AP reporting Kasich is expected to speak at the Democratic convention on Biden's behalf

[highplainsdem]

https://apnews.com/99d19335011e2fb19035dc83ac2fb481

In the four months since Joe Biden effectively won the Democratic presidential nomination, he has focused on consolidating the party’s divergent and often warring factions. As the closing stretch of the campaign nears, that effort will expand to include Republicans disaffected with President Donald Trump.

Former Ohio Gov. John Kasich, a Republican and frequent Trump critic, has been approached and is expected to speak at the Democratic National Convention on Biden’s behalf next month, according to a person with direct knowledge of the plans who insisted on anonymity to discuss strategy. Kasich is among a handful of high-profile Republicans likely to become more active in supporting Biden in the fall.

-snip-

Biden’s team would not confirm specific discussions with Kasich, but deputy campaign manager Kate Bedingfield acknowledged the campaign has begun working with Republicans, just as it has worked with progressives in recent months. At the least, she said GOP backers could help mute Trump’s efforts to paint Biden as a tool of the left.

“In terms of Republican supporters, I think it speaks to a career of being able to work across the aisle, of being able to actually get things done,” Bedingfield said. “We welcome the support of anybody who’d rather see Joe Biden be president than Donald Trump.”

-snip-

[Ohiogal]

1. Hardcore Ohio Republicans

Hate Kasich, and complain he’s a closet Democrat, so you won’t be changing any similar minds with this.

[Hortensis]

11. Lol, or drawing those LWers who imagine Dems/HRC are conservative.

I don't care for the man, and he's not there for me either. He's there to help draw moderate, rational conservatives away from the rabid Southern-style extremists who're destroying their party.
The trumpster/Bircher types need to once again become the mostly defanged minority they used to be.

Those looking for an alternative don't have to vote Democrat, and most won't. Just not voting at all this time would be a positive move.

"Divided we fell."

[Proud Liberal Dem]

15. Kasich got his start as one of Gingrich's bomb-throwing GOPAC Zombies

My how the worm has turned.

[Bev54]

24. Why the hell would the dems get this asshole

who everytime he is interviewed would say the don't know what they stand for. Before he became a pundit that was in every interview he did. Cannot stand this guy and his presence will not do anything but piss off dems.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

27. I dunno

I wouldn't have

[Bev54]

28. I left a message on Biden's campaign fb page

[Demsrule86]

20. I think he could influence some Democrats. However, I remember that Biden

won Ohio twice already.

[brooklynite]

31. We're not trying to win hardcore Republicans...

We're trying to win moderate suburban Republicans and Independents.

[Kahuna]

36. This nt

[Captain Zero]

44. Yes. Or keep them.

[Botany]

2. I think John knows that the 2016 primaries were dirty too.

Trump is gonna lose almost every state* and maybe by double digits too.

Almost everybody who knows somebody who got sick and or died from C-19 will be voting against Trump.

* Oklahoma, Tennessee, Kentucky, West Virginia, and Arkansas.

Kansas and the other plains states might be tough on Trump because Trump's trade policies
has screwed the farmers along with C-19. And Mississippi, Alabama, South Carolina might go
blue too if they let the blacks vote.

[still_one]

5. I hope you are right, but I sure wouldn't assume that. The polls indicate that trump

still leads on the economy, though that support has eroded since the pandemic.

It is a false assessment as you pointed out with the trade wars, and other economic policies, but it is a perception that has been perpetuated by the media, who have been very lazy in covering the details of the "economy" before the pandemic.

Trump and the republicans are hoping for a vaccine before the election, though it won't be available to the general public at the earliest until next year, and the backing of much of wall street, by pushing the propaganda that the Democrats will be bad for the economy.

The other risk, and it is a big one, is voter suppression. That is a make or break element in those critical swing states

Another thing that concerns me is that most of the polls are registered voters, not likely voters, and the election is still a long way off, and a lot can happen

We have to get the vote out, and encourage people to vote early where available, and ideally vote by mail

[tavernier]

6. See, I just don't understand...

Why don’t the Dems loudly and daily hammer the point , with mountains of proof, that trump rides on the coattails of Obama’s economy which is just now starting to erode??

