John Kasich defends DNC speaking slot: 'This country is moderate'
Not everyone affiliated with the Democratic Party is thrilled that John Kasich, the Republican former governor of Ohio, was invited to speak at the Democratic National Convention this week, especially when someone like Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) only has 60 seconds to say her piece. But Kasich, who said he was approached by the party, made the case for why he should be up on the stage in an interview with BuzzFeed News.
The former GOP presidential candidate and frequent critic of President Trump said that while members of both parties, including the progressive Ocasio-Cortez, "have new ideas" and receive "outsized publicity that tends to define their party," he ultimately believes "this country is moderate," which means people will want to hear from someone who is willing to ignore partisan barriers.
New: @JohnKasich talked to me about why he’s participating in the Democratic National Convention. “I don't care if people agree or disagree with my speaking there. Whatever. We’ve got to settle things down.” https://t.co/DrEk7ZEpN7
— Henry J. Gomez (@HenryJGomez) August 17, 2020
Other Democrats are backing him up, including Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), who called him "a Republican with some spine" and urged other GOP members to follow his lead. Nancy Patton Mills, the Democratic chair in Pennsylvania, said it's "important" for people in her state to hear from Kasich after 2016 when "Hillary Clinton did not perform well in red counties" in the Pittsburgh area where Kasich grew up. Read more at BuzzFeed News.
More stories from theweek.com
John Boehner would 'rather set himself on fire' than get involved in the 2020 election
New models suggest COVID-19 herd immunity might be achieved with far fewer people infected
California reports 1st plague case in 5 years
