John Kasich's Christianity Could Raise Hell

On Tuesday, Ohio Governor John Kasich entered the 2016 GOP fray. While not an obvious frontrunner in the way of only-adult-in-the-room institutional favorite Jeb Bush or notorious haircut recipient (with Tea Party plaudits) Scott Walker, Kasich may nonetheless find himself possessed of a set of increasingly embattled fans—religiously motivated conservatives. While their fortunes in the ranks of the GOP seem to be dimming, Kasich cuts an interesting figure: Neither out-of-touch culture warrior (à la Mike Huckabee) or raging libertarian with vague Christian leanings (à la Rand Paul), Kasich represents a Christian conservative politics that is both messy and mistrustful of partisan kowtowing. His brand of faith-based politicking may therefore be something of a liability when it comes to pleasing his party and broader Republican base, but it seems to be an overall score for authenticity in Christian political reasoning, a rare find in the world of political theater.