Like the children in Willy Wonka’s factory, three contenders remain after a 17-way Republican Primary: businessman Donald Trump, Texas Senator Ted Cruz, and Ohio Governor John Kasich. The contenders represent the wide range of the GOP. Cruz represents the conservative wing, Kasich represents the moderates, and (depending on who you listen to) Trump represents either the "pissed off silent majority" or "evil racist fascists." Out of all three, the one person who I loathe is not Trump or Cruz, but Kasich.
For a while, I could not put my finger on why I hated the man so much. However, after being told repeatedly to look at his position instead of blindly hating the man, I looked at his positions. It only furthered my hatred. Here are three reasons why, in my humble opinion, no Republican should vote for John Kasich.
Kasich supports Merrick Garland.
On Sunday, Kasich appeared on “Meet the Press” and said that he would consider supporting Merrick Garland, President Obama’s nominee for the Supreme Court. "Well, you know, he received, you know, overwhelming support, I think even from Senator (Orrin) Hatch, so, of course we'd think about it," said Kasich. Even though he has walked back the comment, the idea that he would even think about saying it has given me pause.
Merrick Garland has been painted as a moderate by the press and has been praised by Republicans in the past. A look at his judgeship, however, has shown him to be not so moderate. In particular, on the issue of gun control, Garland has been shown to be quite liberal. Whether he tried to salvage a city gun ban or voted to keep an illegal gun registration, he has shown that he is vehemently anti-gun. Even though I respect his opinions, the fact remains that Obama is trying to replace a far right, pro-gun Justice with a questionable moderate, anti-gun Justice. Any Republican who is pro-gun should be questioning Garland’s judgement and Kasich’s.
Kasich expanded Medicaid under Obamacare.
The GOP has taken a firm stance on the Affordable Care Act: It’s terrible and we should get rid of it. The debate over Obamacare has ranged from whether or not premiums have risen (they have) to whether “if you like your plan, you can keep it” is true (it isn’t). Half of the country dislikes the plan. However, Kasich, as the governor of Ohio, decided not to and then expanded Medicaid for his state. His response to criticism: "The Bible tells me to." So, not only has he supported a plan that Republicans want to get rid of, he’s implying that if you do not support the expansion, you’re going against the Bible. That’s a terrible idea, especially if you’re trying to bring in the religious right wing to support you.
Moderates lose the elections.
How many times does the GOP have to be kicked in the teeth before they realize that moderation does not work. We have had two moderate candidates in the last eight years (John McCain in 2008 and Mitt Romney in 2012), both of whom, despite their long list of accomplishments, lost to a less moderate Democratic candidate. Even now, moderates such as Jeb Bush, Chris Christie, and George Pataki have gone by the wayside. Clearly, moderates cannot help the Republican Party in a general election. So, why are the GOP establishment and the RNC actively pushing a moderate? God only knows.
So, I understand if you disagree with me. I see the situation that I am putting you in. Either you vote for a questionable conservative (Trump) or a far right conservative (Cruz). Overall, it’s a bleak outlook. However, in my opinion, as bad as Trump or Cruz will be, Kasich is a terrible option. I’ll risk power in the hands of Cruz or Trump over Kasich any day.
