Category Archives: John Kasich

Photo Highlights of The Decade



As the decade rolls to an end we’ve compiled a brief photographic retrospective with a few of our favorite photos of the 2010s.

Political foes Mayor Bill de Blasio and Governor Andrew Cuomo shake hands, seemingly at the urging of RWDSU’s Stuart Appelbaum, as they march in the 2016 Labor Day Parade. 9/10/16

Our decade highlight gallery is available here.

Our focus is on New York politics, both city and state, but the gallery includes other shots of New York.  Among the campaigns we’ve covered are the 2013 and 2017 mayoral races, the 2014 and 2018 gubernatorial races, congressional primaries in 2014, 2016 and 2018, the 2016 New Hampshire Republican presidential primary and the 2019 public advocate special election.  NYTrue.com began in late 2012, with mostly video and little photography in 2012 and 2013, so this is a somewhat truncated decade retrospective that covers 2014-2019.

Special Bonus – Unabridged Gallery:

For those of you who really love New York politics we have an expanded decade retrospective gallery with lots of great shots that didn’t make it into the decade highlight gallery.  Take a look, and a walk down memory lane, here.

We’ve included a few 2013 iPhone shots in a brief addendum at the end of the expanded gallery.

Our 2019 year in photos is available here.

All of our photo galleries are available here.

Kasich Campaign Photo Gallery



Ohio Governor John Kasich is expected to announce his withdrawal from the Republican presidential race this evening.  We’ve covered his campaign extensively, with a focus on his efforts in New Hampshire and New York, from being one of 17 “major” Republican candidates to now being the last of those 17 to surrender to Donald Trump’s electoral success.

Kasich Town Hall - New London

We have a wrap-up Kasich photo gallery, available here.

NYS GOP Dinner (Updated)



Trump, Kasich & Cruz.  That was the underwhelming lineup at the New York State Republican Committee annual gala Thursday night, as the well-timed dinner was held just five days ahead of New York’s presidential primary.  The black tie dinner was a world apart from most of the candidates’  campaign appearances, high on money and low on anger.  The wealthy, politically connected audience bore little resemblance to the crowds at most 2016 Republican events in this anger-dominated election.

Trump spent much of his speech recounting various real estate projects in New York City, omitting the angry stream-of-consciousness musings that define his campaign rallies.  Kasich spoke as a late-served dinner appeared on the tables while Cruz spoke to a talking and shrinking audience.  Continue reading NYS GOP Dinner (Updated)

Kasich On Cuomo



“I’m not here to give a grade to the governor of New York.”  Ohio Governor John Kasich mostly avoided commenting when I asked him about fellow governor Andrew Cuomo’s relationship with the Republican-controlled New York State Senate and Cuomo’s overall performance.  Kasich did favorably mention an instance of working cooperatively when Kasich was in Congress and Cuomo was HUD secretary, but then quickly moved to discussing his own ability to work with Democrats without further discussing New York.

Kasich spoke during a press Q&A in Jericho – his full press Q&A is here.

Kasich Q&A: The Peacock Edition (Updated)



IMG_6840Republican presidential candidate John Kasich spoke with the press today following an MSNBC town hall recorded in Jericho, New York. Network appropriate peacocks roamed the grounds of the Milleridge Inn, site of the town hall, occasionally squawking as Kasich spoke.

Question topics included advice or promises for young voters struggling to make it economically, how he can overcome his current gap in convention delegates, undocumented immigrants and the possibility of offering a path to legalization (but not citizenship), what he would say if either of his daughters “came out as gay”, his view of New York Governor Andrew Cuomo’s relationship with Republicans in the state senate and whether he’s lost any delegates due to inadequate organization.

Photo Gallery:

Our photo gallery of Kasich’s visit is here.

Kasich’s “Two Paths”



Republican presidential candidate John Kasich continued his efforts at separating himself from Donald Trump and Ted Cruz, portraying the presidential election as offering “two very different paths” that the Republican Party and the country may take.  Speaking at the Women’s National Republican Club today in midtown Manhattan Kasich cast the nation’s options as between an irresponsible and bombastic approach and a reasoned, sober and effective approach.  Unsurprisingly Kasich casts himself as both the product of and the champion of the latter approach.

Here is Kasich’s full speech:

Chill Kasich



It’s all about the attention.  That was Republican presidential candidate John Kasich’s response when asked today about the rising crowds attending his campaign events.

IMG_6816

Kasich avoided both his audience and the press following his “Two Paths” speech in midtown this morning, walking immediately offstage as he concluded and then departing through a side exit.  Handshakes with some cops and a quick selfie were Kasich’s only distractions as he made it into his car.  As others traveling with him loaded in the window suddenly rolled down to a “hey, it’s Halperin.”  Kasich and Bloomberg’s Mark Halperin chatted for a bit, with some pleasantries and a couple of questions.   Kasich credited increased attention with growing crowds at his events.  Although he’s increasingly better known, he’s not quite to the level where people know how to pronounce his name Kasich chuckled.  When asked where he stands on actually becoming the Republican nominee Kasich replied with a light smile “I’m sitting right now” and rolled up the window as his car eased out onto a rain-soaked 51st Street.

