John Kasich Says He Does Not Read Ohio Newspapers

Ohio Gov. John Kasich (R) said on Monday he "very rarely" reads newspapers.

"You should know, I don't read newspapers in the state of Ohio. Very rarely do I read a newspaper," he said during a speech in Columbus. "Because just like I think presidents have done in the past, reading newspapers does not give you an uplifting experience."

"Time to time, people will send me articles and things I need to know about. I have found that my life's a lot better if I don't get aggravated about what I read in the newspaper," he added.

(Video above via Ohio Capitol Blog.)

Kasich blamed reporters and "transparency" last December for state government's inability to hire "the best people."

Ohioans soundly rejected Issue 2, a ballot referendum on Senate Bill 5, in November. Kasich signed the bill, which would have restricted collective bargaining rights for public employees, into law and campaigned for the ballot measure. Political experts told The Huffington Post that Kasich will not likely see much long-term damage from the defeat since he has three more years left in his term and other factors could guide his long-term popularity.

A poll sponsored by the AFL-CIO and conducted by Hart Research Associates after the Issue 2 defeat showed that 39 percent of Ohioans approved of Kasich, while 51 percent disapproved.