- Washington Free Beacon - https://freebeacon.com -

Kasich: Democrats Are Blowing 'Golden Opportunity' to Win Elections

Ohio Gov. John Kasich (R.) said Sunday that Democrats have a "golden opportunity" to win elections but are squandering it because they can't figure out how to be anything but against Donald Trump.

Kasich has been critical of the Trump administration on several fronts, such as its backing of the bill to repeal Obamacare, but he said on "Meet The Press" that it felt like the Democratic Party was defined only by its opposition to the White House and has "almost lost its soul."

"The problem with the Democrats, I can't figure out what they're for," he said. "I mean, they have a golden opportunity, right, to be able to come in and win elections, but they can't figure out anything other than the fact that they don't like Donald Trump. I mean, they better figure out what they are. What's happened to the Democratic Party?"

"It's almost lost its soul, and it better get its act together if they want to compete," he added.

Kasich also shot down rumors that he and Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper (D.) would form a unity ticket in 2020, quipping such a name pairing wouldn't fit on a bumper sticker.

NBC's Willie Geist reported earlier this month that people in Kasich's camp had sensed a "moral imperative" for him to primary Trump in 2020.

Kasich ran for the 2016 Republican nomination and won only one primary—his own state of Ohio—although he stayed in the race well after being mathematically eliminated. He conspicuously skipped the Republican National Convention held in Cleveland, drawing further ire from Trump.