John Kasich is longing for the days of smoke-filled rooms at conventions.
He’s made it clear recently that he believes voters have been silly not to vote for him, and that political elites will correct them at the convention. In an interview with The Washington Post last week, he explained why he still believes that he has a chance to win a majority of delegates at the convention:
I just think it’s very hard for [the delegates] to pick somebody who they know is going down, because who’s going to be there? These are going to be people who are like, political types, they’re elected officials, they’re former elected officials, they’re ward heelers. I mean, these are not like robots. These are people who engage in politics. And I’m just not convinced they’re going to pick somebody who’s destined to lose.
Yes, apparently the voters just aren’t quite as bright as the “political types” who will carry John Kasich to victory.
To strengthen this argument, Kasich has pointed out numerous times that of the ten multi-ballot GOP conventions, seven of them nominated someone other than the front-runner. Strangely enough, however, he neglects to point out that the last multi-ballot convention was 64 years ago, when only thirteen states held primaries — which is perhaps what Kasich would prefer.
Kasich’s continued candidacy is a far-from-tacit crusade against the Republican voter, in favor of some kind of Republican elite. In Kasich’s eyes, it seems, the opinions of a mailman or a coal miner, for example, are of little value compared to those of, say, a prestigious elected official like the Governor of Ohio.
Danny Cannon works for the American Principles Project.
