Political cartoons on the editorial page of the Democrat Gazette are part of my favorite newspaper source of entertainment and sometimes education. They seem to find a way to make fun of all the presidential candidates without causing a Paris, France, reaction.
One of last week's subjects was John Kasich, currently one of the "also rans" of the remaining Republican candidates. Lacking artistic abilities of my own, it always impresses me that the artist can pick out specific, unique features of the subject and by exaggerating them to the extreme, clearly identify the intended party. This was done extremely well in the case of John Kasich. Let me stop here to point out, once again, John Kasich is in my opinion the best qualified to be our next president. However, that does not affect the humor of the political cartoon and the clever manner in which the artist pointed out the reason John Kasich stands so low in the polls.
If you missed the cartoon, or just don't care for candidate Kasich, I can understand. In the cartoon, at an apparent meeting of his brain trust, they were pointing out his "selling points" -- actually his political flaws. The list included (for a new ad), "Whiny Boor, Twitchy Troll, Blunty McBlahblah, Annoying Judo-Chopper, Irritating Imp, Testy Brat and Impatient Rascal." They were about to settle on Impatient Rascal. The list could be observations of people who have seen him on a daily basis or may just have been offered as humor. One who has seen him at the Republican debates could easily come away with some of these observations. As with all the lower ranking candidates, they don't get much opportunity to offer their comments regardless of what the moderators promise. But, offered in Mr. Kasich's defense, a man who has achieved some of his success is not likely to deal well with the limitations of the debate format that the networks have offered.
Whether you have selected a candidate for the Republican Primary or are still trying to decide between those choices, or have started to listen more closely to Bernie Sanders, John Kasich's success in the House of Representatives or as governor of Ohio since 2010 makes him appealing to me. In my years of managing industrial concerns, one thing always stood out in my mind. The people who got things done were impatient and often abrasive when moving forward. Those qualities were usually exhibited in activities that promoted the interests of others and sometimes they actually led to some other person getting the credit for the overall accomplishment. John Kasich's experience in the U.S. House of Representatives included being a member of the Armed Services Committee during the Ronald Reagan administration dealing with the Cold War. He was later involved as an investment banker, an author and a Fox News contributor before being elected governor of Ohio. His record as Ohio's governor includes winning a second term by a 30-point margin and turning a state budget deficit into a surplus while cutting taxes. (All governors seem to make similar claims, however. Just ask Jeb Bush and former candidate Rick Perry of Texas.)
Whether my assessment of John Kasich is correct or grossly in error, he stands out in my mind not just for his success, but because his manner of getting things done gets him negative publicity. Donald Trump has told us how much money he has made and how he has built his company into billions of dollars worth of assets. He is exactly the opposite of John Kasich in approaching campaigning and he will continue to lead in the polls until we start counting the votes. My guess, however, is that the Trump organization is made up of lots of John Kasich types who do the work while "The Donald" gets the credit. Would members of Trump's management team make good politicians? I don't think so. They probably have a great deal of talent in their area of expertise -- finance, construction, etc. And, if their fathers had started them out with a million dollars or so, they might be recognized in the casino world also. With a different personality, John Kasich's abilities might be easier to recognize, but he might not have the experience his resume now exhibits. I would rather have a John Kasich in the White House than a Donald Trump. I think we need the results he offers and less of the flair offered by our would-be leader Trump.
Just my opinion and this does not mean Ted Cruz is not qualified.
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Editor's note: Leo Lynch is an award-winning columnist. He is a native of Benton County has deep roots in northwest Arkansas. A retired industrial engineer, he is a former Justice of the Peace and can be contacted at [email protected].
Editorial on 12/30/2015