My Case for Kasich

Last night’s GOP debate in Houston was an all out brawl between Trump, Rubio and Cruz. They attacked, argued, called each other names and talked over each other as moderators struggled to maintain order at times. Not to mention that the discussion contained little to no substance.

By stark contrast, Ohio Governor John Kasich once again emerged as the nice guy who stayed positive while highlighting policy positions. In addition, a quick search on social media yielded results from users who often referred to Kasich as the only “adult in the room.”

The race is nearing a critical time with the March 1 and March 15 primaries and caucuses fast approaching. In fact, about 60% of the delegates will be decided by March 15 so if you want to make a real difference in shaping the future of our great country by choosing the right leader, the time to act is now.

Recently, my good friend Marc DeCourcey published his thoughts on Facebook and LinkedIn about his support for Governor John Kasich in a post entitled, “My Case for Kasich.” I have known Marc a long time. We have worked together both in and out of government and he is someone that I both trust and respect. We spoke last night and thought others may have similar stories or reasons for supporting Kasich. Feel free to share in social media with the hashtag #MyCase4Kasich.

Here’s mine. Kasich is the only real choice. He’s a fiscal & social conservative who knows how to govern, grow the economy, balance budgets, and work across the aisle to get our country back on track. Moreover, I spent a few days in New Hampshire volunteering for Governor Kasich in Nashua, Manchester and Concord for the NH primary and saw firsthand the way he connected with people at town hall events. His experience in the U.S. Congress and his success as Ohio Governor, combined with his maturity, compassion and positive message, uniquely qualifies him to lead our nation and best positions the GOP to win back the White House against Hillary in November.

Marc’s original post is below, definitely worth a read:

My Case for Kasich
By Marc DeCourcey

Dear Friends and Colleagues in Virginia and Massachusetts (and a handful of other important states)

Many of you know that these days I rarely express my political opinions but if you agree to hear me out on anything this election year, please read this.

This coming Tuesday’s Presidential Primaries may very well be the most important that you could ever vote in.

American’s outlook for our future is not hopeful, trust in our institutions is more unfavorable than favorable and other countries are catching up or have passed us in many measurements.

Clearly there is a yearning to make America great again but we must be careful of the vehicle in which we choose to get us there.

If we choose poorly in these upcoming primaries or even choose not to vote, we will be left with a Faustian bargain on Election Day.

But there are ways forward.

In February of 1999, just over 17 years ago, I went to work for John Kasich. He was an accomplished Congressman serving on the Armed Services Committee having worked to reform the Pentagon. He also was Chairing the Budget Committee, which through his efforts balanced our nation’s budget which hadn’t been done since we walked on the moon. He did so by working with republicans and democrats, liberals and conservatives.

He built bridges.

He decided to run for President, an ambitious endeavor as no sitting Congressman had been elected to the White House since William McKinley in 1896. We failed.

But learned much in the process. I learned from my two years with him (he insisted that we never call him Mr. Chairman or Congressman but just John) as we drove around in New Hampshire meeting with voters and later back in Washington finishing his final year in Congress.

It was that character counts.

And although all of us are far from perfect, he taught me to try, try and try again to do the right thing.

As his campaign that year was drawing to a close, I was driving him from NH back to Logan Airport and he said, “Take me to a seafood joint DeCourcey”. So we sat at the Barking Crab, a mentor and his pupil, enjoying Lobster Rolls and Harpoon drafts and after we finished he asked “Are you happy?” Taken aback I replied, “Sure, I have family, friends and health.” No, that wasn’t what he was asking, he wanted to know if I had inner peace, the kind that no matter how much darkness came into my life, I’d always see a light. And then he walked me through the time in his life when his parents were killed by a drunk driver, how dark his life became and how he saw a light to pull him out of despair.

This stuck.

You see despite having an impactful Congressional career, success in the private sector, his own TV show and being elected and overwhelmingly re-elected to a state as diverse as Ohio; proven experience in solving problems and the right ideas that can be brought bear to fix America; what really matters — is what’s inside.

Without it, you’ll never be able to overcome all the challenges ahead.The ability to find a way forward together. What John has done has inspired me in my career to keep saying to others, “Just because we don’t agree on everything, doesn’t mean we can’t work together on anything.” Washington would be well served to have more of that and less of what we have today.

The core of who are we, what type of person we become and the afterglow of our presence as we touch other’s lives to make them better than they were a moment ago. This is where strength comes from.

America needs someone who will look out not just for the collective “we” but also for each individual ”me.” Someone America’s children will emulate and someone who gives hope to all of those around the world who have the least among us.

This is how you make America great again and this is the President I want.

This is John Kasich.

Please join me on Tuesday in voting for John and I hope if you choose to do so, you’ll share my sentiments with your family, friends and colleagues as to why.

Thank you

Source: LinkedIn: Marc DeCourcey

The Adult in the Room