The race for the Republican presidential nomination so far has largely been filled with yelling, insults and even a reference to one of the candidate’s genitalia. This is far from what we expect from adults running for the highest office in our country.
Businessman Donald Trump, the front-runner in the Republican race, has seen success largely because of his brash attitude, one that turns the debate stage into a playroom where adults scream and poke fun at each other as if they’re in kindergarten.
It’s a disgrace to an age-old party, and a disgrace to the nation.
Trump is ill-equipped to be the party’s nominee. His unquestionable, disgusting bigotry toward Muslims and other minorities goes against the basic foundations of equality that this country was built upon, and his lack of policy knowledge has been clear as day in recent debates and speeches.
The Republican party is facing an identity crisis. Should Trump win the nomination, there’s probable cause that it could split into multiple parties.
At this point, Republicans need to back the candidate who’s best able to stop Trump and most ready to help avoid what would be a nightmarish destruction of the party’s identity. For that, The Pendulum endorses Ohio Gov. John Kasich ahead of the North Carolina primary.
Kasich, the second-term governor who served 18 years in the U.S. House of Representatives, has remained calm and collected during debates, reiterating over the chaos that he’s the only adult on the stage.
Not only does he seem the most sensible — Kasich would never refer to a candidate as “Little Marco” or “Lyin’ Ted” — but he’s the most seasoned candidate in the race by far. He’s the only one in either party with executive experience and experience in Washington, D.C.
As Chairman of the House Budget Committee, Kasich was the person who headed up the Balanced Budget Act of 1997. As governor, Kasich has helped to eliminate a budget shortfall of around $8 billion.
In terms of beating Trump, Kasich has the best chance for a number of reasons.
First, he can win Ohio. The Republicans have never won the presidency without carrying the Buckeye State, and Kasich has an approval rating of 77 percent among likely Republican voters in his home state.
For long, Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) has been the establishment favorite, but his polling numbers are down and isn’t favored to win his home state of Florida, which also votes March 15.
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) has had the most success against Trump, winning six states as of March 8. But Cruz is the Tea Party favorite and perhaps the most conservative of all the candidates, leading some party leaders to be more scared of his presidency than Trump’s.
Kasich is also more moderate on individual rights and defense and international rights issues than the rest of the Republican candidates. This gives him a better chance of pulling independent voters in the general election, which is a reason to support him in the case of a brokered or contested convention.
And with the current state of things, there surely will be one.
At this point in the race, it’ll take a near-miracle for Kasich, who hasn’t won a single caucus or primary, to win the nomination. The only logical path is for him to first win Ohio, and perhaps Michigan or another Midwestern state, and then go through a contested contention in July.
But to beat Trump and successfully move this party out of the rut and identity crisis it’s currently facing, Kasich is the best choice.