The GOP May Have Handed Ohio To Hillary Clinton By Threatening To Blackball John Kasich

Last updated on July 17th, 2023 at 09:12 pm

By threatening to blackball Gov. John Kasich from ever running for president in the GOP again if he continues to refuse to support Donald Trump, RNC Chairman Reince Priebus may have just handed Ohio to Hillary Clinton.

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Priebus said about Kasich and Bush, “We’re a private party. We’re not a public entity. Those people need to get on board. And if they’re thinking they’re going to run again someday, you know, I think we’re going to evaluate the nomination process, and I don’t think it’s going to be that easy for them. I think these are things that our party’s going to look at in the process. I think people who gave us their word, used information from the RNC, should get on board.”

Chairman Priebus was specifically asked about John Kasich potentially being penalized for not supporting Trump. He answered, “People in our party are talking about what we’re going to do about this. There’s a ballot access issue in South Carolina. In order to be on the ballot in South Carolina, you actually have to pledge your support to the nominee … So what’s the penalty for that? It’s not a threat. It’s just a question that we have a process in place and if a private entity has a process in place, and has agreement with the participants in that process, and those participants don’t follow through with the promises that they made in that process. What should a private party do about that if those same people come around in four or eight years?”

The odds are that Kasich will have a much longer future shelf life in the Republican Party than Reince Priebus.

The thinly veiled threats by the RNC come at a time when Gov. Kasich is not lifting a finger to help Donald Trump win Ohio. Priebus’s comments highlight a shift in the Republican Party. Under Trump, the GOP has been transformed from a party that values individual liberty to a dictatorship where everyone must support the Supreme Orange Leader.

If Democrats win Ohio, Republicans can thank Reince Priebus and Donald Trump for potentially handing the state to Hillary Clinton through their inept strong-arming of John Kasich.

Jason Easley

Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.

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Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association