Presidential Candidate John Kasich Leaning On Pittsburgh Roots In Campaign
PITTSBURGH (NewsRadio1020 KDKA) - Republican presidential candidate, Ohio Gov. John Kasich spoke with Marty Griffin and KDKA Money and Politics editor Jon Delano on the "Inside Story" on NewsRadio1020 KDKA this morning.
Born in 1952 of Croatian and Czech parents, Kasich attended local public schools until he left for college at Ohio State University -- and a political career as Ohio's youngest state senator, then congressman, and now governor.
Now he's running for president.
With names like Donald Trump and Ben Carson dominating the headlines, it makes it hard for other candidates to be noticed or even allow voters to get to know them.
"I'm the least known of all the candidates," Kasich acknowledged.
Kasich was asked about how he can gain more name recognition and what his campaign is doing to make more of an impact. Kasich says it all comes down to a thing called "Name ID."
"When you're the Governor of Ohio and you get things fixed and you're not having crisis after crisis, the national press is not that interested in flying to Columbus or flying to Pittsburgh for that matter, to do these kinds of interviews," Kasich said. "But, if you really want to get Name ID, if you really want people to know who you are, you know it's best to be in Washington, where the reporters basically work right across the aisle from you or in the New York media market."
Kasich feels he will gain in the polls after primaries in New Hampshire and Iowa. By beginning work early in these critical states, he feels that he can gain momentum and get his name out there, getting people talking and excited.
Kasich believes his Pittsburgh roots have influenced his values and taught him a lot about understanding the working blue collar crowd. He said growing up in McKees Rocks he learned a lot about victory, fighting your way to the top playing by the rules and being respectful of your elders. Kasich said these lessons and the people he surrounded himself with have kept him humble in public office because he knows who is fighting for.
Delano: "What kind of values do you take from this region that will be helpful to you as president of the United States?"
Kasich: "Well, it's a really great question, Jon. Here's the situation. Growing up in McKees Rocks, blue collar, Democrat, conservative, God-fearing, hard-working town -- a place, I didn't really know it at the time, if the wind blew the wrong way, people found themselves out of work."
"That's who is in my minds eye, I'll tell you who it is," Kasich said. "It's the people who rarely get a ticket to the Steelers game. It's the people who, when I was a kid, used to sit in the bleachers in Forbes Field. They were not the people who sat on the field. You know, those are the people that I always think about because a lot of times they don't have a voice."
Fighting for time on debates and getting headlines is the biggest struggle for the presidential candidates. Finding a platform to share their views and have their voices heard is easier said than done, but Kasich isn't losing hope.
"I just have to be like the engine that can and keep plugging, stay out there and see what happens," Kasich said.
You can hear the whole interview here now!
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