There’s a certain group among Virginia Republicans who are supporting John Kasich for President, even trying to convince us that he is a conservative. For a host of reasons, this claim is ridiculous on its face.
First, Kasich tacitly opposes right-to-work legislation in Ohio, stating repeatedly that he won’t push for it. One shouldn’t be forced to join a union to get or keep a job, or to pay tribute to union goons so they can pursue a left-wing political agenda. No conservative should oppose state right-to-work laws.
Also, Kasich supports the federal “Common Core” educational standards. He opposed legislation last year in Ohio that would’ve replaced them with better ones. It is the duty of every conservative statesman to oppose federal mandates in education at every opportunity. Kasich has failed to do so.
Perhaps most galling, Kasich cloaks his support for amnesty for illegal aliens AND his support for Medicaid expansion, in the guise of faith. Every conservative should understand that government is not an outlet for charity, and certainly not a tool to be used to force some to support others. Leave that to the left.
Medicaid expansion is akin to following the federal Pied Piper to an illusory pot of gold in the form of federal dollars (built on the ever-growing federal debt) that run out after a few years. In reality, that course of action amounts to following the Piper right off a cliff. Kasich infamously told a donor that he expanded Medicaid because “Now, when you die and get to the meeting with St. Peter, he’s probably not going to ask you much about what you did about keeping government small. But he is going to ask you what you did for the poor. You better have a good answer.”
As far as amnesty goes, the rule of law should come first, and no reform or amnesty should be contemplated until the border is secured, and the federal government makes a sustained good-faith effort to send home those who have come on visas and overstayed, and those who entered the United States illegally. These positions aren’t remotely conservative.
Kasich has grown the Ohio state budget by roughly 20% in his time in office, higher than most other states during that time-frame.
Kasich is questionable, at best, on gun rights. He got F grades for several years from the National Rifle Association, and helped Bill Clinton pass the 1993 ‘assault weapons’ ban.
Any two of these would make John Kasich a non-starter for me. Taken together, they paint a picture of a progressive Republican trying to wear the mask of a conservative. As such, conservatives should certainly not support Kasich for President, and leave him to the moderates as a backup plan, in case ¡Jeb! Bush implodes completely.
