Why is Republican John Kasich speaking at the DNC?



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Former Ohio governor and Republican presidential hopeful John Kasich will be among the guest speakers who kick off the 2020 Democratic National Convention on Monday, taking the virtual stage alongside prominent liberals such as the Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders and New York Governor Andrew Cuomo.

Kasich, who has frequently strayed from the GOP line as an open critic of President Trump, told CNN last week he would speak on behalf of Democratic 2020 candidate Joe Biden in hopes of unifying a nation politically fractured.

“I don’t think the country is doing well when we are divided,” Kasich, 68, told the network. “I think we need a new direction. We simply cannot continue the way we do.

Kasich, who lost to Trump in the Republican nomination fight in 2016, considered running another run in 2020.

While the former two-term Ohio governor has ultimately chosen to stay on the sidelines, he still encourages Trump’s challenger.

“I felt it was the right thing to do,” he told CNN. “I encourage other Republicans to know that it is okay to take off a partisan hat… and to vote based on what your conscience tells you about the future of our country, not just for you but also for your children.

Kasich is should speak somewhere between 10 p.m. and 11 p.m. Monday at the convention, virtually hanging out with the still raging coronavirus pandemic.

Other speakers scheduled for Monday – the first day of the four-day convention – includes Sanders, Cuomo, Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar and former First Lady Michelle Obama.

Former Vice President Biden will formally accept the party’s nomination on Thursday, while his Vice President Kamala Harris of California will speak on Wednesday.



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