Over the years, Kasich has brought forward a lot of ideas, and his tone has changed dramatically, as he鈥檚 worked to accomplish his goals and create a national persona as a Trump critic and a promoter of bipartisan compromise - with mixed results.
in June 2009 with this message: 鈥淲e march over time to destroy that income tax that has sucked the vitality out of this state.鈥�
Coming into his first election for governor, Kasich was confident, brash and apparently irritated 鈥� as evident after a speech in Findlay in October 2010.
鈥淚 wouldn鈥檛 presume to guess my economic program, ok? You鈥檒l know about it when I put it out.鈥�
A few weeks later, he won, but his start was rocky.
This audio from a talk with lobbyists came out a few days after he was elected: 鈥淧lease leave the cynicism and the political maneuvering at the door. Cause we need you on the bus, and if you鈥檙e not on the bus, we will run over you with the bus. And I鈥檓 not kidding.鈥�
Then a few weeks after he took office, there was : 鈥淵ou ever been stopped by a policeman who was an idiot?鈥�
That, and Kasich鈥檚 comment that he was waiting for teachers鈥� unions to take out full page ads apologizing for what they said about him during the campaign, went over especially poorly when the Republican-dominated legislature passed Senate Bill 5. Kasich supported that public sector collective bargaining reform law that unions furiously and loudly fought, including during his.
(That was the only State of the State address Kasich delivered at the Statehouse. He took the joint session speech to , , , , , and then finally to . Those speeches have gotten mixed reviews 鈥� most were longer than an hour and few included new policies or ideas, and .)
Senate Bill 5 was in Kasich鈥檚 first year. Kasich was contrite in defeat and .
He turned then to leasing the Ohio Turnpike and increasing the tax on oil and gas fracking. Those failed, but against intra-party critics with some
鈥淲hen you die and get to the meeting with St. Peter, he鈥檚 probably not going to ask you much about keeping government small, but he鈥檚 going to ask you what you did for the poor. You better have a good answer.鈥�
In spite of Republican opposition to his Medicaid expansion, Kasich over a scandal-hobbled Democratic candidate. He rode a wave of popularity that propelled him to something he told me a few weeks before his re-election : 鈥淚 don鈥檛 figure I鈥檓 moving out of Ohio. I鈥檓 expecting 鈥� that鈥檚 why I鈥檓 running for governor.鈥�
When I asked if he had presidential aspirations, as he did once before, he admitted, 鈥淲ell, I did. And that didn鈥檛 work out so well, or I wouldn鈥檛 be here doing this interview.鈥�
He , and won . He , taking no questions from dozens of reporters at the announcement.
Kasich has had a tumultuous relationship with the media. He said early on that and he often avoided gaggles and sit-downs with Statehouse reporters.
But by his last year, he was and was a on the 鈥� though he鈥檚 still critical, as . 鈥淭heir numbers are wrong. So 鈥� fake news," he said. He later apologized.
Kasich says he鈥檚 still considering challenging President Trump in 2020 鈥� a decision he鈥檒l have to make soon. But , because he鈥檚 not a moderate.
鈥淎 moder 鈥� I don鈥檛 even know what that means. I鈥檓 a conservative, but my principles are in line with conservatism," Kasich said.
But not necessarily on guns. Kasich had been endorsed by the NRA and signed several pieces of gun rights legislation. But after the shooting at last February, from 鈥淒efending the Second Amendment鈥� to 鈥淐ommon Sense on the Second Amendment鈥� as he was on CNN, calling on lawmakers to take some steps on gun control. While , lawmakers , and went nowhere.
Copyright 2019
