Former Rep. John Kasich of Ohio, once considered a rising star in the GOP, is considering a run for Governor of Ohio - in 2010. From the Cincinnati Enquirer:
Former U.S. Rep. John Kasich is contemplating a run for Ohio governor 2010, prompting him to begin speaking regularly at Republican functions around the state.
"I've made it clear to people that I'm going to look at the governor's office," Kasich said during a recent Lincoln Day dinner in Clermont County. "I hope that (Gov.) Ted Strickland will do a good job so I won't have to go around the state doing this stuff."Kasich, a 2000 presidential contender who now hosts a talk show on Fox News, is scheduled as the keynote speaker next month at four more of the dinners at which the GOP marks its founding and raises money. Kasich, who left public service five years ago after 18 years in Congress, said he is using the events to reconnect with GOP voters.
Read it all at the link above. Many Republicans were dismayed when Kasich left Congress for television. He was widely touted, you may recall, as a potential running mate for Bush in 2000, and has always been popular with conservatives and independents.
Like many current Presidential candidates, the "hole" in his resume is executive experience, but if he were to win and succeed as Governor, he would be a potential future Presidential candidate. A long way off, true - probably the earliest reasonable cycle for that would be 2016, when he might be halfway through a second term - but it makes more sense to "develop the bench" in this way than, say, to put hopes for the future on an unknown, inexperienced, and untested new Senator.
Permalink | Send To A Friend | Linking Blogs | Digg this!
Filed under:
General politics, Ohio, Republican
Comments (2)
Kasich didn't leave because... (Below threshold)1. Posted by LenS | February 21, 2007 9:29 PM | Score: -2 (2 votes cast)
Kasich didn't leave because of TV. He left because he was one of Gary Condit's party buddies (as well as Scarborough who also was a surprising exit). He did the smart thing and left while the getting was good. Having a decade away and raising a family should be probably be enough to insulate him from that part of his past being used as a weapon against him.
1. Posted by LenS | February 21, 2007 9:29 PM |
Score: -2 (2 votes cast)
Posted on February 21, 2007 21:29
2. Posted by Jim Addison | February 22, 2007 1:57 AM | Score: 2 (2 votes cast)
Kasich left Congress in January 2001 and joined FoxNews immediately thereafter. The Gary Condit - Chandra Levy scandal didn't break until May of 2001, so if Kasich left because of it, he was psychic.
Unless you can provide some corroboration, therefore, I must call "bullshit."
2. Posted by Jim Addison | February 22, 2007 1:57 AM |
Score: 2 (2 votes cast)
Posted on February 22, 2007 01:57