Kasich Stands for...Something

Turns out, I did write about Kasich's book last June. Here is a piece:

I suspect that Kasich wants to run for governor at some point. He's done the legislative bit and I think he wants to try the executive branch. He ran for president and got a taste for it. If Blackwell loses to Strickland, look for Kasich to be "drafted" to save the state. While he says otherwise, I'm not convinced that the book was not designed to revitilize his political career.

The title of the book is Stand For Something. Which makes it sound as if Kasich is willing to stand for anything so long as it is something. I think we've had enough leadership like that...

My biggest beef with Kasich is that he was one of those people who voted down a number of weapons that are now vital in our arsenal. How relevent is that criticism to a race for governor? Well, I'm one of those people who believes that states have some responsibility to manage their Homeland Security efforts. Kasich will have to prove to me that he can be taken serious on security issues before I can support him. Can he do so? Yep...he sure can.

Competence matters and elections have consequences...

UPDATE: Speaking of competence, elections and consequences. I wrote this about the aftermath of the '06 election cycle in Ohio:

The problem that I see is that there was a breakdown in the coalition of social conservatives and the moderates. Someone with some credibility in both camps is going to have to step up and bridge that divide...I don't know who that might be, but the party ought to be seeking that person out pronto. (Might this be a job for John Kasich?)

I'm very open to the possibility of Kasich. If he makes a significant statement on homeland security, I think we have a deal...

On the other hand, I did say this too:

That will make a real interesting primary...John Kasich, Rob Portman, and Mike DeWine... The GOP Titanic sails again...

But that was a couple of days after the election, so that might have been the fatigue talking...

Mark wasn't all that jazzed about the idea at the time either:

Strickland won because he was able to take his kook base, get them to be quiet, and create a unified front. They were able to play kook in Cuyahoga, but hardcore conservative in the heartland. Blackwell was too busy trying to gain 1-2 percent of the black vote in nw ohio.

The Ohio GOP will not get this message. Instead of doing what is needed, going further to conservative values: ie, balancing the budget, tax cuts, pro business; we instead will get more candidates in the line of Petro. In other words, look for a wishy washy sack of crap like John Kasich running for governor of Ohio in 2010. And look for another defeat. Until this party realizes that what is needed is a clear difference between us and them, rather than just shades of grayness and crap, you will see this crap.

Emphasis added.

Kasich is doing the right thing by coming out now and trying to convince us that he is the right guy at the right place and right time to be our next governor.

UPDATE 2: Kasich Gets It - Kasich does seem to have a firm grip on what the problems are...that can only work in his favor.

UPDATE 3: Kasich gets the endorsement of Patrick Ruffini...so he's got that going for him. I respect Patrick a great deal, so this one means a lot to me.