Kasich announces: ‘I have decided to run…’
Well, it took him long enough.
Governor John Kasich on Tuesday shocked no one with the announcement that we’ve all expected…he is running for president.
Kasich has been publicly considering entering the race for the Republican presidential nomination for months, though most of us have thought all along that he had already made up his mind to run. Repeated visits to early voting states, meetings with potential donors and stepped up national media appearances were only some of the clues available in this easy-to-solve mystery.
Kasich’s announcement came in front of a crowd estimated at more than 2,000 at the Ohio Union.
“I have decided to run for president of the United States…I have the skills, and I have the experience. I have the experience and the testing — the testing that prepares you for the most important job in the world.”
– Governor John Kasich, 2016 presidential candidate
Political analysts says that Kasich is an impressive candidate, sighting his experience in Congress running the House Budget Committee and his time in the governor’s mansion. People responding to national polls have yet to express much enthusiasm for the governor. Most polls show him hovering around 2% support. He’ll need to bump those numbers up a bit if he hopes to qualify for the first primary debate coming up in just a couple of weeks. Host FOX News says that only the top ten polling candidates from an average of five national surveys will be invited. Today, that would leave him out. (Following his announcement today, Kasich left the stage to head to a FOX News set for an interview with host Sean Hannity.)
While the hall may have been filled with supporters this morning, not everyone is behind Kasich. Protestors outside voiced opposition to some of the governor’s policies including funding for public education. And a small handful of the governor’s detractors reported finding out this morning via email that their tickets for today’s event had been cancelled.
Kasich enters the race for the Republican nomination as the 16th major declared candidate. And it’s not his first time running. He was a candidate for president in 2000 for about three minutes before dropping out. At that time, then-Texas Governor George W. Bush appeared to be the clear favorite. The question now is how Kasich will fare against another Bush (Jeb), along with Trump, Paul, Cruz, Rubio, Christie and the rest. The race is on.
(jj)
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