Kasich: It's 'hard to say' if I'll support Trump (Then he support Hillary Clinton)

http://www.politico.com ^ | June 9, 2016 | NOLAN D. MCCASKILL

[NKP_Vet]

It's "hard to say" whether John Kasich will support Donald Trump, the Ohio governor said Thursday, adding that it's "absolutely" possible he could go to the Republican National Convention in Cleveland next month and not endorse the billionaire businessman. "Hard to say," the swing-state governor said of whether he will back the presumptive Republican presidential nominee. "If you look at Twitter, they have this thing called 'trending.' It's trending poorly."

Kasich stressed that his message is vastly different than Trump's. "We're like two companies. You know, we have a different vision, a different value system and a different objective," he recalled telling the real estate mogul during an interview conducted Wednesday but broadcast Thursday with Fox News' Bill Hemmer. "So it's pretty hard to put that together. But the divisiveness, the division, the name-calling, it just doesn't go down well with me." Kasich said he's unsure whether he'll have any additional conversations with Trump, suggesting that it's on him to initiate that dialogue. But Trump's recent attacks on an American federal judge presiding over class-action lawsuits against Trump University are "terrible," he said. Trump questioned whether U.S. District Court Judge Gonzalo Curiel could be impartial, given his Mexican heritage and Trump's pledge to build a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border. "This latest thing about this judge, it's terrible. It's just terrible," said Kasich, who has called on Trump to apologize. "Look, I think the country needs a leader who can unify. A country needs a leader who can inspire confidence in everyone, to make everybody feel like they're special. And then when you look at the entitlement stuff -- 'We don't have to deal with entitlements' -- are you kidding me? Of course we have to deal with entitlements. We have to modernize them." Kasich, whose lone win in the Republican primary was his home state of Ohio, could have outsize impact in the crucial swing state that Barack Obama carried in 2008 and 2012. But he put the onus on Trump to win it in November. "Look, the fact of the matter is that the qualities we need in a leader is very important to me," Kasich said. "This is not a game for me. Look, I can't go for dividing, name-calling or somebody that doesn't really represent conservative principles." Kasich said the U.S. now more than ever before needs to be unified, insisting that partisans should stop fighting and realize that they're Americans before Republicans or Democrats. "I'm not gonna endorse Hillary Clinton, that's for sure, but it's not that simple," he said. "It's not simple. I said from the beginning that if somebody came into Ohio and they were a divider that they couldn't win the state. It's not on me as to how Donald Trump does in Ohio. It's on him. It's on him how he does in the country." "And, you know, if you're going to insult Hispanics, if you're going to turn off minorities, if you're going to, you know, have reckless suggestions on foreign policy, that's not good," he continued. "Why would I feel compelled to support somebody whose positions I kinda fundamentally disagree with?" Kasich argued that while he's not yet sold, he's giving Trump a chance, insisting that he has time to change but pointing to the spat with Curiel as a reason he's not on board with Trump. "Here's a guy born in Indiana and this guy says that he's biased or if he was a Muslim he's biased," Kasich said of Trump. "I mean, that's not good stuff, Bill." It would take a "dramatic change" for a Trump endorsement to come, he said, explaining that to earn his support it takes a unifier with conservative principles to shrink the size and scope of the federal government. "Somebody that gives everybody a sense that there's an opportunity for them in America, not somebody who divides, puts down, scapegoats or anything else -- or name-calls," Kasich said. "Has to be a dramatic change." Kasich said he knows what the U.S. needs in a leader -- or rather, what it doesn't, condemning the type of candidate who is divisive and insults people. "I just wish that there was a change, but it doesn't look like there's been any chance," he said. "It looks like it's gotten worse." The Ohio governor also laughed when asked about there being any chance that he would be Trump's running mate. "There was never a chance of that," he chuckled. "Never. Not even a consideration. We're too different."

[NKP_Vet]

Twitchy mouth Kasich, the uber RINO, just officially endorsed Hillary Clinton for president. This man, if you can call him a man, is a pathetic excuse for a Republican. His despicable interview about Donald Trump will be made into just another attack add on Trump by Clinton. The ass needs to leave the party and maybe he can run as the witch's VP. He damn sure ain't a republican.

[zzwhale]

kasich is a useless maggot

[Pearls Before Swine]

He was in the spotlight with his #neverTrump line. It’s hard to give up. Dope.

