© 2024 Ideastream Public Media

1375 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio 44115
(216) 916-6100 | (877) 399-3307

WKSU is a public media service licensed to Kent State University and operated by Ideastream Public Media.
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Kasich Sends Mixed Messages on Preparations for Possible Presidential Bid

A photo of John Kasich
ALLEGRA BOVERMAN
/
NHPR

Buzzfeed is reporting that Gov. John Kasich is apparently planning for a possible run for president in 2020. Sources told Buzzfeed that Kasich's private meeting Thursday with national security experts in Columbus "was to help prepare ... for another bid, should he decide to run again."

This report contradicts Kasich’s own comments to Statehouse correspondent Karen Kasler, who spoke with Kasich just hours before the report came out.

Kasich said he feels like no one asks him his presidential plans anymore, but that he really doesn’t have any.

“I’m not doing any planning for anything," Kasich said. "I want to have a voice. I think my voice has mattered with my colleagues in health care. I think it matters in a lot of different things. And that’s what’s most important to me now. As to where this is going to take me, I really don’t know.”

Kasich says his national news show appearances have come because the networks have sought him out. He’s talked about President Trump, but also about health care and the deal worked on with Democratic Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper. And this week Kasich appeared with former Vice President Joe Biden at a sold-out forum on bipartisanship.

Karen is a lifelong Ohioan who has served as news director at WCBE-FM, assignment editor/overnight anchor at WBNS-TV, and afternoon drive anchor/assignment editor in WTAM-AM in Cleveland. In addition to her daily reporting for Ohio’s public radio stations, she’s reported for NPR, the BBC, ABC Radio News and other news outlets. She hosts and produces the Statehouse News Bureau’s weekly TV show “The State of Ohio”, which airs on PBS stations statewide. She’s also a frequent guest on WOSU TV’s “Columbus on the Record”, a regular panelist on “The Sound of Ideas” on ideastream in Cleveland, appeared on the inaugural edition of “Face the State” on WBNS-TV and occasionally reports for “PBS Newshour”. She’s often called to moderate debates, including the Columbus Metropolitan Club’s Issue 3/legal marijuana debate and its pre-primary mayoral debate, and the City Club of Cleveland’s US Senate debate in 2012.