Kasich: 'If the Party Can't Be Fixed, Then I'm Not Going to be Able to Support the Party'

Gov. John Kasich, who cast his lot against the presidential campaign of Donald Trump and its nationalist overtones, is dancing around the idea of leaving the Republican party.

"If the party can't be fixed, Jake, then I'm not going to be able to support the party. Period," he told CNN's Jake Tapper yesterday. "That's the end of it."

That said, he quickly added that he remains committed to the party for now and hopes to return it to a more traditional version of itself. It's a lofty goal.

Despite many pundits and constituents pointing to the health care vote margins (and lack thereof) as symbolic of the #resistance, there really hasn't been a significant pushback from congressional Republicans against the more extreme and sweeping elements of the White House. The vast majority of Republicans already have their rubber-stamp firmly placed on whatever bill has passed through their office.

Kasich also pointed out specifically that he's unhappy with the party's move toward an anti-immigration, anti-trade platform. "This is not where our party can be," he said.

It's unclear what sort of influence an outgoing governor from a Trump state might have, but, again, Kasich has hinted elsewhere at a possible presidential run in 2020. Don't look for him on the Democratic ticket, though; Kasich said that he's got no idea what that party is doing these days. He told Tapper that there's a growing strength among independent political identities.

Until then, he's still with the Rs.

"I want this party to be straightened out," Kasich said. "I want the country to be straightened out."