Editor’s note: This is the view of the KPC management. It does not reflect the views of our reporters covering this primary. KCP strives to be objective in its beat coverage of the primary and all general political reporting.
Kings County Politics today is endorsing Democrat Hillary Clinton and Republican John Kasich in the upcoming April 19 New York State Presidential Primary.
Clinton, the former U. S. Secretary Of State and U.S. Senator from New York, has hands on experience both as a legislator, and more importantly, as a player on the world stage – as it is a major role of president to be commander-in-chief and director of foreign policy.
On the campaign trail, Clinton has shown to be the most prepared and qualified to assume the role of president, and KCP appreciates her more centrist views, which will make it easier to breakup the log jam in Congress and deal with both sides of the aisle.
While KCP would have liked to have seen a more open process within the Democratic Party with more candidates originally jumping into the ring, Clinton has shown she has what it takes to run the country.
Clinton’s opponent, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, has shown in his candidacy that a large part of the electorate feels a disconnect with American politics. His base of mainly young whites have brought a lot of positive energy in the process, and shed light on several good issues such as the cost of college and a higher minimum wage.
Ultimately, though, KCP does not buy into Sanders’ rhetoric that a revolution is needed complete with a European-type socialism. Additionally, KCP has problems with Sanders view on Israel, and worries that if elected president, some of the other world’s leaders will have him for lunch.
On the Republican side, KCP feels Kasich, like Clinton, is a centrist that could work across the aisles with Congress. A former Congressman and current Ohio Governor, Kasich has well-thought out ideas and is pragmatic enough to know what works and what doesn’t work.
KCP has problems with his two opponents, Donald Trump and Ted Cruz. Trump, in particular, has shown on the campaign trail a willingness to appeal to the darker side of the American electorate, including a mean spiritedness that has condoned violence at his rallies and put down anyone who disagrees with him in a similar manner. This type of attitude is a deal breaker for KCP and makes Trump in the blog’s eyes a non-starter.
Cruz is far too conservative in his social views and too extreme to the right generally. It is KCP’s hope that a brokered GOP convention winds of nominating a moderate, fiscally conservative candidate, of which there are several possibilities.
But when all is said and done, KCP urges our Democratic readers to vote for Clinton, and our Republican readers to vote for Kasich on Primary Day.
