On Thursday, the hosts of CBS This Morning repeatedly urged Ohio Governor John Kasich to criticize his fellow Republicans for being to conservative on issues ranging from ObamaCare to immigration reform.
Co-host Norah O’Donnell proclaimed Kasich has “taken a risk within your party, differing on a number of issues whether it’s immigration, on gay marriage, even on ObamaCare” before she asked if the “party’s platform needs to evolve on those issues?”
For his part, Kasich corrected O’Donnell’s statement and explained that he was “not for ObamaCare. I don’t favor it and I have a plan to replace ObamaCare, I’m not just against it.” On the issue of gay marriage, the Republican presidential candidate noted that while he supported traditional marriage “ the court has ruled and when the court rules–.”
O’Donnell continued to grill Kasich and wondered “[d]oes your party need to evolve on that issue?” before she turned to the subject of immigration and made a generic statement about the GOP and how the Ohio governor is supposedly at odds with his own party: “You don't believe in a wall, yeah. Or deporting people.”
Despite the CBS host’s repeated attempts, Kasich refused to trash his fellow Republicans on immigration, however, he did point out that the party did not have a monolithic policy on the immigration reform. Not to be outdone, Charlie Rose asked Kasich if he felt the GOP had become too conservative to accept someone like him as their potential nominee:
But the question is has are you party moved to the right so far that, as a conservative, a longtime conservative, it's too far right for you and you're too far center for them?
Rather than accept Rose’s premise that Republicans have moved “to the right so far” that Kasich is no longer welcome, the presidential candidate instead chose to focus on his own campaign and the need to focus on economic opportunity for all Americans:
Look, if I win I have a right to define what the party is and along the way I'm defining what it is. And you know what it is? It’s a party of economic growth and economic growth not an end into itself but also can help people who live in the shadows, the mentally ill, the drug-addicted–
While the CBS hosts repeatedly questioned Kasich over his refusal to condemn his fellow Republicans for failing to “evolve” on a number of issues, the interview got very chummy towards the end when the Republican joked that he wanted Gayle King to serve as his running mate:
GAYLE KING: Governor, we’ve got to leave it there but who are you picking for your running mate?
JOHN KASICH: Are you available?
KING: I’m very busy.
KASICH: You're smart, look great, you’re articulate.
KING: I’m very busy but thank you.
KASICH: Would you think about it?
KING: I will give it some thought.
CHARLIE ROSE: You have to get married, first.
KASICH: Oh, no, no we’ll take her. We’ll take her as she is.
NORAH O’DONNELL: That would be a winning ticket. Gayle’s very personable.
KING: We got to. Governor John Kasich, we thank you.
KASICH: And very smart.
KING: We thank you very much.
ROSE: Kasich/King for 2016.
KING: I am a people person.
See relevant transcript below.
CBS This Morning
October 8, 2015
CHARLIE ROSE: Ohio Governor John Kasich has said he is generally in favor of trade as long as there is a way to make sure workers in the United States are not being cheated. We are pleased to welcome Governor Kasich to Studio 57 again. Welcome.
JOHN KASICH: Always great to be with you guys.
NORAH O’DONNELL: Good to have you here, governor.
KASICH: This is really good.
ROSE: Well, we thank you for that. Let's first talk trade. As a governor, you’ve supported trade, as I said, as long as workers are protected. Do you support this bill?
KASICH: I think so, Charlie. I mean, I haven't seen all of the details. The Senate is going to look at it. But look, we want to have a strengthened group of people in Asia to interface against the Chinese. And trade can help do that. My concern about trade is when countries dump material into our country. We wait for a year or two years before we get a resolution as to whether they cheated or not. So by the time we find out they dumped, people are out of work. I think we need an expedited process, somebody to stick up for the American workers. So free trade, but no looking the other way, no bureaucratic slow down.
ROSE: But you’re inclined to support this deal?
KASICH: Oh yeah, because I think it's good for the U.S. Not only in terms of economics but also in terms of foreign policy. Trade can make a difference in strengthening us around the world.
O’DONNELL: Let's talk about the 2016 presidential race. You've taken a risk within your party, differing on a number of issues whether it’s immigration, on gay marriage, even on ObamaCare. Do you think the party’s platform needs to evolve on those issues?
KASICH: Well, first of all, I’m not for ObamaCare. I don’t favor it and I have a plan to replace ObamaCare, I’m not just against it. I have a program that drives us towards quality health care rather than quantity health care. It would take some time to explain but it's actually a legitimate alternative to keep prices down and make sure people have access. On gay marriage, look. I believe in traditional marriage but the court has ruled and when the court rules, you know, that is–
O’DONNELL: Does your party need to evolve on that issue?
KASICH: Well, I don't know if they don't have my position. They don't say much about it but that is my position. And then the first one you raised was?
O’DONNELL: Immigration.
KASICH: Look.
O’DONNELL: You don't believe in a wall, yeah. Or deporting people.
KASICH: I do believe in a wall but what I believe is we should have a guest worker program and the people who were here who have abided by the law should be able to have a path to legalization. It is not practical to think we are going to go take 10, 11, 12 million people and what are we going to do? How are we going to get them? Are we going to ship them to the border and yell get out of our country? It's not practical. And, by the way, these folks who are here, many of them are creating a wonderful, stronger America. So I think this can pass. I actually think this can pass. See in this campaign, we should stop talking about pie in the sky and starting talking about real solutions. I've been a reformer my entire lifetime, but I know how to land a plane and get it done.
ROSE: But the question is has are you party moved to the right so far that, as a conservative, a longtime conservative, it's too far right for you and you're too far center for them?
KASICH: Well, I think I have a right to define what the party is, Charlie. I mean, look. We’ve risen -- I was up in second place in New Hampshire. We have come down, but these polls are very volatile. We got the best organization in New Hampshire. We are building out in Iowa and South Carolina. Look, if I win I have a right to define what the party is and along the way I'm defining what it is.
And you know what it is? It’s a party of economic growth and economic growth not an end into itself but also can help people who live in the shadows, the mentally ill, the drug-addicted but I’ll tell you who else. Those people who are in their 50s who faced job loss because their company left America or their company shut down, they have become depressed, alienated and lonely. These are people that have to get opportunity to be trained so they can get work and support their family. I think this is a conservative message.
