This Wednesday, Villanova hosted its first presidential candidate of the 2016 election cycle. Governor John Kasich (R-OH) has just come off a big primary win the night before in his home state of Ohio. (No Republican candidate has ever become President of the United States without winning Ohio.) Kasich held a Town Hall style event in the crowded Villanova Room for students and members of the public eager to hear about what a Kasich Administration would bring to our country. Forty-five minutes prior to the event start time, the doors had to be closed and the Connelly Cinema, where the event was being streamed live next door, was jam-packed with viewers.
After much anticipation, a door opened and Governor Kasich was greeted with cheers and applause as he walked through a narrow path to the stage in the center of the room. Shut Up and Dance with Me played loudly in the background, and the presidential candidate showed off his moves as his audience laughed and did what any college students would do: take a Snapchat story.
Villanova’s Student Body Vice President Pat Long welcomed the governor to campus and thanked him for taking the time to share his ideas and plans with the students. He then handed the microphone off to Pennsylvania State Senator Earl M. Baker, who began to introduce Gov. Kasich’s introducer, U.S. Congressman Bob Walker. However, the governor paused the opening remarks to make sure the audience knew that Rep. Walker drove the effort to put sanctions on southern Africa because of the horrible way the region was violating the human rights of its people – a point Kasich wanted to make sure the crowd knew.
After the introductions, Governor Kasich introduced himself. He grew up near Pittsburgh, PA and had a simple childhood, growing up with his siblings and parents. After graduating high school, Kasich set off to a school quite opposite from his quaint hometown – Ohio State University. When he arrived, he was shocked to find not one, not two, but fifteen roommates. Feeling that he was being slighted, Kasich went to the university president’s office to set things straight. Though the president’s assistant informed the young freshman that the head of the school did not have time to speak with him, he was persistent and eventually got his meeting. During their conversation, the school president shared he was off to a meeting at the White House the next day, so Kasich asked that he bring a letter along to give to President Richard Nixon on his behalf.
About a week later, Kasich received a letter at OSU with “1600 Pennsylvania Avenue” written in the top left corner. The college freshman was invited to the Oval Office for a meeting with the President of the United States. (“They can’t tell you no if you don’t ask, and they can’t tell you yes if you don’t ask,” – Kasich quipped.) A few weeks later, he was on a plane to Washington, D.C.
He spoke to President Nixon for twenty minutes – Kasich joked he got more time in the Oval Office as an eighteen-year-old than he did in his eighteen years as Congressman of Ohio’s twelfth district.
Kasich went on to talk about his accomplishments in Ohio and what he hopes to achieve as president. He named three things that create jobs: 1) common sense regulations that don’t kill small businesses, 2) a fiscal plan to balance the budget, and 3) cutting taxes, which signals to job creators that it is safe to hire additional employees – when the state of our economy does not appear to be “safe,” it encourages companies to move their headquarters out of the country. Kasich’s work in Ohio started when the state was at a loss of 300,000 jobs; he turned that around to a 400,000-job gain.
Kasich went on to discuss the importance of not leaving anyone behind when things start growing and improving for the rest of the country, particularly those who struggle with mental health: “There is no shame in saying to someone I have a problem…in fact there’s strength.” Thanks to the state’s inmate mental health programs, Ohio now has an 80% success rate in avoiding recidivism.
He then took questions, giving answers on everything from social issues (the economy is the most pressing issue in our country – let’s focus on that first; humans do effect climate change), and the ideas of other candidates (Ben and Jerry are Bernie Sanders’ biggest donors – would they be okay with giving us free Ben & Jerry’s ice cream for a year?), to his chances of becoming the next President (“I am the only [Republican candidate] that can win the general election [against Hillary Clinton]”).
Eleven-year-old Jack was lucky enough to ask the last question: to what extent will American personnel be involved with defeating ISIS? Having expected a more light-hearted question from a young boy, Kasich seemed taken aback. But he answered sincerely and honestly: “We’re going to have to be in the air, and then we’re going to have to be on the ground, and Americans are going to have to be there. You know why? Because nobody else is going to do this”. Kasich finished saying these steps are necessary “because when there’s evil in the world,” “it has to be destroyed,” Jack finished.
Governor Kasich informed his audience he did not plan to take the low road to the highest office in the United States. He shared that he is an unorthodox and idealistic political figure, but he has the right to shape what it means to be a conservative. “I don’t care if I shake things up as long as I’m on the right track.”
Photo credit: http://www.mcall.com/news/local/elections/mc-pa-john-kasich-villanova-wi…