IOWA CAUCUSES

Kasich calls for rebuilding families, neighborhoods

William Petroski
bpetrosk@dmreg.com

Ohio Gov. John Kasich says the Lord has blessed him and he’s been called to a life bigger than himself. He also wants other Americans to accept the same idealistic challenge.

The ex-congressman, businessman, former Fox News television personality and 2016 Republican presidential candidate spoke philosophically to a crowd of more than 300 employees at Nationwide Insurance in downtown Des Moines on Monday, saying he has faith in the idea that things don’t happen by accident.

“I will do my part, I promise, if I become president,” he said, adding, “We will do it together.”

Related: Kasich calls for scrapping U.S. Commerce Department.

He called for rebuilding American families and neighborhoods, suggesting more communication and a willingness to voluntarily help others will improve the country. That includes asking the local high school principal why so many kids need remedial classes in college, inquiring about the local food bank, and asking what people can do for a guy who was married for 35 years and whose wife has died.

“See, it is on us in a lot of ways, and we can do it if we have confidence and we are set free to have the resources and the capability to be able to think about why our lives matter,” he said.

Kasich, a former chairman of the House Budget Committee who helped to balance the federal budget in the 1990s, described himself as a tough-minded policy maker who understands that restraining federal spending and cutting taxes will lead to economic growth and reduce the federal deficit. His plan would provide a balanced budget by his second term, he said.

Americans need to challenge the status quo, he added, citing a need, for example, for community leaders to adopt zoning laws that are business friendly.

“Do you know how many small business people are driven crazy by zoning laws?” he asked. “We have to have people who understand how jobs are created.”

Afterward, several Nationwide employees said Kasich made a good impression.

“I liked hearing about his experiences and how that translates into balancing the budget,” said Lisa Gobber, Nationwide’s vice president of middle market commercial.

Tim Mulcahy, an information technology analyst, remarked, “He doesn’t seem as crazy as some of the other” presidential candidates.

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AT THE EVENT

SETTING: Employee cafeteria on second floor at Nationwide insurance in downtown Des Moines

CROWD: More than 300 people, including some employees who stood behind the main seating area.

REACTION: The event was part of a program by Nationwide to encourage civic action, and the employees listened politely, applauded at the end, and chuckled at Kasich’s stories. This included a truthful anecdote about how he managed to set up a personal 20-minute meeting in the Oval Office with President Richard Nixon while he was a first-year student at Ohio State University.

WHAT’S NEXT: Kasich concludes a two-day campaign trip to Iowa on Tuesday with an 11 a.m. balanced budget town hall meeting in Dubuque at the Loras College Alumni Campus Center Ballroom.

Ohio Gov. John Kasich speaks at an employee town hall meeting at Nationwide Insurance in downtown Des Moines, Iowa, on Monday, Nov. 2, 2105.