Kasich Looks to Republican Primaries, ‘Ohio Story’ in Hand.
COLUMBUS, Ohio — Gov. John R. Kasich was sipping coffee in the sun-drenched garden room of his official residence, boasting about his “Ohio story” of economic recovery, when he was told that some Republicans thought a fellow Midwestern governor, Scott Walker of Wisconsin, was more conservative. He bolted upright.
“I think I have the right to define what conservatism is,” Mr. Kasich roared, launching into a breathless oration about tax cuts, the mentally ill, prison reform, faith in American culture, unwed motherhood, welfare and why he hates being called a “compassionate conservative.” He wrapped up 11 minutes later, declaring: “This is a big deal! This is about human life!”
The lecture was typical of Mr. Kasich — voluble, impassioned, a little bit scattered — and his irritation at being compared with Mr. Walker was revealing. As the 2016 presidential field takes shape, Mr. Walker is gaining traction. But Mr. Kasich, too, is flirting with a bid.
Next week, Mr. Kasich will ratchet up his presidential guessing game with visits to the first primary state, New Hampshire, on Tuesday and to Manhattan on Wednesday to mingle at a dinner with Republican donors. In April, he will address the Detroit Economic Club, which recently hosted Jeb Bush, the former governor of Florida. . .
“He is very conservative, but he is very unorthodox. So if he does run, it will be interesting to watch him.”
At 62, Mr. Kasich — a budget-cutting former congressman, onetime Fox News host and Lehman Brothers investment banker — is remembered on Capitol Hill as a fiscal hawk. But here in Ohio, where he speaks often of his upbringing as a mailman’s son from working-class McKees Rocks, Pa., he has become increasingly outspoken about his Christian faith and has attacked his party for waging “war on the poor.”
“He’s almost like a multiple in terms of personalities,” said Jerry Austin, a Democratic strategist in Ohio, who has known Mr. Kasich for 40 years and said his “religious fervor” could pull him to the left on poverty issues while he tacks reliably right on most others. “It’s almost like you don’t know which John Kasich is going to show up.”
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