GOP presidential candidate John Kasich revealed another piece of his inner sexist at a town hall in Watertown, Pennsylvania Friday. A female college student asked Kasich how he would make young women like her feel safer on campuses. His answer didn’t go over well with many people. According to ThinkProgress, the Democratic National Committee slammed him for:
“…blaming victims of sexual and domestic violence…It is no wonder women are turning away from the Republican field in huge numbers.”
It seems that Kasich told the first-year student at Saint Lawrence University:
“I will give you one bit of advice. Don’t go to parties where there’s a lot of alcohol,” he said.
ThinkProgress also reported that Kasich’s way of thinking is clearly victim blaming by writing:
“Not only did Kasich’s remark place the onus for preventing assault entirely on the victim, it also perpetuates the disproved myth that there is a direct link between alcohol consumption and rape.”
The Cincinnati Inquirer also stated that Kirstin Alvanitakis, the spokeswoman for the Ohio Democratic Party, also voiced concern with Kasich’s remark by stating:
“Let me say this simply, so that the governor can understand — rape victims are not responsible for rape. It’s on all of us — men and women — to address campus sexual assault.”
Both Kasich and his spokesman later walked back the comments. He responded on Twitter first by tweeting:
Only one person is at fault in a sexual assault, and that's the assailant. 1/3
— John Kasich (@JohnKasich) April 15, 2016
Spokesman Rob Nichols later said how Kasich had:
“…worked hard to provide college campuses with the tools they need to make sure victims have the necessary support.”
This latest gaffe comes after two other questionable comments he’s made to women during this campaign however. Last October, he joked to a young woman that wished to ask him about undocumented immigrants:
“I don’t have any tickets for Taylor Swift or anything.”
At another town hall, he asked a teenage girl who wanted to know his view about social security:
“Did somebody tell you to ask this question?”
She responded:
“I think for myself.”
h/t to Think Progress
Featured image via Getty Images/Bryan Thomas
