John Kasich Asks Woman In Iowa: ‘Have You Ever Been On A Diet?’ (VIDEO)

Start your day with TPM.
Sign up for the Morning Memo newsletter

During a town hall event in Iowa Tuesday, Republican presidential candidate and Ohio Gov. John Kasich compared the belt-tightening of balancing the national budget to a more personal brand of discipline, asking a female attendee if she’d “ever been on a diet.”

Kasich was answering the woman’s question about corruption in government, and decided to use a dieting analogy to make the national debt more relatable.

“Have you ever been on a diet?” Kasich asked the woman, who said “many times” in response.

Kasich responded with a laugh: “You’re the perfect example!”

“So you set a goal and and you reach it, and then what happens? How about a little spumoni, how about a trip to Mario’s,” Kasich continued, referring to possible weight loss incentives.

It wasn’t the first awkward interaction Kasich – who has been polling at about 2 percent in Iowa – has had with women at his campaign events.

During an appearance at the University of Richmond in October, the governor reportedly told a female student “I’m sure you get invited to all the parties,” and laughed off her question, saying: “I’m sorry, I don’t have any Taylor Swift tickets.”

Watch Kasich’s remarks, via Mic’s Elizabeth Plank, below:

Latest Livewire

Notable Replies

  1. So austerity measures are like dangerous crash diets that create the appearance of dropping pounds, but actually leave you putting on more weight in the long run while also damaging your short term health? Sounds about right…

  2. “Have you ever been on a diet?” Kasich asked the woman, who said “many times” in response.

    Kasich responded with a laugh: “You’re the perfect example!”

    …Kasich continued…
    "When are you due?
    “Is it that time of the month?”
    “Your breasts are large, are you breastfeeding or did you get a boob job?”
    “Do you have a muffin top?”
    “You seem like a great cook?”
    “I bet you’re a really warm person?”

  3. so what?! he was using the analogy and trying to personalize the response. And it’s a perfect analogy for what he was saying.

    This was nothing outside of a simple conversation. And yet, at TPM it becomes some sort of insult to women, overweight people, and anyone who’s ever been on a diet.

    Link bait. Yum. I should be dieting but I keep coming back for more link bait. * sigh *

  4. Avatar for imkmu3 imkmu3 says:

    He went on to comment, “You’re from ISU right? I’ve heard that ISU chicks are easy.”

  5. Hey, Johnny, have you ever been on anti-psychotics?

Continue the discussion at forums.talkingpointsmemo.com

32 more replies

Participants

Avatar for system1 Avatar for pluckyinky Avatar for redrasputinmn Avatar for littlegirlblue Avatar for clunkertruck Avatar for imkmu3 Avatar for trippin Avatar for wiscojoe Avatar for jimtoday Avatar for inlabsitrust Avatar for eduardoinohio Avatar for semiotix Avatar for hychka Avatar for sniffit Avatar for noparty Avatar for hquain Avatar for addicted4444 Avatar for forkedtongue Avatar for darrtown Avatar for clauscph Avatar for albesure Avatar for dwolf Avatar for springfielder Avatar for Landshark2995

Continue Discussion
Masthead Masthead
Founder & Editor-in-Chief:
Executive Editor:
Managing Editor:
Deputy Editor:
Editor at Large:
General Counsel:
Publisher:
Head of Product:
Director of Technology:
Associate Publisher:
Front End Developer:
Senior Designer: