John Kasich, former governor of Ohio | Shutterstock
The Democratic National Convention, which starts at 9 PM Eastern, will feature a surprising number of Republican speakers. In a move that shows the bipartisan backing candidate Joe Biden is receiving, Republicans like John Kasich will speak at the Democratic Convention. Three of the Republican speakers once held office, while another, Meg Whitman, was a gubernatorial candidate with the party.
The move is on-brand for Biden, who has enjoyed a long career in politics. Thanks to Biden’s “old-school” approach in the Senate, he has a number of ties to bipartisan bills and compromise. The candidate is likely hoping to leverage this “across the aisle” approach during the election to distinguish himself from his opponent, Donald Trump. Trump takes quite the opposite approach, using combative rhetoric and shunning any attempts at compromise.
Monday’s convention proceedings will include four Republican speakers. John Kasich, the former governor of Ohio, will be among them, as will former New Jersey governor Christine Todd Whitman. Former Representative Susan Molinari of New York and Quibi CEO Meg Whitman will also speak on Monday. All four have been publicly critical of the current presidential administration, so their support of Biden comes as no surprise.
They are all expected to give remarks during a segment titled “We the People Putting Country Over Party”. However, not all of the Democrats who support Biden are excited about the addition of Republicans like John Kasich to the program. Kasich’s background as a union buster and his opposition to raising the minimum wage while governor of Ohio have made him a controversial addition to the proceedings.
Left-leaning progressives are largely frustrated with Biden’s moderate tendencies. Following the eight years of Republican obstructionism Biden and then-president Obama saw from 2009 through 2017, progressives are eager to see the left shut the door on Republicans. Instead, Biden is embracing a bipartisan approach that preaches compromise. Progressives bristle at this suggestion, as they feel the right never compromises for them when Republicans are in power.
However, folks implore Democrats to be open to compromise when they gain control of the White House or Senate. Moreover, bad faith attacks like the “birtherism” movement have soured many on the Republican Party. That conspiracy theory held that Barack Obama couldn’t be president because he was not born in the US. Obama himself released a copy of his birth certificate that showed he was born in Hawaii. Like any American, he could easily order his birth certificate online, the same way we do with protein drinks, new shoes and pretty much everything these days.
