Kasich and the Cop

An urban cop's job is not easy to do well. Universal statements praising or condemning police do not do justice to all police. People are fortunate if they never have dealt with police. So much trouble is possible. People do not want to be part of tragedy, or crime, or a traffic incident or ticket. Also, a policeman (and his family) suffers psychological stress. It is not good to be around someone stressed with a gun.

We have seen in the US a militarisation of the police. The universal black of SWAT teams, and the boot camp haircuts dresses a cop into fierce mode. A conversation with a policeman is not often a normal dialogue.

Police do bond as a group. In union solidarity, only the AMA coheres so tightly. Now, in Cleveland, we have seen McNea, Beck and now Steve Loomis argue the cop's case. The cop is always right.

What was interesting, is that recently, in a television interview Loomis confessed for voting for Kasich, and that many cops were 'conservative'. No big surprise. Many people did not put Obama stickers on their cars, or some other sticky placards in cautious prudence of a possible traffic stop. Loomis now regrets that vote.

Kasich won with a plurality of the vote, not a majority as the Republicans swept the executive positions. They also have the state judiciary and State House. Strickland lost in a fair count. It was apparent what sort of governor Kasich would be. He was an obnoxious congressman that always served the moneyed interests, and he became a part of the moneyed interests when he left Congress. He has been telegraphing his ambitiousness for years. It was apparent under the Clinton presidency that he was ambitious.

As Loomis mentioned it is not unusual for cops to vote Republican. Republican candidates put uniformed sheriffs, patrolman, police chiefs in commercials. Kasich, is cocky, and he complained about police giving him a ticket once. It is not often, that a Republican criticises a cop. Kasich insisted the cop was an "idiot" — not a good public relations statement.

Cops are the hired dogs of the establishment. They are sent and released to break up demonstrations — world-wide. Kasich's rabid anti-worker stance, also includes being anti-police worker. Police may not like every union. They damn well like theirs. So what do we have? Kasich will win in the short run. The long run is doubtful. There is no legal way to remove this Ohio governor. There is no recall as there is in Wisconsin. Taft, the last Republican Ohio governor, pleaded as governor 'no contest' [which meant guilty, but I am a Republican in a Republican controlled state and admit to nothing] to misdemeanors in office. He was only publicly embarrassed. Will cops and other well paid union members realise that having a 'western' living standard is not possible if they vote Republican? Any union members voting for oppressors of the working class really are idiots. John Kasich enjoys laughing.