John Kasich on The View just now

[Algernon Moncrieff]

Won't commit to running or not running in 2020, but (paraphrasing, but only slightly) says "Maybe America is ready for a third party?"

So, to me, that sounds like a) he's running and b) he's either running independent or he is going to try to organize a 3rd party.

Hypothetically, wondering if this hurts or helps the Dems?

[violetpastille]

1. If we stick together

This will help.

[Siwsan]

2. He was trying really hard to sound middle of the road reasonable

It wouldn't surprise me to see him either attempt to primary trump*, or to try a 3rd party or independent run.

Actually, I really wouldn't be surprised to see several people, like Jeff Flake or Ben Sasse, for example, try to primary trump*.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

3. Hard to say whether it would hurt GOPers or Dems.

It's almost impossible for a third party to become powerful enough to successfully support a presidential candidate under our system. If a third party becomes that popular and powerful it will overcome the competing main party, and then become one of the two main parties just as before. If Kasich (or anybody) can organize a successful third party that's conservative but not batshit fascist crazy like Trump's GOP, it will become the new GOP and the old one will shrivel into a right-wing fringe. So what really happens is a takeover of an existing party. Who could be hurt by a takeover of the GOP probably depends on how many people stick with the Trump GOP and how many move to the new one.

[rurallib]

4. he never stopped running. He's been all over the place sounding reasonable, but he isn't.

People got to remember he is far right disguising himself as a "moderate."
Note that "moderate Republican" is an oxymoron.

[marybourg]

7. Too true.

[ChoppinBroccoli]

9. Take It From Someone Who Lives In Ohio

Kasich is a carbon copy of Scott Walker. The only difference is that Kasich is willing to criticize Trump whereas Walker is a faithful lapdog. Remember that when Kasich was elected, his first order of business was to try to push through the Union-busting bill that Walker passed in Wisconsin. The voters revolted and got it repealed in the next election. I think that's why Kasich has all of a sudden taken on the "reasonable moderate guy" persona.

Yeah, he attacks Trump, but he's still the guy who hates labor, advocates for NO State income tax, and turns down Federal funds for mass transit systems. Don't be fooled. This particular enemy of your enemy is NOT your friend.

Oh, and to answer the OP's question, I think a third party organized by Kasich would HURT Republicans, because it would divide their votes. Just like a third party that was sold as "Democrat-lite" would hurt Democrats.

[Ohiogal]

10. ChoppinBroccoli -- you are 100% correct

Another Ohioan here. Kasich loves to come across as the "reasonable moderate" guy, but he is a wolf in sheep's clothing. He has done nothing but push the typical Republican agenda -- all that you said above, plus chipping away non stop at a woman's right to an abortion. He hates public education, as well.

Please, all DUers, take it from a couple of Ohioans here -- Kasich is your typical Republican. Don't let him fool you!

[NEOBuckeye]

12. Ditto x3 - Kasich is a sanctimonious RW blowhard

I can't stand the man. He's fucked up education here as well as transit and municipal funding. If the Dems here had taken him seriously here in 2010, he might be just another smarmy talking head on Faux today, if that.

SB5, his big Walkeresque drive to deunionize the state in 2012 should have been his Waterloo, but Ohio Dems forgot all about it in 2014 and ran a joke of a candidate against him then. We've had too many opportunities to send him packing before term-limits kicked in. I hope he goes away completely, but we probably won't be so lucky.

[JHB]

16. We need to remind people that conservatives expressly drove "moderate"...

...Republicans out of office and pretty much to extinction.

Name the current members of the "Rockefeller Republican" wing of the party. You can't, they're gone.

The last wheezing gasp of "fiscal responsibility" was in 1990, when GHW Bush treated his "read my lips, no new taxes" line as the political theater it was and signed a feeble tax increase. And conservatives crucified him for it.

There are no living examples of "moderate Republicans", especially not anyone who has held office in the last 30 years.

[beachbum bob]

5. Kasish could have offered suppprt to countless democrats this election....

That could have been a game changer as his only political future is as a moderate working for America and not for the rightwing extremists of trumps GOP.

[NEOBuckeye]

13. You see him as something he never was, and never will be.

Kasich isn't the uniter he wants you to believe. He is very much a staunch conservative Republican. He looks and sounds like a moderate only because of how much farther to the batshit far-right the GOP has veered since Dubya.

[beachbum bob]

14. What I am saying if he wishes to be seen as a Uniter, he needs to act like one

[NEOBuckeye]

19. He won't. A leopard can't change its spots. n/t

[Ninga]

6. Kasich in my view, (ha pun intended) is creepy. He's actively campaigning for Ohio GOP Gov

candidate Mike DeWine (an avodewed trumpian).
Kasich plays the role of a moderate- but has governed as a right wing nut case.

[dameatball]

8. My first reaction is that it would certainly benefit Dems.

Simple reasoning is that he would draw more Republican voters away from Trump then he would draw away from Dems.

[czarjak]

11. I remember him voting in lock-step with Bush...

I also remember Trump saying “George Bush was a disaster”

[irisblue]

15. Kasich will run in 2020.

He plays the 3rd party stuff, sometimes with Hickenlooper of Colorado.
Kasich was a lousy Governor

[lunamagica]

17. Run, John run!

[maxrandb]

18. The only response that DU and any Democrat should have to this Koch funded turd Kasich is

"Dear John, go fuck yourself sideways with a hard cover, First Edition of Atlas Shrugged, you worthless piece of amphibian shit"!!

I've said it before, but it needs saying again; "If John "effing" Kasich is our example of Retrumplican "moderation", we've not only crashed through the Looking Glass...we're using the broken shards to slit our wrists"

Fuck him with a CAPITAL "F"

[Autumn]

20. He's trying to convince people he's a moderate Republican. No such thing, he's a

fucking Republican.

[JonLP24]

21. He could pull votes from Never Trump conservatives

Could hurt Democrats though because that draws anti Trump voters away from Democrats