What! Has Kramer lost his mind … his conservative credentials?
No, but tell me which of the twenty odd Republican candidates out there is a true conservative? None of them. And none of them are going to get elected repeating what they’ve told us so far.
Is Ohio Governor John Kasich the Republican presidential contender everyone’s overlooking? (newsmax.com)
You’re right. John Kasich hasn’t even declared he’s in the race, and neither has Scott Walker, Jeb Bush and a few others.
I have been giving this piece some thought over the past month, and when I saw he took the tenth spot in the latest Quinnipiac University national poll and heard that his announcement could come on June 30, I figured now is as good of a time as ever. An April Quinnipiac poll revealed Kasich has a 61 per cent approval rating compared to a 29 per cent disapproval.
I’ve personally been impressed with Kasich since 1998 when I heard him give a campaign speech in support of another candidate in Phoenix. There was something about him I liked. He stood there with his shirt sleeves rolled up and no tie. No microphone. His message was straight-forward without clichés. Down to earth and believable.
For the unfamiliar, Kasich served in the U. S. House from 1983-200l. As Chairman of the House Budget Committee, he was the chief architect of the Balanced Budget Act of 1997. Kasich battled Bill Clinton in taking credit for the only U.S. budget surplus since 1969. The GOP had gained the majority in Congress in 1995.
He defeated Democrat Ted Strickland in the 2010 Ohio gubernatorial race, and proved himself to Ohio voters as they returned him to office with a 64 to 33 margin in 2014, winning all but two counties. An Ohio win in 2016 would be welcomed.
Kasich privatized Ohio’s economic development agency, and since he took office Ohio has added more than 350,000 private sector jobs, bringing the unemployment rate down to five percent from nine percent. Manufacturing jobs are coming back in Ohio.
Some conservatives have criticized some of his social programs to help the mentally ill and drug-addicted, and his move to expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act, but Kasich is fond of saying, “I have a right to define what conservatism is” He leans toward compassionate conservatism.
Referring them to the Bible, Kasich says, “you’ve got to help people that are downtrodden and poor, and I just think that’s part of our culture.”
Kasich is quick to remind traditional Republican’s that the party has lost the popular vote in five of the last six presidential elections, and he has “a right to shape my party.” While his views may appeal to the “not so far right” voters, he’s going to have to persuade the big campaign givers like the Koch brothers, Sheldon Adelson and others that he’s electable.
Ohio Governor John Kasich knows how to connect with people. (video.foxnews.com)
While Arthur Brooks, president of the American Enterprise Institute like’s Kasich’s personality, his enthusiasm and his willingness to try new things, others see these characteristics as liabilities. Some have likened him to New Jersey Governor Christie, saying “he’s hyper, undisciplined, given to impolitic, off-the-cuff remarks.” An admirer who spoke on the condition of anonymity agreed that Kasich “can be very abrasive, but on the other hand he is a genuine guy.”
Last year the National Journal titled a piece on Kasich, “The Republican Presidential Contender Everyone’s Overlooking,” stating that “for the first time in decades, the GOP has no clear front-runner or even an establishment favorite at this early stage. (Kasich) is a guy who can connect with a crowd, he can emote, he’s got blue-collar roots, and he identifies with average folks.”
Kasich still has low name identity among voters, but if he announces his presidency in time to develop a following that can win him one of the ten spots on the stage of the first debate, I believe his popularity will grow. Then we’ll see if the funding starts flowing.
