The University of Delaware’s National Agenda speaker series continued on Tuesday with a conversation between former Vice President and UD alumnus Joe Biden and Ohio Gov. John Kasich.
The event, entitled “Bridging the Divides,” was presented in partnership by the Center for Political Communication and the Biden Institute. In a series titled “As We Stand | Divided,” the discussion stood out for its emphasis on the value of political cooperation and consensus.
Biden, a Democrat, and Kasich, a Republican, served together in Washington, D.C., for years in different houses of Congress.
Tickets went quickly for the event, which was held in 600-seat Mitchell Hall.
Biden and Kasich – both regarded as potential presidential candidates in 2020 – elaborated on that view and offered personal observations.
“It’s not that hard for John and me to get along,” Biden said. “We both believe strongly in the capacity of the American people [and that] personal relationships matter.”
Kasich agreed, saying that the dysfunction in Washington today is extreme and harmful to the country. Focused on getting re-elected and avoiding a primary challenge, politicians increasingly play to the more extreme voters in their base, he said.
“The system itself has been breaking down on base politics,” he said. “The whole system is polarizing.”
The night before, Biden had been in Philadelphia as Republican U.S. Sen. John McCain was awarded the Liberty Medal. The war hero went on to criticize the current political climate and isolationist policies.
Mitchell Hall was filled with more than 600 people to hear former Vice When asked about the Trump administration, Biden said the biggest concern may be, not policies, but what he called a breakdown in the norms of behavior. When the president insults a foreign leader on Twitter, for example, that does global harm to the image of the U.S., he said.
The National Agenda speaker series, sponsored by UD’s Center for Political Communication (CPC) and now in its seventh year, brings nationally known speakers to campus. This year’s theme, “As We Stand | Divided,” explores religious, political, cultural and other divides in the United States.
National Agenda, which is free and open to the public, continues on Nov. 1 and 15. More information is available at this website. National Agenda is made possible with support from the University of Delaware Office of the Provost.
Click here for the full story on the conversation from the University of Delaware.
