Governor John Kasich (R., Ohio) did not back down from potential 2016 bugaboos during a Fox News Sunday appearance. After sailing in to a second term as the governor of the crucial swing state, Kasich has been floated as a dark-horse presidential candidate, but his support of Common Core and decision to expand Medicaid in Ohio, among other measures, could rankle conservative primary voters.


Emphasizing the importance of a balanced budget, Kasich defended investments in social programs in the state. He vowed that he would not “turn his back” on groups in need of help, including the mentally ill, those with drug addictions, and the working poor.

“It is our job on a temporary purpose to try to give them to fulfill their God-given purpose by helping them,” he said. “It can’t be a way of life — it can only be a situation where you help them for a short period of time.”