Friday, July 3, 2015

Kasich ode to Pearly Gates of Scarlet and Grey


On July 21 Gov. Kasich’s Starship will touch down in the Student Union at Ohio State University. There, with word from the Lord, he will announce his intention to seek the presidency to rescue America from President Obama as well as the immortals who are already on the Republican list of first responders to the lure of the Oval Office..

Not a moment too soon. For months he’s been flying around the country with the itinerary of a Johnny Appleseed, planting his bountiful seeds for voters in such dog-eared candidate visits as New Hampshire, Iowa and South Carolina. Not since 2000, when he failed to convince the electorate that he was worthy of the White House, has he stretched out so many tourist miles.

But times do change. With that in mind and his reliance on direct lines to God, the governor is at it again. So far, it has been a message that has yet to elevate him in the polls.. When economists shooed him away from his earlier stump talk of a constitutional amendment for a balanced budget, he could always depend on the media to soften the blows. One occasionally heard a huzzah from network reporters who speculated that his erratic behavior was sort of refreshing, adding that he might be, could be, would be, could arguably be the guy thing to eject him from the clown car running on fumes.

A personal note: Having worked alongside national reporters in presidential campaigns, I can vouch that they are hit-and-run chroniclers of candidates – appraisals arising from a quarter hour interview with the candidate with no awareness of the back story.

The Ohio media, primarily the Columbus Dispatch, have sustained their hopes for the first Ohio president since newspaper publisher and cornet player, Warren G. Harding, who presided over a scandal-ridden administration, prescribing “equipoise”.

Kasich doesn’t resort to big words, although he has referrred to Californians (65 electoral votes, guv!) as “wackadoodles”. More recently, his crude responses to his critics is said to have cost him support from the Koch Brothers. It was their event in California in which Kasich barked from the dais at the wife of a rich Republican donor who questioned his extension of Medicaid. “I don’t know about you, Lady,” he snapped, sounding a lot like a harried Manhattan taxi driver. “but when I get to the Pearly Gates, I’m going to have an answer for what I’ve done for the poor…”

This from the fellow who cut food stamps, opposed the stimulus and auto bailout, and cut corners in other ways, etc. etc.

You should also be aware that according to my ASPCA calendar, July 21 has also been designated as national “No pet store puppies day”.

That will put some of us in a much better mood when the Starship arrives at the Pearly Gates in the land of the scarlet and grey.

(Reposted from Plunderbund)

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