John Kasich’s ego

The evolution of John Kasich from 1980s Reagan Republican member of Congress to featured speaker on the opening night of the 2020 Democratic National Convention might be somewhat shocking to Americans who only know the former Ohio governor from his 2016 presidential campaign. But it’s not surprising to Ohioans who have followed his career over the past four decades.

Kasich is smart and creative. As a congressman, he was instrumental in working with the Clinton administration to balance the national budget. As Ohio governor, he pushed through several innovative initiatives — most notably privatizing Ohio’s economic development agency.

Trouble was, as everyone realized, it always seemed important to Kasich to make sure everyone knew how smart and creative he was. He would say so himself. Despite his 2016 campaign of homey bromides coupled with biblical admonitions, “humble” and “self-effacing” were seldom adjectives associated with Kasich.

But there he was on Monday, outdoors in a grassy expanse, projecting something of a Tom Sawyerish image as he exhorted Republicans to back presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden in November.

Kasich first decided he was presidential material as early as 2000, but Republican voters and donors thought otherwise, lining up behind the familiar and connected George W. Bush.

Being bettered by Trump had to be particularly galling to someone like Kasich. Much like other Never Trumpers, Kasich had spent a career based on the mastery of policy and building the right connections. Being outshone by a buffoonish sideshow charlatan, as Trump’s critics see him, was cosmically unfair — especially to someone who considered himself the smartest guy in the room.

Despite their obvious differences, Kasich and Trump have in common egos of gargantuan proportions, and there was only room for one of them in the Republican Party. And so Kasich showed up Monday, an older white Republican man addressing a party that often blames such creatures for all the world’s travails.

Forty years ago, Ronald Reagan was the disrupter, and Kasich proudly stood by his side. My, how times — and John Kasich — have changed.

But God love him. When he finally dropped out of the presidential race four years ago after clinging desperately to the hope of ending up a consensus candidate at a brokered GOP convention, Kasich said, “As I suspend my campaign today, I have renewed faith, deeper faith, that the Lord will show me the way forward and fulfill the purpose of my life.”

Kasich’s life purpose is surely not being a prop on the opening night of the Democratic convention. His personal odyssey, presumably, continues.