Donald Trump is the presumptive GOP nominee. And yet John Kasich persists, even though his path to the Republican nomination is non-existent. Why’s he hanging around?
I initially assumed Kasich was staying in the race in the hopes that he could make an advantageous deal at a contested convention. Then I assumed Kasich was staying in the race because, at best, he was trying to raise his profile for a possible 2020 run and, at worst, he was a narcissist who enjoyed the attention. But a CNN piece on Kasich offers another possibility: that John Kasich is a textbook masochist, who is staying in the race because he enjoys pain and humiliation. Here’s CNN’s report:
“One Kasich adviser referenced a story The governor has told at various points during his lagging campaign. At one point during a governor’s race, former California governor, Hollywood star and Kasich supporter Arnold Schwarzenegger advised Kaisch to “love the beatings.” That, the adviser said, just how Kasich approaches the race. It’s something that has become even more important given the man who is now his lone opponent: Trump.”
There it is: John Kasich is staying in the race because the Terminator told him to “love the beatings.”