John Kasich is still trying to hone his Latino outreach skills as he makes a play for the establishment support that's bleeding away from Jeb! Bush in the Republican presidential primary. The Ohio governor
raised some eyebrows last week when his big explanation of how he loves Latinos was that "A lot of them do jobs that they're willing to do and, uh, that's why in the hotel you leave a little tip." Kasich
took a second crack at it on Sunday's
Meet the Press:
"I've always said that Hispanics are such a critical part of the fabric of the United States. They occupy jobs from top to bottom. They're so critical to our country. They're God fearing and they're hard working," he said. "And that means that they hold very important positions. I've got a friend right now who's a doctor. He's a doctor in oncology, you know. I mean, that shows you how crazy it can get in this business."
"To be clear," Kasich said, "I believe that, from top to bottom, Hispanics play a critical role in America, not only today, but going forward."
A doctor! A Latino doctor! Who is his
friend (right now, anyway)! Case closed. John Kasich is the Republican Latinos have been waiting for.
Or else he's a politician who says the sort of the right thing, in a low-content kind of way, when he's had a couple days to think about it, but when speaking to rich people at an Orange County golf club, his top association with Latino voters is the hotel housekeeper. One or the other.