“You're not driving me into some ditch here, Chris,” stated John Kasich to Chris Matthews on Thursday evening, after being badgered with repeated questions about his position on gay marriage.
Matthews started his interrogation by asking Kasich what he thought about the topic since, according to Matthews, there were a lot of Republicans in New York who are not socially conservative. Kasich responded by saying he believed in traditional marriage between a man and woman, but there needed to be a balance: “There is a conflict to some degree between people practicing their deeply held religious beliefs, which they have a right to do, and the issue of discrimination against somebody that they think is doing something inappropriate. That has to be balanced.”
It did not seem like Matthews found that answer to be satisfactory since the host ratcheted up the attacks. “Do you tolerate same sex marriage?… Do you tolerate it,” Matthews pressured. Kasich defended himself by pointing out the fact that he attended a gay wedding and the couple knew how he felt. This ability to both attend a gay wedding while still believing in traditional marriage perplexed the ultra-liberal Matthews.
Matthews then tried to railroad Kasich by asking what a gay couple should do if they loved each other. The presidential candidate said they should continue to love each other and went on to explain how he tolerates gay marriage. “I’m also a believer that if I don't like what somebody is doing, I have a couple of things I can do. I can tolerate it. I can say something. Or I have another thing I can do. I can pray for a person. That’s another thing I can do. Okay so, you're not driving me into some ditch here, Chris.”
Chris Matthews, a man who takes every chance he can to paint Republicans as bigots, could not wrap his head around a Republican tolerating something they didn’t believe in. “But the fact that you would go to a gay wedding and help celebrate it with people and you would say “I believe in traditional marriage.” I don’t—I still don't get your exact position.” The pair soon moved on to another topic.
Contrary to popular belief on the left, it’s possible for someone to not agree with something and still tolerate its existence, like a difference of opinion.
Transcript below:
MSNBC
Kasich Town Hall
April 14, 2016
7:27:45 – 7:30: 45 PM EasternCHRIS MATTHEWS: But a lot of women may be fiscally conservative like you. They may be worried about taxes like you, and they're conservative, except on these social issues. They are pro-choice in many cases, because in the end –
JOHN KASICH: That's divided, okay.
MATTHEWS: It's divided but a lot of republican women are pro-choice, in this state I can tell you. And there are a lot of women who say, “you know, I’m straight, I'm married to my husband, I'm happy, that’s a traditional marriage, but the fact that two guys or two women get married doesn't affect me any.” What’s your view on those subjects?
KASICH: Well you know, I support traditional marriage.
MATTHEWS: What’s that mean?
KASICH: Between a man and a woman.
MATTHEWS: Yeah, well I know that. But—
KASICH: Let me finish.
MATTHEWS: [Inaudible] What-- exclusively to them?
KASICH: No, I’ve said the court has ruled and we're not going pass any laws now. It's in place. See, there is an issue here, though, that I keep wading into, people ask me.
Look, Chris, we have -- there is a conflict to some degree between people practicing their deeply held religious beliefs,…
MATTHEWS: Sure.
KASICH: …which they have a right to do,…
MATTHEWS: I agree.
KASICH: …and the issue of discrimination against somebody that they think is doing something inappropriate. That has to be balanced. And what I've tried to argue is everybody just take a breath. And let's just try to understand one another a little better and be more tolerant, because once you write a law, then they-- you keep rewriting the laws. Because you never get this right.
MATTHEWS: Do you tolerate same sex marriage?
KASICH: Yeah, I’m not going to—yes.
MATTHEWS: Do you tolerate it?
KASICH: I went to one!
MATTHEWS: I know you did.
KASICH: Yeah, I don't think it's right. And the wedding that I went to, they know I don't agree with them.
MATTHEWS: What should gay people do, who love each other?
KASICH: What should they do?
MATTHEWS: If they love each other, what should they do?
KASICH: Well, they should love one another, that’s the end of it.
MATTHEWS: But not get married?
KASICH: I've given you the answer. I believe in traditional marriage. I've accepted the court ruling.
MATTHEWS: I know, I’m just asking.
KASICH: So wait, here is the thing. There could be an effort to pass a constitutional amendment. I'm not for doing it. I'm for moving on.
MATTHEWS: Yeah.
KASICH: You know what? I'm also—I’m also a believer that if I don't like what somebody is doing, I have a couple of things I can do. I can tolerate it. I can say something. Or I have another thing I can do. I can pray for a person. That’s another thing I can do. Okay so, you're not driving me into some ditch here, Chris.
MATTHEWS: No, I'm not trying to.
KASICH: You’re not going to.
MATTHEWS: I’m not trying to. Let me ask you about—Ditches are usually selected by the candidates.
KASICH: Yeah. It is. It is. [Laughter]
MATTHEWS: Because I think it was interesting that you would go to a gay -- this isn't my special field of interest. But the fact that you would go to a gay wedding and help celebrate it with people and you would say “I believe in traditional marriage.” I don’t—I still don't get your exact position. Would you like to change the law?
KASICH: Look, I'm exactly where it is now, I'm fine with it. I just don't want anybody kind of on either end trying to drive controversy, because it has—
MATTHEWS: Oh I know.
KASICH: It has to do with respecting people's deeply held religious believes versus, you know, something that could be discriminatory. It has to be—[moves hands like a scale].
MATTHEWS: You're taking it -- it just sounds very different to a person here, what you're saying than what a Ted Cruz says.
KASICH: But I'm running. I am a candidate of hope, okay.
