John Kasich was joined at the hip to Cotton Mather?
Brando
Point taken. I wish Kasich read this blog.
Exploiting Americans? Hell, I remember the 1968 campaign, and have yet to see a single presidential campaign where Americans were NOT exploited since then.
How naive is this Kasich guy, and more importantly, how stupid does he think everyone else is, in the US?
Brando,
Kasich's argument for the expansion of Medicaid in Ohio was classic leftist-- 'anyone not supporting my position want people to (starve)/(die)/(be enslaved)' which is off putting for a supposed conservative.
I suppose Kasich's preachy tendencies might be grating, but ultimately does his experience and ideas might better serve Americans who recognize that out of control government spending and bureaucratic over reach is an imminent danger and is he more likely to achieve these objectives than the other candidates.
And is he more likely to be elected than the other candidates?
"I suppose Kasich's preachy tendencies might be grating, but ultimately does his experience and ideas might better serve Americans who recognize that out of control government spending and bureaucratic over reach is an imminent danger and is he more likely to achieve these objectives than the other candidates.
And is he more likely to be elected than the other candidates?"
There are definitely good things about Kasich, based largely on his experience--he touts it a lot but it's true he had a key part in budget cutting in the '90s and is a fairly successful governor of a large state that politically mirrors the country at large. And a pragmatist has a lot of appeal--someone who will get things done and not get caught in a lot of quixotic dead ends (of course, TOO pragmatic and you have unprincipled, so it's a balancing act and judgment and character become more important).
But his weak points for me are that he does a bit too much of the "aw shucks" nice guy routine which needs to be balanced with a fighter. The GOP is about to nominate an electoral disaster and one of the most despicable and dangerous people it could find, and Kasich keeps up with the "just want to get along" nonsense (which too many candidates pulled for too long, even Cruz at first). Because once nominated, we want to see someone go for the jugular with Hillary (and not in the slapdash, make dumb comments that lose more voters than you gain, but cutting, sharp attacks that help move the needle), and can stand up to foreign thugs once in the Oval Office.
Kasich polls very well now, but I imagine if he were nominated and came under withering attacks that could change very fast.
Brando - talk to some of Kasich's staff and his congressional colleagues and folks in Ohio. He's an ass kicker. A very prickly, demanding conservative. He's a member of one of the most conservative churches in Columbus (short of the Southern Baptist Convention). And unlike Trump, Kasich actually is a church-goer.
"Brando - talk to some of Kasich's staff and his congressional colleagues and folks in Ohio. He's an ass kicker. A very prickly, demanding conservative. He's a member of one of the most conservative churches in Columbus (short of the Southern Baptist Convention). And unlike Trump, Kasich actually is a church-goer."
I admire Kasich's ability to get things done--in a campaign where it has been all talk, and lofty promises but no real roadmap to get anywhere, he was one of the few who could actually point to relevant accomplishments. But like Jon Huntsman, simply having a good record won't help if you can't catch fire in the campaign.
And of course compared to Trump there are slime molds better capable of being president. But it doesn't say much about the slime mold to be compared with something so lowly.
The path to darkness that goes against what America stands for is statism, genius. Is Kasich more or less of a statist than Cruz? Given his vaunted "moderation," I can only assume he's only moderately pro-freedom.
Kasich said: "I say to you that this path to darkness is the antithesis of all that America has meant for 240 years."
In 240 years, America has meant: the Alien and Sedition Acts; persecution, murder, and displacement of the Indians; the spread of slavery; civil war; exploitation of the defeated South; Jim Crow; imperialism; persecution of political dissidents; conscription; segregation; encouragement of conflict between economic classes; imprisonment of racial minorities; murder and terrorism against proponents of civil rights; and so forth. No darkness on that path, and we didn’t even have Kasich to show us the light.
The Godfather
Now that you got that off your chest, I don't think that was the darkness to which Kasich was referring.
But thanks for describing the human heart. Jeremiah said it in fewer words some time ago.
I take it you're not a Kasich supporter.
@BrianE: What "darkness" do you think Kasich was talking about?
"...Fear of America in decline ends in visions of America's destruction-- a political strategy to exploiting Americans instead of lifting them up leads to divisions, paranoia, isolation and promises that can never ever be fulfilled-- I say to you that this path to darkness is the antithesis..."
"It would never occur to me that America would or ever could break from the challenges...We always roll up our sleeves and get to work...We have never seen the American spirit break...communities...this is what makes America great...not some politician or law..."
This is essentially what Kasich's speech said, so the path to darkness is a political strategy exploiting America's fears to divide, isolate and make promises that can never be fulfilled.
Is that a path to darkness? Populism fanned with empty rhetoric inevitably leads to the darker side of human nature. John Kasich doesn't have the rhetorical flourish of a Reagan but he is trying to bring a new Morning in America.
We were a pretty demoralized people in 1980. We'd suffered through Vietnam, through divisive and political hearings, OPEC was bringing the American dream of the open road to a reality of long gas lines. Jimmy Carter saw the malaise but could only lecture us. Ronald Reagan with his burnished optimism gave us a path forward.
Our problems are even greater today. Kasich, is trying to rekindle the optimism of America's potential. An American potential that is not dependent on more government, more control, more largess.
There's a truism about movies -- armed conflict sells more tickets than thoughtful disagreement. CNN has figured this out as well. The battles among the Big Four candidates resemble a series of cage fights. More heat than light.
I don't agree with Kasich on everything, but I respect his serious tone, his experience, his perseverance and his humility. Egomaniacs are great at stirring the pot but terrible at managing big organizations, which is what the president, the head of the executive branch, is supposed to do.
BrianE: Thanks for clarifying what Gov. Kasich means by the path to darkness ("a political strategy exploiting America's fears to divide, isolate and make promises that can never be fulfilled"). That seems to me to be a fair description of Tromp's campaign (as well as Bernie's). I don't think it describes Cruz's. Cruz advocates policies that he believes would improve the US economy, help those who are economically threatened, and strengthen the ability of the US to effect change for the better in the wider world. Of course, Kasich, like anyone, has the right to disagree with those policies, but in the passage you quote Kasich offers no support for the assertion that the policies seek to divide us with promises that cannot be fulfilled.
The broader point of my comment is that public policy in our republic has always had to deal with difficult challenges, and we as a nation have not always met those challenges as well as we, in retrospect, wish we had. "Light" v. "darkness" seems to divide rather than unite and to promise what cannot, in this fallen world, be delivered.
What a phony nice guy.
again
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