Kasich’s short fuse
As Governor John Kasich continues to look more and more like someone about to announce his candidacy for president, Politico describes a man racing around the country trying to convince wealthy donors that there’s room for him in the race. Kasich’s pitch in trying to secure backers, or at least to convince the big-money folks not to commit to anyone else just yet, is that the establishment’s apparent top choice, former Florida Governor Jeb Bush, is already a flawed candidate. The argument is that Jeb(!) has done a terrible job of launching his campaign and that there is an opening in the race for a swing state governor of JK’s ilk.
As part of those conversations between the Ohio governor and wealthy potential contributors, Politico tells tales of Kasich losing his temper with the people who have the deepest pockets. In one case, as a possible donor suggested to Kasich that he was late in getting into the race, the governor reportedly snapped at the man and told him that “you don’t know what you’re talking about.” In another case, Kasich was sitting on a panel with two other governor’s when a woman in the audience (the wife of the wealthy owner of the Arizona Diamondbacks) told Kasich that she disagreed with his expansion of Medicaid coverage, Kasich reportedly blew his stack again, pointing at the woman and, with a hostile tone, saying “I don’t know about you, lady, but when I get to the Pearly Gates, I’m going to have an answer for what I’ve done for the poor.” It hardly seems the demeanor of a man who would be relying on the generosity of others to foot the bill for a White House run.
*Side note…following Kasich’s response, many people left the room and the other Republican governor’s were quick to distance themselves from JK. (jj)
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