John Kasich Literally the Worst

John Kasich in a speech last night, reviewing his own performance as governor of Ohio for the past eight years:

In this job, I’ve just done everything that I could do. I’ve done my best.

Except that time when he stayed in the presidential primaries until just after Ted Cruz had dropped out—i.e., exactly long enough to ensure the candidate Kasich most claims to hate would become the nominee.  Kasich did literally the worst he could do.

Reports of John Kasich’s Popularity Greatly Exaggerated

(Editor’s note:  I was honestly going to send this as a private e-mail to the Hot Air writer Jazz Shaw, but I was unable to find an e-mail address or contact information for him anywhere on the site.  Rather than throw the letter away, I thought I might as well just publish it as an open letter here.  I’ve accordingly also added links to some of the other topics I referenced in the letter.)

Mr. Shaw,

I can’t resist (albeit belatedly) responding to your thoughts on John Kasich’s popularity (or lack thereof) last week.

In particular, you wrote, “In 2014, however, he won his second race by more than 30% and carried 86 of 88 counties. His level of general support was undeniable.”

Joe Biden on Trump voters: ‘they’re not racist. They’re not sexist. But we didn’t talk to them.’

From the Los Angeles Times:  “As Democrats ponder their future, Joe Biden makes a plea for a focus on the middle class”.  Excerpt:

[Rarely has Joe Biden] trusted anything as much as his own gut instinct, attuned to the middle- and working-class sensibilities of his former neighbors in towns like Scranton, Pa., and Claymont, Del.

And so as he sat in his office one day in October and watched footage of a Donald Trump rally in Wilkes-Barre, Pa., not far from his childhood home, Biden sensed trouble.

The Case for #NeverTrump (and Never Hillary), in Four Easy Steps

1.  Respect the People

First, it’s important to note that people have a lot of legitimate concerns that lead them to support Trump.  It would be a serious mistake to write them off as bad or stupid people.  It’s just that Trump isn’t the answer to any of their concerns.

For a brief but academic further exploration of this, read distinguished academic Charles Murray’s piece on the subject.

Newspapers, Normal People Endorse Libertarian Gary Johnson for President

The Chicago Tribune endorses Libertarian Gary Johnson for president.

Don’t let others pressure you.  You don’t have to vote for one of the two major parties’ nominees.  You won’t be the only one.

The Chicago Tribune editors make a lot of great points.  On the choice before us:

What should tens of millions of voters who yearn for answers do with two major-party candidates they disdain? Polls show an unprecedented number of people saying they wish they had another choice.

Sudden Thought, Gang

I’m glad the left has finally agreed that it’s unhealthy (for us and for our democracy) to assume bad intentions of/dehumanize/demonize/“other” those we disagree with.

Maybe after the election is over and everyone’s had time to cool down, someone can invite them to consider whether that might have any implications for their own lives.

Vote for the Adult in the Room

I went to see Gary Johnson speak in Cincinnati last night. He addressed the looming entitlement crisis head on:  Reform is non-optional; doing nothing is not an option.  If we do nothing, the programs are already on track to bankrupt themselves very soon; if we continue doing nothing, then they’ll bankrupt the rest of the government as well.

Things You Hear on NPR: ‘No Evidence’ of Clinton Foundation Influence Laundering

This is part of why we’re so annoyed about the liberal news media.  (Listen up, those of you who still don’t believe there is such a thing—I know you’re out there.)  This one isn’t just a little biased; this is either gross incompetence (difficult for NPR to plead—they’re not idiots, and they can do very good journalism when they want to) or infuriating, brazen dishonesty in the service of an agenda.

The Case against Democrats, according to Democrats: The 2016 Democratic Convention

What I heard from the Democrats in their convention speeches tonight:

• Global warming is an urgent problem because it will put us under water in a hundred years, but we don’t care that Social Security and Medicare will be bankrupt within a couple of decades.

(According to the programs’ trustees’ own numbers, Social Security will be bankrupt by 2019 or 2034, depending on how you count it; Medicare by 2028, “two years earlier than projected in last year’s report”.)

• We want to tax the rich more, and also increase corporate welfare to already bloated colleges and universities.

