I am a moderate Democrat who sees the positive and negative impacts both Republican and Democratic arguments hold.
In the past, I have espoused my support for Hillary Clinton, and my support for her on the Democratic side of the 2016 presidential election is unwavering.
What I have yet to do is state my preference for which Republican I would prefer to occupy the Oval Office.
Gov. John Kasich, R-Ohio, is a proven leader who governs in the style of Ronald Reagan and doesn’t just cite his name for applause lines in debates. He compromises when necessary, seeks out a broad range of viewpoints and bucks the political winds to help his constituents.
The most important government action taken in decades to aid our working poor to live better lives was the Medicaid Expansion piece attached to the Affordable Care Act. Our own former governor foolishly refused to expand it because he wanted Louisiana to stand against the “era of big government.”
Kasich, on the other hand, expanded Medicaid in his state, and the results, contrary to what failed presidential candidate and former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush stated on the campaign trail, have not been a disaster.
Total Medicaid spending in Ohio has been $1.9 billion lower than projected and more than 600,000 newly eligible, hard-working Ohioans now have access to affordable health insurance.
Kasich knew expanding Medicaid would anger his party, but he believed in helping out in any way he can, as any true Christian should. Helping the poor and downtrodden, as God commands, is one of the most important jobs Christians have on Earth.
His steadfast belief in helping the disadvantaged and left-behind also extends to the work he did in making Ohio’s criminal justice system more fair.
In 2011, he signed a sentencing reform bill into law, allowing judges “to send non-violent fourth- and fifth-degree felons to community-based halfway-house facilities instead of prison.”
The bill was projected to save Ohio $46 million dollars by 2014 by decreasing Ohio’s prison population by 12,000 inmates.
After signing the bill into law, he called out the Legislature for letting this type of reform sit idly for 25 years.
“If you’re going to put your own future ahead of other people’s lives and their ability to reclaim their lives, then you’re making a big mistake,” Kasich said.
His method of governing is the kind of Republicanism I believe can reach out and expand the GOP base.
The majority of Republicans are older white males, with some women and Cubans thrown into the mix. This coalition can’t win as the nation becomes more diverse. Republican ideology will never grow its followers if Donald Trump and Ted Cruz are its standard bearers.
John Kasich can, if only given the chance.
America needs the Republican Party to compete for the votes of Latinos, African-Americans, women and young people, just as Democrats need to compete for blue-collar, white voters again.
To solve political polarization, both parties and voters need to seek moderation whenever and however we can.
We should expect constant bickering and outrage over sincerely-held beliefs, but we also need leaders like Kasich who know how to tone the polarization down, help us believe in better days and work to perfect the Union.
Garrett Hines is a 21-year-old political science senior from Monroe, Louisiana.