[still_one]

7. I agree

[Proud Liberal Dem]

18. Right

Maybe they feel like they would be perceived as "talking down" the economy when they attack Trump on the economy? Or maybe it's not as simple a connection to draw as we might think for most average voters. TBH I feel like the single-minded focus by some people on "the economy" is simply massively overshadowed by Trump's gross mismanagement of...........everything else. If they want a good line, though, they could now simply tie his mismanagement of COVID-19 to the mess of the economy because of it. We're just not going to be able to get back to a better economy until we get the virus under control and Trump is constantly fighting and/or sabotaging efforts to do that.

[OnDoutside]

26. Maybe until it happens to them or their family ? Otherwise they are utterly selfish.

[still_one]

33. If nothing else that is one thing that has been demonstrated

[NewJeffCT]

12. There have been polls out in the past week

that had Biden ahead on the economy.

The problem has been that Democrats and the media have just let Trump spew BS about how great the economy was before the pandemic.

1) Job creation was mediocre before the pandemic
2) Manufacturing was in recession the entire last half of 2019 before the pandemic
3) Wage growth after inflation was weak before the pandemic and increases for the bottom 50% were only due to Democratic state & local initiatives to raise the minimum wage

[still_one]

14. That sure isn't the impression that was conveyed before the pandemic by the press

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2020/07/19/trump-edge-over-joe-biden-on-economy-wiped-out-in-two-new-polls/5467753002/

Regardless, nothing should be taken for granted, especially since the republicans have been working overtime to suppress the vote

[NewJeffCT]

51. Yes - I said Biden was ahead in a few polls on the economy in the past week

However, before the pandemic shut everything down in March, the media largely just parroted Trump talking points on the mythical great economy, and way too many Democrats & Democratic surrogates appearing on the TV shows never really fought back on those economic talking points:

Mid 2017 through February of 2020 - way too many times to count, but I saw versions of this:


TRUMPSTER: "THE ECONOMY IS THE BEST EVER WAHOOOOO. THANKS TRUMP!!!"

Democrat: "yes, the economy is great, BUT...."

most people will not hear anything after the BUT

There were a lot of ways to push back on the economy before the pandemic, but too often Democrats on air never did push back. (see my post above)

[still_one]

53. Thanks, your assessment is right on target

[Thekaspervote]

29. Actually Wall Street has come out in favor of Biden

Here’s just one of many links

https://nypost.com/2020/06/03/wall-street-donors-favor-biden-over-trump-in-2020-election-report/

[still_one]

34. Listening to a good number of analysts on Bloomberg they sure aren't expressing that, and

the Charles Schwab's and likewise are out in full force campaigning how the Democrats will "destroy the economy", and the stock market

[old guy]

3. No.

[still_one]

4. The problem is there are some who won't accept that, and would give Kasich a very rude reception

which would defeat the very purpose of trying to get votes from republicans who are unhappy with trump.

When you had some people disgracefully "booing" John Lewis at the last Convention, this indicates there are a small segment within the Democratic party that could easily cause a disruption, and have the opposite effect of attracting those voters it is intending to attract

[RhodeIslandOne]

10. The convention will be "virtual"

No one will be booing anyone.

[still_one]

13. That is an excellent point RhodeIsland, but those voices are not going to be silent in regard to

their displeasure, and whether through social media or other outlets, that will get out to the MSM, especially if it is expressed in ugly rants, and that will not be helpful in attracting those republican voters to vote Democratic I believe

[Demsrule86]

21. Well when those 'voices' show an ability to win elections outside of New York house

primaries/elections, let me know.

[still_one]

25. I understand, and agree with your point, however if the objective is to attract republican

voters. I don't think those "voices" will help attract republican voters by having Kasich speak at the Democratic Convention

The Lincoln Project, and other republican groups dismayed with trump will be better at doing that

[Demsrule86]

39. It might help in Ohio for example...Kasich is well liked by moderate Republicans.

[still_one]

43. sure, but I think the reception, especially from those on the left, will not provide a positive

feedback through various media outlets that will induce those moderate republicans to vote for Biden, and in fact might have the opposite effect.

I think it would be better through other channels than the Democratic Convention

[R B Garr]

48. Exactly. Conversely, I don't see any Democrats going out

of their way to speak on behalf of Trump. This symbolism alone is worth it and a real kick in the teeth to Trump, which is also worth it.

