This Man Wants To Be President: John Kasich Is Dismissive To Female Student's Question

Kayla Solsbak attends the University of Richmond and was excited to learn that GOP presidential candidate John Kasich would be holding a forum at the school. She wasn’t so happy after what he said to her … When she was given the chance to ask him a question, this is how he replied:

“I don’t have any tickets for Taylor Swift, or Linkin Park. Go ahead, yes, I know you’re just so excited.”

Well, of course he’d say something as ridiculously ignorant as he’s a member of that party, and a party that does not really seem to value women as anything other than chattel, or a vessel in which to carry babies. But Kayla Solsbak wasn’t having it, and took her story and her concerns to the university paper, The Collegian:

“The real issue was that Kasich chose not to listen to students in his forum. Kasich came to Richmond to pander to retired Republicans. He could gain points by belittling me and my peers, so that's what he did. … What continues to strike me is the hypocrisy of his condescension. He touted his ambitious energy as an 18-year-old man, but as soon as I, an 18-year-old woman, exhibited ambition, I became the target of his joke. The same passion that drove Kasich to speak with President Nixon drove me to ask the candidate a question I care deeply about. In a way, I was taking the governor's advice: 'Always ask'”

And this wasn’t an isolated incident; at the same even Kasich said to another female student:

“I’m sure you get invited to all of the parties.”

Of course, there are those who felt Kasich did nothing wrong by condescending to these two women, Dylan McAuley also wrote in The Collegian that Kasich "eloquently responded to her by joking, 'I don’t have Taylor Swift tickets' because the level of excitement [she exuded] was that of a teen Taylor Swift fan trying to get tickets to a concert." 

Though I’m guessing he made no similar jokes to any of the men in attendance? I don’t think he suggested to a male student that he head off to Hooters after asking his question.

And Kayla Solsbak isn’t buying anyone’s excuse:

“The president leads the country, not the VMAs, and it's insulting that the governor doesn't think we can distinguish between the two. I didn't go to a town hall forum for Taylor Swift tickets, Governor Kasich. I went because it's my civic duty to be an informed voter. Please start treating me like one.”

But, again, she’s a female and he’s a Republican, so he doesn’t know how to treat women as equals. Or, at least, he doesn’t show it.

NCRM