He served nine terms in the U.S. House, and he accurately notes he was the chair of the House Budget Committee the last time Congress passed a balanced budget. In his last four years in that position, the federal budget was not only balanced, but also saw surpluses – something that has not occurred since he left the position.

Not surprisingly, Kasich’s fiscal plans claim he would be able to balance the federal budget in eight years. He exuded confidence in believing he could do it in six or seven years when meeting with Nonpareil editors and reporters.

His calls for a simplified, graduated income tax code while keeping popular credits strikes us as a rational means to bring reason to the system. Analysis done by the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, a nonpartisan thinktank based in Washington, shows that his announced plans would save $2.6 trillion by 2025 and reduce the federal debt as a percent of GDP by 10 percent.

Kasich has been criticized by some Republicans for implementing Common Core standards in Ohio schools and accepting federal money for the expansion of Medicaid. In both cases, he’s defended his actions by saying they’re what’s best for Ohioans – a big-picture view that’s sorely lacking in American politics.