Missouri Republican delegate ‘a little miffed’ John Kasich isn’t at convention activities

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — A prominent Missouri delegate to the Republican National Convention has praise for one of Donald Trump’s former presidential rivals but criticism for another.

Businessman Dave Spence is attending the convention in Cleveland as a Trump delegate, though he had supported Ohio Gov. John Kasich and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie earlier in the presidential campaign. Both governors helped raise money for Spence when he ran unsuccessfully for Missouri governor in 2012.

Spence said Wednesday that he is “a little miffed” that Kasich has avoided the main convention activities in his home state while refusing to endorse Trump.

“I still like him as a person, but I think he’s trying to be too coy,” Spence said. “With the Republican convention being in Ohio and (Kasich) not being here — it just doesn’t sit well with me.”

But Spence said Christie “was masterful” in a Tuesday night speech that sharply criticized the likely Democratic nominee, Hillary Clinton. Christie listed numerous accusations of wrongdoing against Clinton, urging the delegates to respond with shouts of “guilty.”

Bev Ehlen, a presidential delegate for Texas Sen. Ted Cruz and the Missouri director of the conservative Christian group Concerned Women for America, said many of the criticisms against Clinton are valid, but Republicans need to be careful not to turn off any still-undecided women voters.

“If anybody’s in the middle at this point, it would probably be good not to criticize Hillary but to dwell on what the Republicans can do for women,” Ehlen said. But she added: “Pointing out that she’s lied and she’s above the law, I would hope that would resonate with people.”

Spence said there typically is more leeway for fiery speeches at political conventions.

“If you’re ever going to pound on it, this is going to be the theater for it,” he said. “There’s probably a point of overkill, but next week it will be another new story and you’ll be on to the Philadelphia convention with Democrats. It will be Trump, Trump, Trump, and it will be the same on the other side.”