Kasich In Westchester



IMG_6806Ohio Governor John Kasich held a rally at Iona College in New Rochelle Saturday, the first of the three remaining Republican presidential candidates to hold a campaign event in Westchester County.  His audience of about 1,000 was supportive, beginning and ending with standing ovations and reacting positively throughout his remarks.

The audience was a mix of ages, with a strong but not predominant  number of Iona students, and overwhelmingly white.  The audience members I spoke with were about evenly divided between strong Kasich supporters and interested but undecided.

Kasich offered himself as an accomplished alternative to Trump and Cruz, touting his lengthy tenure in Congress and his gubernatorial experience as effective preparation for the White House.  His presentation was heavy on exhortations of the importance of caring and the value in fully developing each person’s true self.  It’s somewhat Oprah-esque; offering a sense of caring that contrasts sharply with Donald Trump and, to a lesser extent, Ted Cruz.  It also contrasts sharply with the apparent mood of many voters in an election dominated by anger.

IMG_6807

Photo Gallery:

Our full photo gallery is here.

Video – Kasich’s full town hall:

Photo Gallery: FITN Town Hall



NH Republican FITN Town Hall 1-23-16The New Hampshire Republican party drew seven presidential candidates to a town hall held two weeks ahead of the New Hampshire primary.  Candidates participating included Marco Rubio, Jeb Bush, Rick Santorum, John Kasich, Rand Paul, Carly Fiorina and Jim Gilmore.  Chris Christie cancelled, returning to New Jersey as a major snowstorm hit his state, with his wife Mary Pat Christie appearing on his behalf.

Our full photo gallery is available here.

NH Republican FITN Town Hall 1-23-16

Kasich Places



Kasich - NH Primary Night 2-9-16

Ohio Governor John Kasich claimed a practical victory Tuesday night, placing second in the New Hampshire Republican primary behind Donald Trump.  Kasich’s late rise in the last few days, moving him out of the governors mini-pack he cohabited with Jeb Bush and Chris Christie and modestly but clearly past Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio, vindicated his New Hampshire-centric strategy.

Kasich - NH Primary Night 2-9-16

Kasich continued his campaign theme of a self-described positive focus with a renewed denunciation of negative advertising, declaring that “tonight the light overcame the darkness of negative campaigning.”  In an atypical statement from a candidate celebrating a favorable primary election outcome Kasich pledged not to accelerate and work even harder, but to slow down.  Speaking of deeply personal encounters with people sharing their struggles at his town halls Kasich said “from this day forward I’m going to go slower and spend my time listening and healing and helping and bringing people together to fix our great country.”

Kasich - NH Primary Night 2-9-16

Was Tuesday night his high point or just the beginning?  Kasich faces a challenging road ahead as his New Hampshire-centric strategy means that he has limited organization and support in the upcoming primary states, with limited time and money to capitalize on his New Hampshire success.  A winnowing field and an expected spike in media attention will provide opportunity, but no guarantee of success.

Our primary night photo gallery is here.

End Days



Christie - Hampton, NH 2-7-16Monday was the last day of the notion-bending year-long campaign leading to the New Hampshire presidential primary.  Republican candidates have for months decried the condition of America, denouncing Barack Obama for what they see as destruction wreaked on the U.S. that has pushed the country to the edge of a precipice.  With New Hampshire voting those dire descriptions will end, at least for the Granite State, as the campaign rolls on to South Carolina, Nevada and beyond.

Who’s rising, who’s falling and who will exceed expectations?  Jeb Bush, John Kasich and Chris Christie all had good days in the last moments of the New Hampshire primary, but they face a dual challenge of trying to shove past the other two governors and simultaneously trying to catch up to Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz.  Here are a few impressions from the candidates’ closing appearances.

Continue reading End Days

The Happy Governor



IMG_6281Engaged in a tussle with New Jersey Governor Chris Chris Christie and former Florida governor Jeb Bush for a “top tier” finish in the New Hampshire primary, Ohio Governor John Kasich emphasized his ability to lead and work cooperatively and without rancor as a distinguishing feature worthy of voters attention.  Held in Bedford, Kasich’s 100th New Hampshire town hall drew an audience of about 300 people.  That’s a solid crowd for Kasich, and higher than the many previous Kasich town halls I’ve attended, but less than the crowds drawn by many of his rivals.

During the Q&A portion a man rose to praise Kasich’s attributes, which he described as including character, integrity and competence.  This prompted a lengthy rumination by Kasich on his candidacy, his prospects and his reasons for running.

Here is Kasich’s full town hall:

Photo Gallery – Our photo gallery of Kasich’s 100th town hall is here: