(WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- Former Illinois Gov. Jim Edgar says he didn’t watch much of either party’s political convention but is steadfast in saying he cannot support fellow Republican Donald Trump.
Edgar, from the party’s moderate wing, said Friday he was in politics so long he can only take so much of it. While he did watch Democrat Joe Biden’s acceptance speech, he said he didn’t watch any of Trump’s.
He said the public sees Trump all the time.
Edgar agrees that recent spates of looting and violence play into Republican law-and-order rhetoric. But he adds part of the unrest is a result of the divisiveness of the current administration.
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The former governor said he’s not bothered by suggestions voters aren’t excited by Biden, but rather might vote “against” Trump. It’s the Republicans who should be worried about that, he said.
If you want to knock off an incumbent, you need a candidate who is not the issue, he said. There are not a lot of people who actively dislike Biden, he said.
Edgar tells WBBM Newsradio he’s been amazed by how many Republicans who have served in government say they, like him, will support Biden in 2020. This group includes former Peoria Congressman Ray LaHood, who served as U.S. Transportation Secretary for Democrat Barack Obama.