GOP Presidential candidate John Kasich talked with Chris Ryan on his campaign bus about issues facing undecided NH Primary voters, the make-up of his potential cabinet, and campaign fashion decisions. The Governor of Ohio is happy to be getting more endorsements–most recently The Boston Globe and The Concord Monitor. As we come to the finish line, it appears that John Kasich could finish in the top four behind Donald Trump. The order of finish among Kasich and Senators Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio is going to be decided by the voters who have yet to make a choice. Governor Kasich will continue his ground game of engaging the voters face to face in town hall meeting throughout the state. He questions the effectiveness of TV ads because he feels that the voters are so oversaturated with campaign commercials that many people tune out. Kasich believes that, at this point, the TV debates also have limited effect.
Governor Kasich felt that it was too soon to think about his potential cabinet. However, while discussing how he would choose a group, he rejected the team of rivals approach. He believes that the cabinet should have the same agenda as the leader. Kasich would look for the following qualities and characteristics: conservatives whose goal is to reform the government–shrink its size and use a common sense approach to the regulatory side of government; people who are creative and innovative; and political party affiliation is not a consideration. Governor Kasich stated that this is the approach that he used in choosing a cabinet in Ohio. At this point in the campaign, John Kasich is ahead of the other governors in the race, so it was interesting to hear his answer to a question about whether a senator could be an effective president. Kasich said that it depended on the senator, but he feels that having executive experience was very valuable. Having served in the House of Representatives from 1983-2001, Kasich believes that this experience helps him to understand what motivates legislators. This knowledge is helpful when working with that branch of government to get things done. Being a sitting governor, John Kasich appreciates that there are times when an executive has to make difficult decisions.
On a lighter note, it is apparent that John Kasich doesn’t devote a great deal of time to decisions about his campaign wardrobe. Chris Ryan teased him about changing windbreakers recently. Kasich admitted that he did that because his wife mentioned to him that he was wearing the same jacket too much. So aside from occasional input from Mrs. Karen Kasich, there is not a team of fashion experts advising Governor Kasich about his attire.
