Gov. Kasich making progress in his presidential bid

Ohio Gov. John Kasich announced his presidential candidacy July 31 at the Ohio State University and has since become viewed as a moderate among the 17 Republican candidates who have entered the race.Kasich believes his plans to balance the nation’s budget, make healthcare affordable and create jobs by cutting taxes and reforming the tax code make him the right candidate for the job.Many contributors have helped Kasich finance his presidential campaign through his super PAC called New Day for America, which raised more than $11 million by the end of June, according to Politico. Some of Kasich’s top contributors include Abigail S. Wexner, founder of The Limited; John P. McConnell from Worthington Industries and the Columbus Blue Jackets; John and Ann Wolfe, former owners of The Columbus Dispatch and Robert and Susan Castellini, owners of the Cincinnati Reds, according to The Columbus Dispatch.  Kasich’s announcement speech took a look back on historical obstacles, such as 9/11 and the Great Depression, the U.S. has faced.  Kasich believes these challenges and struggles have made the United States stronger.“We’ve always gotten through it, because the testing is what makes you stronger,” Kasich said. “It’s the challenges that make you better.”Kasich has spent over three decades in the political realm. According to Kasich’s website, in his 18 years of national security experience, he worked with and supported Ronald Reagan’s national security policies and national efforts to end the Cold War. Kasich turned Ohio’s $8 billion budget shortfall and 89-cent rainy day fund into a $2 billion surplus as governor. He also cut taxes by $5 billion — the biggest tax cut in the nation — and helped Ohioans create more than 300,000 private sector jobs in four years. Kasich has also served as a state senator and a member of Congress, during which time he was a member of the U.S. House Armed Service Committee.“I have the experience and the testing, the testing which shapes you and prepares you for the most important job in the world,” Kasich said in his candidacy announcement speech.Critics of Kasich draw attention to his decrease of public funding and anti-union history. Previously, Kasich signed Senate Bill 5, which limited the collective bargaining rights of public employees but was repealed in 2011 via referendum. He also cut funding for education by $700 million and funding for nursing homes by $340 million, according to the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations. In 2014, he signed a controversial bill freezing energy standards in Ohio, and a PEW Charitable Trust report showed that the uncertain political climate in the state has dampened investment in renewable energy.Kasich participated in the Fox News Republican Presidential Debate among the top ten Republicans on August 6. During the debate, when asked about his views on healthcare, Kasich stated that he has accepted Obamacare’s medical expansion because he believes it is important to help the mentally ill in order to allow America to move forward. He continued to support this during the debate even though many Republicans and Republican presidential candidates disagree.Towards the end of Kasich’s announcement he explained what, if elected, he would do to help improve America. “I will promise you that my top priority will get this country on a path to fiscal independence, strength, and we will rebuild the economy of this country, because creating jobs is our highest moral purpose, and we will move to get that done,”  Kasich said.According to recent polls, Kasich’s popularity has risen slightly since the debate. He is currently polling in eighth place among Republican candidates at about 4.5 percent.