Last Friday Oct. 9, delegates from the Middlebury College Republicans travelled to the Hilton Hotel in Burlington to watch John Kasich speak at the Vermont GOP Fall Harvest Dinner. Among the many people in attendance, current Vermont Lieutenant Governor Phil Scott was present.
Although regular attendees were charged $150 to attend the dinner, the Vermont GOP sponsored a number of Middlebury and Castleton State students to attend with free admission — which included a three-course dinner — and transportation.
Before Kasich’s arrival several Vermont residents gave speeches, many of them lamenting the increasingly progressive leaning of the state’s politics. UVM student Ashley Strong took the stage to express concern over the future of Vermont businesses and education.
One speaker expressed enthusiasm for the attendance of students from the various colleges and universities in Vermont, including Middlebury. Kasich made the effort to introduce himself to all of the students and shake their hands.
“I wish you could have accompanied me to New Hampshire,” he said, laughing, as he introduced himself to the delegates from Middlebury.
As Kasich took to the stage, he noted Strong’s concerns over the future of Vermont and said that he intended to make a difference.
“Young Vermonters like you are the reason we have so much hope for Vermont. What you want is what we want, and we’re trying to move forward with that with each election. It’s great to see all of you here tonight, it’s energizing,” Kasich said.
Although many believe that Kasich is a long shot to win the Republican nomination, his relatively moderate views, particularly on social issues, have attracted many supporters.
On Face the Nation, Kasich said, “I believe in traditional marriage, but the Supreme Court has ruled it’s the law of the land, and we’ll abide by it,” a comment that has drawn support and ire from many members of the Republican party.
Kasich also spoke on the importance of a balanced budget and his success eliminating the budget deficit and revitalizing the economy in Ohio.
In continuance with many presidential hopefuls’ anti-Washington rhetoric, Kasich noted the desperate need to fix Washington and weed out “suffocating regulations.”
“I think at the end of it all, people want reform, but they want somebody to enact it, to get it done, to stop the fighting.” Kasich said. “You want to heal the Republican Party in Congress? You want to heal the Republican Party in the country? Then elect a Republican president who gets the anxieties of Americans and has a program to bring us together.”
Kasich also acknowledged the growing need to properly treat mental illness in America. Along with the increased level of school shootings, he stressed the unacceptability of locking mentally ill people in prisons. He also called for prison reform, something that Van Jones stressed last Thursday in his address at Mead Chapel.
One thing that Kasich spoke about during his speech was the importance of protecting what he calls “The American Family.” To Kasich, one of the reasons America is experiencing many of its current ills is because the nuclear family unit that, for him, has been the backbone of American culture and economic prosperity, is declining. One of the reasons for this degradation, he claims, is the proliferation of abortion. Another is the irresponsibility of fathers who leave single mothers to take care of their children alone.
Kasich’s speech concluded to much applause. His visit to the Vermont Fall Harvest dinner marks the end of a four day bus tour through New Hampshire and Vermont.