[lodi90]

Something brewing here. I see Trump called out Kasich on twitter directly. I assume Kasich is not greasing the wheels in his Ohio org to help Trump.

[saintgermaine]

Kasich: It’s ‘hard to say’ if I’ll support Trump (Then he support Hillary Clinton)
Apparently he is more comfortable siding with an obvious crook.

[TomGuy]

What a hypocrite!

Watched Kasich on FoxNews.

He claims he wants to reduce government. [He sure didn't waste any time expanding Ohio's Medicaid under Obamacare.]

He claims Trump is not conservative, like he is. [He was almost as far left on many issues in the primaries as Freebie and The Screech.]

Kasich is not sure whether he will endorse Trump, claims he doesn't like the name-calling and stuff. [Has he not heard Clinton's attacks? Hey John, Clinton is what you get, now, if you don't get behind Trump!]

Trump just wrapped up the primaries with the LARGEST number of votes ever. Those voters are not going to vote for any backstabbers who Kasich thinks might otherwise emerge with the Republican nomination.

The Party of Stupid establishment seems bound and determined to pull defeat out of the jaws of victory and put Clinton in the White House.

[BookmanTheJanitor]

The media sure loves GOP losers

[JBW1949]

Why is it “hard to say”, Kasich???

Are you saying that you are NOT a man of your word???

Did you not pledge to support the choice of the republican party???

The choice of the people by vote is Donald Trump...If you do NOT support him, you are a liar and an extremely untrustworthy human being...

[Pollster1]

If Kasich ran a relay race, he’d throw the baton into the stands rather than let his teammate look good in the last lap. He’s no republican and not much as an American or a person.

- Kasich voted for the “Assault” Weapons Ban. https://grabien.com/file.php?id=53463 and as of last year did not regret that vote

- Kasich supported and implemented Obamacare’s Medicare expansion http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/john-kasich-bible-medicaid_us_56140a54e4b022a4ce5fb1e3

- Kasich supports Amnesty for illegals. http://www.ontheissues.org/John_Kasich.htm

- Kasich dismissively said Christian bakers should “bake the cupcake” and participate in a gay parody of the sacrament of marriage, even if it violates their religious beliefs. https://www.frcaction.org/updatearticle/20160225/kasich-pushes

- Kasich supports Obama’s nominee for the Supreme Court. http://www.cbsnews.com/news/john-kasich-id-consider-nominating-merrick-garland-supreme-court-election-2016/

Kasich refusing to endorse Trump is another reason why undecided voters should support Donald Trump. [Note: Trump is very much not my perfect candidate. He is, however, the last hope to restore America without a second civil war.]

[going hot]

...and then they wonder why they couldn’t get off the ground.

[jmaroneps37]

It’s hard to say what a p. o. s. ka-sick is but I’ll try. He is a kristol quisling.

[cicero2k]

The stupid party lives up to its name.

We didn’t see leading Democrats doubting zero in 2008 or 2012.

I think Paul Ryan handled it fairly well.

[dfwgator]

He’s going to sabotage Trump at the convention, count on it.

[Democrats hate too much]

Could some rouge twitter employee set up Kasich’s account where he only gets negative trump trending items?

[dfwgator]

kasich is a useless maggot

That's an insult to useless maggots.

[VanDeKoik]

That’s the only way they get on TV.

[stars & stripes forever]

This week’s last ditch effort to overthrow the TRUMP nomination by MSM, MARK KIRK (S-IL) SCOTT WALKER, MITCH MCCONNELL, JEB BUSH and others is going nowhere. The GOPe know the sun is setting on their influence and a new day is dawning on the political scene.

[Lionheartusa1]

Ka-Sick is a great example of what’s wrong with the GOP/RNC Rino eat your own cannibals . These fools are doing everything possible to make sure we have 4 more years of social , economic and fiscal decline . I believe I remember him raising his hand and committing to support the eventual nominee . Lying John Ka-sick is a phony , fake and a fraud and should not even be considered for a dog catchers apprentice .

[CincyRichieRich]

Kasich, McConnell, Ryan, McCain, Steve Chabot, there is such a list of Gulag candidates...ship them to Venezuela.

[cymbeline]

Hmmm. He bases decisions on Twitter happenings.