What did John Kasich say? A look at some of his best speeches

Credit: Anthony Shoemaker

Credit: Anthony Shoemaker

By Laura Bischoff

Columbus Bureau

Ohio Gov. John Kasich is known to Ohioans for some wacky comments over the years.

His State of the State speeches often last longer than an hour and he often speaks without a speech. When he's scripted like he was at the 2012 Republican convention in Tampa, he can be good. Some political pundits even said he was one of the best speakers at the convention.

But more often than not, he goes without a script. No doubt national press and political pundits will hang on his every word and dissect his message.

Here is a quick guide to some of the more controversial, unorthodox and evangelical remarks from Kasich. He may give Donald Trump a run for his money:

People from California are wackadoodles

"A year ago, Ohio ranked 48th in job creation," Kasich said. "We trailed only Michigan and California in lost jobs — Michigan, the home of the auto industry that was devastated and California, of course, filled by a bunch of wackadoodles." - During his 2012 State of the State address

"Hot wife"

“And I also want to give a nice comment about my wife, Karen Kasich,” he said. “Sweetie, stand, take a little wave, would you, okay? I remember that cartoon that said, ‘Kasich will still not reveal how he snagged that hot wife.'” -During his 2012 State of the State address

Doing the Laundry

At a September 2012 Mitt Romney rally, Kasich said: “It’s not easy to be a spouse of an elected official. You know, they’re at home, doing the laundry and doing so many things while we’re up here on the stage getting a little bit of applause, right? They don’t often share in it. And it is hard for the spouse to hear the criticism and to put up with the travel schedule and to have to be at home taking care of the kids.”

Calling a cop an idiot

While addressing 1,200 Ohio EPA employees on Jan. 21, 2011 on the importance of treating the public with respect, Kasich recounted how Columbus Police Officer Robert Barrett ticketed him in January 2008 on Ohio 315.

“Have you ever been stopped by a policeman who was an idiot. I had this idiot pull me over on 315.” Kasich told the crowd the officer gave him a ticket and said, “‘You must report to court. If you don’t report to court, we’re putting a warrant out for your arrest.’ He’s an idiot. We just can’t act that way and what people resent are people who are in government who don’t treat the client with respect.”

Using St. Peter Argument to whip legislature into shape on Medicaid

“I said, ‘I respect the fact that you believe in small government. I do too,” Kasich told reporters in June 201.3 as he recounted the conversation with a legislator he did not name. “I also know that you’re a person of faith. Now when you die and get to the meeting with St. Peter, he’s probably not going to ask you much about what you did about keeping government small. But he is going to ask you what you did for the poor. You better have a good answer.’ ”

Watch out for the bus

Two days after winning the 2010 Ohio governor’s race, Kasich told a room full of lobbyists and journalists not to stand in his way: “If you’re not on the bus, we’ll run over you with the bus. And I’m not kidding.”

I'm like porridge

His fun comments are carrying over to the presidential campaign trail. Just the other day in New Hampshire, he told a voter who was torn between Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton that she should consider voting for him because he's the right temperature ... like porridge.

"I'm the right porridge. One of them is too hot, the other is too cold. I've got the right temperature."

Remember what we said about him being scripted earlier? Check out his 2012 GOP convention speech.

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