‘But far more than Obama or Hillary or George W. Bush, Trump is actively campaigning as a Caesarist . . . .’

Ross Douthat makes a very concise case for torpedoing Trump’s candidacy:

All presidents are tempted by the powers of the office, and congressional abdication has only increased that temptation’s pull. President Obama’s power grabs are part of a bipartisan pattern of Caesarism, one that will likely continue apace under Hillary Clinton.

Garry Kasparov: Trump Embodies the Worst of New York, Does Not Represent the Best of New York

Famous chess master Garry Kasparov thoughtfully explores concepts of good and bad “New York values”.

It’s tempting to rally behind him — but we should resist. Because the New York values Trump represents are the very worst kind. He exemplifies the seamy side of New York City — the Ponzi schemers and the Brooklyn Bridge sellers, the gangster traders like Bernie Madoff and the celebrity gangsters like John Gotti — not the hard work and sacrifice that built New York and America.

Trump Advisor Promises to Facilitate Violence against Delegates Who Vote against Trump

Once and future Trump advisor (and Nixon trickster) Roger Stone, currently running a pro-Trump “super-PAC”, had already called for “Days of Rage” at the Republican convention in Cleveland this summer, a reference to riots and attempts to overwhelm police organized by the radical terrorist organization the Weathermen in Chicago in 1969.

Now Stone has specifically promised to facilitate the physical intimidation of (and physical retaliation against) Republican-convention delegates who don’t vote the way he’d like them to:

Interesting Thoughts after Trump’s Thumping in Wisconsin

Nate Silver at 538:  It was a good night for Cruz, a bad night for Drumpf.

Obligatory sanity-check post: I know that the details matter, and that we’re interested to see whether Trump can take a congressional district in Wisconsin despite his poor night statewide. But it bears repeating that he’s having a really bad night and Cruz is having a really good one.

Recalibrating and Correcting the ‘Political Compass’

A friend on Facebook recommends the British site Political Compass.org, which purports to sort users and politicians across a two-dimensional grid—the x axis is from left to right, the y axis libertarian-authoritarian—according to their positions on the issues.

However, the site’s distribution of the Republican and Democratic presidential contenders is way off:

National Review: Ted Cruz for President

National Review has endorsed Ted Cruz in the Republican primaries.  Excerpt:

He forthrightly defends religious liberty, the right to life of unborn children, and the role of marriage in connecting children to their parents — causes that reduce too many other Republicans to mumbling.

Tea Party Conservatives Choose Cruz

For the last several months, Ohio Conservatives United and affiliated groups in Florida and Illinois have been conducting surveys of members of Tea Party, 9/12, and other liberty groups.  In each state, their theory was simple:

“If Ohio conservatives unite behind one candidate in the primary election, we will win.

“If we split and fragment our vote across the entire field, the establishment Republican will win.”

Cruz, Kasich, and Drumpf Virtually Tied Going into Ohio Primary

This is part of the problem with the Romney strategy.  He recommended that everyone vote for whichever non-Drumpf candidate is in the lead in each state according to surveys.  It sounds good in theory, but what if two candidates are tied in the polls, or nearly tied?

The most recent poll in Ohio puts all three contenders in a virtual tie: Drumpf 33%, Kasich 33, Cruz 27, margin of error 4.4 points.

Vote Strategically in Ohio: Vote for Ted Cruz

Mitt Romney and others have urged us (anti-Trump Republican primary voters) to “vote strategically”: by voting for Rubio in Florida, Kasich in Ohio, and whoever is polling highest in each state before election day in that state.

But John Kasich is already a big part of the reason that Drumpf has won as many states as he has.

Arkansas primary results:
Drumpf 32.8%
Cruz 30.5%
Kasich 3.7%

Ben Carson Sells Out—Again

Donald Trump, a. k. a. Drumpf, has bought another friend.

In retrospect, the signs were there; this isn’t the first time Carson has lent his name and reputation to a scam.

I wonder how much he got paid for it this time.

‘I personally don’t trust Donald Trump. With Donald Trump, you always have to read the fine print.’

The truth about Trump University, from a man who would know—for a time, he worked for the con man.

More about Trump University from Ian Tuttle at NRO: “Yes, Trump University Was a Massive Scam”