Two Paths, by John Kasich: on Principles & Values

Donald Trump: OpEd: Incited violence at rallies starting in 2015

I asked my staff to put together a list of some of Trump's comments and maybe some footage showing examples of his inciting rhetoric. What I saw was appalling. Now I don't pretend to know what was in Donald Trump's heart. All we can do is judge a candidate by his words. What did I see and hear? Well, there was damning video evidence of hateful, rabble-rousing conduct from more than a dozen Trump rallies, going all the way back to an event in Alabama in November 2015. Taken together, I found these incendiary incidents so profoundly disturbing that I felt I had to say something. I issued a statement reading, "Tonight, the seeds of division that Donald Trump has been sowing this whole campaign finally bore fruit, and it was ugly."

Donald Trump: OpEd: Spoke to people's disenfranchisement & disempowerment

The difference between his message and mine, though, had to do with the way people responded to those feelings--indeed, with the way they were ENCOURAGED to respond to those feelings. At a Trump rally, many people were driven to anger and blame; there was name calling and finger-pointing. At a Kasich event, people were given hope and all kinds of reasons to lift each other up instead of holding each other down.

Donald Trump: OpEd: Make America Great Again by leader being at the helm

"The governor would be in charge of all domestic and foreign policy," Donald Jr. reportedly said.

My campaign strategist responded, "Well, if that's the case, then what would the president be doing?"

"Why, he'll be busy making American great again," came the reply.

Don Jr. later denied the conversation that took place. [But my campaign staff] offered that there was nothing in Don Jr.'s tone to suggest that the comment was being made ironically or with tongue in cheek. "Making America great again," we could only assume, would be Donald Trump's role; he would leave running the country to someone else and keep his focus on the smoke and mirrors aspects of the job of president, helping Americans feel that he was somehow making their lives better just by being at the helm.

Hillary Clinton: OpEd: Out of touch with & dismissive of blue-collar workers

As to Hillary Clinton's demeanor during the campaign, she was dismissive of Trump's supporters, many of them the blue-collar workers like my mother & father. She was dismissive of Trump himself, and she struck me as out of touch with the heart & soul of our country, as if she'd forgotten the very people who'd strengthened her party. Yes, she offered a clear alternative to Trump, but it was an alternative I wasn't buying.

John Kasich: Democracy rises up from the many, not down from the few

Imagine that we will come together to reject those who would prey on our weaknesses and our basic human nature, and instead choose leadership that serves & strengthens this nation, leadership that honors the American people, leadership that helps us look up instead of down, forward instead of back.

Imagine a bottom-up form of government that starts with each of us as individuals, recognizing that the true power of our democracy rises up, from the many, and that it doesn't rain down on us at the pleasure of the advantaged few.

Imagine that the future of this country rests with you and me--that it's on us to ensure that we survive and thrive for generations to come, just as we have survived and thrived for centuries.

This is the path I believe in, the America I believe in. It's the path I laid out in the "Two Paths" speech I gave that became one of the signature moments of my campaign.

John Kasich: Republican Party is my vehicle, not my master

My new role was to get all these proposals through the Senate, so I believed I had no choice but to find a way to work with everybody. This wasn't a game to me. I wasn't there to punish the other side. I was there to get stuff done.

John Kasich: The sun is going to rise to the zenith in America again

I allowed myself a small, sweet moment of reflection. "The Lord wants our hearts to reach out to those who don't have what we have," I said at one point. "That shouldn't be hard for America. That's who we are."

I also said this: "The sun is rising, and the sun is going to rise to be the zenith in America again.. The light of a city on a hill cannot be hidden. America is that city, and you are that light."

I'd been down this road before, with that short-lived run for president in 2000, but I told myself that this time would be different--but only in terms of the outcome. I'd go at it in much the same way, the same way I'd run all my campaigns. I'd run on my record; I'd run on the issues; I'd run as if I were 20 points behind. But this time the results would be different.

John Kasich: Leaders need vision that excites the team they've built

1. You need to be a leader with a vision--a vision that excites people, challenges people.
2. That vision needs to be something that can take people to a better place.
3. The leader needs to develop a team.
4. A leader needs followers, but not just any followers. You need followers to assent to the direction the leader lays out.
5. From among followers, there must emerge a group of leaders.
6. Within each group, you must have a few disruptors. The purpose here is to have people in place who might question authority, not challenge it. What you require are other sets of eyes and insights to compliment your own.
7. An effective leader must keep reinforcing the message, keep laying out the vision.
8. Finally, an effective leader must constantly drive the team.

John Kasich: Civilization's enemies seek America's fall

Presidents come and presidents go, and while the president does really matter, it's the democratic principles that have made us that leader for more than two centuries and that have been sturdy enough to transcend political and ideological differences, a civil war, two world wars, and a century of technological and societal upheaval. Through it all we have remained history's greatest force for good because we have stayed true to who we are--one nation, under God, with liberty and justice for all.

John Kasich: Path to darkness is seeing America broken by "the other"

We have been told that because of all this change, America has become more dark, that we have succumbed and that we are no longer strong. This picture of America in economic and moral decline is, of course, always followed up with warnings of our impending destruction.

When we come together, when we unite as a country, America always wins. For those who are angry or afraid, I want to assure you there is another, better way. I say to you that this path to darkness is the antithesis of all that America has meant for 240 years.

John Kasich: Cast vote in 2016 presidential race for John McCain

As to Hillary Clinton's demeanor during the campaign, she struck me as out of touch with blue-collar workers, as if she'd forgotten the very people who'd strengthened her party. Yes, she offered a clear alternative to Donald Trump, but it was an alternative I wasn't buying.

John Kasich: America's divided; reunite by thinking bigger than ourselves

KASICH: I have been fortunate enough to have so many different experiences in my life, both in politics and in business and the media, across the board. And this book is about "How did we get to where we are?" Which is today divided; and "How do we get out of it?" And it really gets down to living a life a little bigger than ourselves. I think that in some sense we kind of lost it. And what's most important is for people to realize that they matter. I mean, they matter as much as a CEO, even if they're turning off the lights at night. And we need to come together as a nation. We need to focus on the things that bring us together, not the things that divide us. And we need to listen to one another. I wrote this book because I have observed what has been happening in our country. I'm concerned about it. But I believe that with an awakening the country can be refreshed and brought together again. I have no doubt.

John Kasich: Focus on common humanity and fix problems where we live

KASICH: A lot of it is to focus on common humanity. Why don't we focus on the things that pull us together? Are we concerned about drug addiction in our neighborhoods? Of course, we are. It's not Republican or Democrat. Are we worried about veterans who come home and can't get a job? Can we look out for them? Of course. What about a senior citizen that lost their spouse? You know, what about the issue of human trafficking? Can we keep our eyes open? There are families that are in war with one another over politics. It's ridiculous. There are more things that bring us together. If we can focus on common humanity and sit down and fix problems where we live and believe in ourselves, it will open our ears to people who might not think like us.