[JDC]

8. Somehow Zell Miller comes to mind

[Demsrule86]

22. Zell Miller was a Democrat and passed Pre-K and the Hope scholarship.

[JDC]

50. In case you are interested:

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/text-of-zell-millers-rnc-speech/

[Hotler]

9. Brother Joe, stop playing nice and trying to be friends with these fuckers. nt

[still_one]

16. He isn't "playing nice", he is trying to win the election. For various reasons though I don't think

having Kasich speak at the Democratic convention is a good idea

It is far better to let republican groups such as the Lincoln Project speak to republicans

[Demsrule86]

23. The more votes we get and the bigger our senate majority, the better.

[duforsure]

17. He's distancing from trump and many other republicans who enable trump

It's a play for after trumps ousted when the GOP flush out all the trump supporters and enablers, and the GOP gets a make over. Mitt will be another who will have a future in the new GOP. I do believe he knows trump incapable of the job, and is corrupt. More will soon be joining with him and Mitt.

[obamanut2012]

19. I expect Laura Bush, Jenna, and Barbara Jr. to speak, too

I know The Twins are Dems, and I actually think Laura is, too.

Maybe also Cindy McCain.

[Hassin Bin Sober]

30. Why elevate this guy and pass him off as moderate? Because he isn't.

I hope Joe and his team realize or care there will be another election in 4 years and it won’t be against trump.

[Autumn]

37. If the objective is to siphon off R votes it would make as much sense to select Kasich as his VP.

If one really wants to "work across the aisle"

[Hassin Bin Sober]

38. I can't believe people are defending this.

Oh wait. Reagan Democrats.

[onenote]

41. oh, wait. People who want Democrats to get as many votes as possible.

[Hassin Bin Sober]

49. .

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Kasich#Abortion

Since taking office, he has signed 18 abortion restrictive measures into law.[80] In June 2013, Kasich signed into law a state budget, HB 59, which stripped some $1.4 million in federal dollars from Planned Parenthood by placing the organization last on the priority list for family-planning funds;[81][82] provided funding to crisis pregnancy centers;[82] and required women seeking abortions to undergo ultrasounds.[81][83] The budget also barred abortion providers from entering into emergency transfer agreements with public hospitals, requiring abortion providers to find private hospitals willing to enter into transfer agreements.[81] Another provision of the bill requires abortion providers to offer information on family planning and adoption services in certain situations.[81] Under the budget, rape crisis centers could lose public funding if they counseled sexual assault victims about abortion.[82]
In 2015, Kasich said in an interview that Planned Parenthood "ought to be de-funded" but Republicans in Congress should not force a government shutdown over the issue.[84]
In December 2016, Kasich approved a ban on abortions after 20 weeks, except when a pregnancy endangers a woman's life, but vetoed HB 493, a law which would have made abortion illegal after detection of a fetal heartbeat (typically 5–6 weeks after conception). Kasich cited the cost to taxpayers of defending the legislation in court, and the likelihood that the "Heartbeat Bill" would be struck down in federal court as reasons for vetoing the more restrictive bill.[85][86] In December 2018, Kasich again vetoed a bill to ban abortion after detection of a fetal heartbeat citing the cost to taxpayers and previous rulings by the federal courts.[87][88] He did sign a bill into law that bans the dilation and evacuation procedure commonly used for abortion.[89]

[R B Garr]

46. LOL, Reagan Democrats are not anyone who didn't vote for Bernie.

There is a specific definition for Reagan Democrats.

[LiberalFighter]

32. IMO we don't need another Lieberman.

[kcr]

35. Ugh

I think this is a big mistake.

[Vinca]

40. Anyone who wants to speak on Biden's behalf is fine in my book.

Maybe he will sway some fence sitters away from Orange Duterte.

[onenote]

42. Exactly

The hand wringers/purity police on this thread apparently don't know what it takes to win an election.

[DVRacer]

45. Oh hell no

That guy hosted the Bill Oreily show for years whenever he was gone. They will do the play what he says now play what he said 5 years ago. I remember him going hard at Speaker Pelosi screw him.

[Coventina]

47. Ick.

[BootinUp]

52. Presidential politics. Nt