Kasich blasts campaign 'trash' during Nashville visit

During a visit to Nashville Saturday, Republican presidential candidate and Ohio Gov. John Kasich blasted the name-calling that has ricocheted between his opponents throughout the campaign.

"Enough of this trash," he said repeatedly as a crowd of supporters rose for a standing ovation. "Be better than that. We're America."

Kasich got a boost before his speech from Alberto Gonzales, the dean of Belmont University's law school and former U.S. Attorney General, who introduced him to a crowd of hundreds at Rocketown. Gonzales reflected on his experiences working with President George W. Bush and said Kasich had the right temperament for the job.

During a question-and-answer session after a brief speech, Kasich supporters in the audience seemed frustrated by the tenor of the presidential debate so far. One supporter urged Kasich to run as a third-party candidate, a request he denied even as he admitted his party had problems.

"We're not the party of ideas as much as we should. And we need to be," he said. "You know why we got Obamacare? Because Republicans didn't do anything."

While he didn't mention Donald Trump, Sen. Marco Rubio or Sen. Ted Cruz by name, he repeatedly referenced their verbal sparring. Kasich said his opponents were "yelling and wrestling on the floor" during the latest debate.

Kasich has struggled to attract voters with his mild-mannered approach, but he predicted that would change on March 15, when Ohio voters have their primary. Kasich said he would win in Ohio, "and that will be the beginning of a new day."

He told reporters after his speech that no one had asked him to get out of the race, and said "all kinds of people are begging me to stay in."

Graham and Ginger Stewart drove in from Clarksville for the Kasich event. After his speech, Kasich spotted their 1-year-old daughter Elliott Stewart in the crowd and beckoned them over for a photo.

"I guess you could call him the adult in the room," Graham Stewart said of Kasich. "He actually has real policies."

Kasich is one of many candidates to visit the Nashville area as voters here prepare to head to the polls for the Tennessee primary. Rubio visited Williamson County last weekend and Cruz and Dr. Ben Carson spoke in Nashville Friday.

On the Democratic side, Hillary Clinton is expected to speak here Sunday. Sen. Bernie Sanders has not campaigned in Tennessee, but hundreds of his supporters marched from his campaign office at Eighth Avenue South and Broadway to Centennial Park on Saturday.

Ted Cruz, Ben Carson start candidate blitz in Tennessee

Reach Adam Tamburin at 615-726-5986 and on Twitter @tamburintweets.

Inside Clinton's and Sanders' Nashville headquarters

More about Hillary Clinton's visit

Hillary Clinton will speak at Meharry Medical Center (1000 21st Avenue North) at 1:45 p.m. Sunday. Doors to the Cal Turner Family Center open at noon.