Kasich remains true to self by refusing to back Trump

When Ohio Gov. John R. Kasich steered clear of last month’s Republican National Convention because of Donald Trump, this question loomed large: How long before he gives in and endorses the GOP presidential nominee?

To our relief, Kasich, who won re-election in 2014 by a landslide, made it clear Sunday that an endorsement is not forthcoming.

Indeed, the governor of the all- important battleground state in this year’s presidential election, said he hasn’t decided if he’ll vote for Trump in November.

“I wish that I could be fully enthusiastic,” Kasich told CNN’s Jake Tapper. “So I don’t know what’s going to happen at the end.”

His refusal to hold his nose and support Trump, as other Republican Party insiders have done, is a testament to his core belief about politics.

Two months ago, Kasich, who had sought the GOP presidential nomination but was able to carry only Ohio, told Fox News: “Why would I feel compelled to support someone whose positions I kind of fundamentally disagree with?”

We, along with many newspapers around the country, endorsed Kasich’s candidacy because of his experience in government and his refusal to wallow in political filth – as Trump does.

The New York City real-estate tycoon who claims to be worth $10 billion wrapped his primary campaign in racism, misogyny, chauvinism and religious bigotry.

Kasich, who was dubbed “the adult” in the crowded primary election, made it clear that any appeal to the lowest common denominator in politics is beneath the dignity of a major political party. Unfortunately, such adult thinking was largely ignored in the Republican primary sweepstakes.

Trump overwhelmed the 16 other candidates in the race with his “Make America Great Again” appeal to disgruntled Republicans, independents and Democrats (mostly blue-collar white males).

He garnered about 14 million votes in winning the nomination.

Unrealistic deportation plan

It doesn’t matter to his supporters that his pledge to deport 11 million undocumented immigrants is unrealistic. Or, that he won’t succeed in forcing the Mexican government to pay for a huge wall he plans to build on the border.

And it certainly didn’t hurt his cause when he advocated profiling Muslims living in the U.S., cracking down on crime with a tough law-and-order campaign and forcing American corporations to bring back all the jobs they sent abroad for cheap labor and lax environmental standards.

But Gov. Kasich, who had served in the U.S. House of Representatives and worked with the administration of Democratic President Bill Clinton to balance the federal budget, tried to explain to the voters why Trump’s extremist views were untenable. He was ignored by millions.

But even if Kasich were thinking of softening his opposition to Trump, the billionaire’s public feud with the Muslim parents of an U.S. soldier who died in Iraq makes any compromise impossible.

The governor told CNN’s Tapper that he has spent time comforting families of fallen soldiers.

“I’ve seen the black hole. I’ve had the deep mourning and the pain,” he said. “But here’s what I know: I believe the Scripture when it says those who give up their life, or serve someone else, will wear a big crown. That their service is marked in the book of life, never to be erased.”

Lest Republicans think that Gov. Kasich has abandoned the party, he has pledged to work on behalf of down-ballot candidates, such as Arizona Sen. John McCain.

McCain has been demeaned by Trump because he was a prisoner of war during the Vietnam conflict. The GOP presidential nominee has said he does not consider McCain a hero due to the fact he was captured.

Kasich let it be known that he strongly disagrees with that view.

“As far as I’m concerned, McCain shouldn’t even have to run for election in the Senate. He ought to be in the Senate for as long as he wants to be,” the governor told CNN. “I’m going to go out there, I don’t care what it takes, I’m going to go out there and help McCain.”

Kasich is being true to himself in refusing to endorse Trump. We urge him to stand firm.