A Few Points of Emphasis from Ohio Gov. John Kasich

Below are excerpts from the John Kasich Inaugural Address given on 1/10/11.  The excerpts are in quotes, anything else is my comment.  This speech is important, it sets the stage for our new Governor and we will want to remember some of these for future comparison.

Tribute to his wife
(what a beautiful expression of love)

"You know, my wife Karen is -- as we all know, she's just a beautiful woman. But that's not really what drives her or drives me in my relationship with her. See, we're great friends and great buddies, and we share so many experiences; from hiking up in the state parks to trying to take care of our daughters, to exercising, to praying, and just trying to connect with our friends and our family all over the country.
Sweetheart, I love you. You're the most important thing in my life. Thank you, babe."

Acknowledgment of supporters who have held him up.
"To my supporters, you know, from 1977 on, you've put me on your shoulders. There's no way that Johnny Kasich could have come here from McKees Rocks and gotten anywhere near where I've been in my political life without these supporters."

It is not about me
"And I do not report to special interests under any circumstances. And I want you all to understand something: I can never work to advance myself. I will not work to advance myself. My future or my self-interest is not acceptable."

Lift Ohio

'My only purpose, my only passion in all of this has been to lift Ohio, to make us competitive again, and to create jobs for our families. Because when our families have jobs, they have hope. They have dreams. And they have strength. It is my only purpose and my only passion. And when I wake up every morning, I'll say my prayers, I'll hug my family, and I will focus on Ohio's economy. Nothing, nothing can stand in our way.


Not ashamed of his faith or the gospel
(praise and adoration of what God has done, with a humble heart and even willing to quote D.L. Moody)

"He has opened doors all of my life. The Lord has. He has pushed me over the mountain this time. I don't know why, but I have no doubt that he has. I've spent a large amount of my life trying to figure out how he works.
I got a message one day driving up—over by the Hoover Reservoir. It wasn't a telegram. It wasn't a phone call. It wasn't a voice. But it was clear. "Stop trying to figure it out, I'm not going to tell you."
[LAUGHTER]
But here's what I do know: He expects his servants to use their talents. He expects all of us, because all of us have been created with a special talent. The key to life is to use those talents, even when at times it seems daunting and it seems impossible. But boy, I'll tell you what, no pounding on the chest. No pointing in the sky. He wants us always to remember where these talents came from. He reminds us that no one person is superior to any other person because in his eyes, all are equal.
You know, sometimes I see the scrub lady, and I realize that in the next life, she's likely to have a bigger crown than I could ever dream of. Don't go past them quickly; you could be passing an angel. Quiet reflection is necessary every day so as not to get lost.
D. L. Moody wrote about a Civil War general who was facing a huge battle. He prayed for two hours. His subordinates said to him, "How could you spend two hours praying before this big battle?" He said, "How could I not." Prayer is necessary.
You know, I so loved the memories of my family visiting Ohio. My uncle Harry, cousin Harry's father, used to tell me when we went to Vermilion and we passed that Pennsylvania line into Ohio, "Johnny, we've reached the Promise Land.""

The Enemy of Status Quo
"They have a great legacy. Our enemy is not our fertile farmlands or our vibrant family-oriented suburbs. Our enemy, our enemy is the status quo. The status quo, the dark side of human nature that shuts down dreams and basks in fear. The status quo, the dark side of human nature that shuts down dreams. Our enemies are those who selfishly look out only for themselves. The last gasp of air in the coal mine, I want mine. And they forget that we are all in this together. Don't be selfish.
Our enemies are those who refuse to recognize the power of teamwork. They refuse to help raise the bar. And as our mother used to tell us, Donna, raise the bar. Make the world better for the fact that we came this way. The people who refuse the power of team and refuse to raise the bar are weak. We will defeat them. We will defeat them together."

The great reach across the aisle
(we will see - compromise does not work when half the team wants to sink the ship and the other half wants to keep it afloat and improve its sailing)

"We are not Republicans. We are not Democrats. We are not liberals. And we are not conservatives. We are Ohioans. We are Buckeyes together."