Kasich calls for uniting America in Iowa State Fair speech

DES MOINES — Ohio Gov. John Kasich painted a portrait of himself as an independent leader who would strive to bring Americans together in remarks at the Iowa State Fair Tuesday.

“There is too much anger in America today. Too much division,” the Republican presidential candidate told an overflow audience at the Horner Service Center. His speech was moved indoors because of heavy rainstorms that struck the Des Moines area.

The nation needs a strong leader, Kasich said, someone who can set a tone and unite the people. But government can’t fix the nation’s problems alone, he emphasized, explaining the public must also accept personal responsibility by mentoring young people, asking young people not to do drugs, and other initiatives, he said.

Similarly, one political party shouldn’t be relied upon to reform government entitlement programs, address immigration and other controversial policy issues, the governor added.

“Above all, we are all Americans,” he emphasized.

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Kasich, who served 18 years in Congress — including time as the House budget chairman — described himself as “cheap hawk” who was strong on defense but wanted to cut wasteful Pentagon spending.

He said the Islamic State represents an attack on western civilization by people “who want to destroy our very way of life,” but he believes military force is only part of the solution to destroy ISIL. He expressed concerns about young Americans joining ISIL, saying it offers them a sense of family and importance and a ticket to paradise.

But the reality, Kasich said, is that leaders of ISIL are “liars, distorters, murderers and rapists.”

Kasich astonished reporters during a tour of the Iowa State Fair Tuesday afternoon by eating three pork chops, a side order of beans, and then purchasing an ear of roasted corn on the cob at a fair booth. When asked about it afterward, he pointed to his slender build and joked that he still hoped to have some ice cream before he left the fair.