Unless you are in the state of Ohio, you have probably never heard anyone say, "I'm going to vote for John Kasich." If for some reason you have heard those words, your response was doubtless, "who the heck is John Kasich?" Well, take a closer look at the most recent Republican primary polls and there you will find the name sandwiched between Rick Perry and Chris Christie. John Kasich is the most recent of the 16 Republican hopefuls to add his name to the list of potential presidential nominees. But exactly who is this guy, and more importantly, why should he be considered for the leader of the Free World? Here are 10 reasons why John Kasich should be president.

1. In the White House at 18

When John Kasich was 18 years old, he attended Ohio State University where he studied political science. The year was 1970 and Kasich decided to write a letter of gratitude and admiration to the contemporary president Richard Nixon. Nixon read the letter and subsequently invited Kasich and his family to the White House where Kasich was able to sit and chat with Nixon for about half an hour. At that moment Kasich became destined to return to the White House as the president himself.

2 . Young and fearless

Kasich graduated Ohio State when he was 22 and four years later he was elected to the Ohio State Senate. He still remains the youngest person ever to be elected to the Ohio State Senate. This is a man on a mission, and to have taken a seat from a three-term Democrat at such a young age is impressive. Not to mention his first act as an elected official was to deny the pay raise that came with the position.

3. Consistency

Kasich was elected to the US House of Representatives on behalf of the 12th district of Ohio in 1982. From there he was re-elected eight times and served in Congress until 2001. Each election for the House he participated in, he received at least 64 percent of the vote. Talk about consistency.

4. Two-way player

Kasich is famous in Washington for working both sides of the Isle. One of his biggest claims to fame on this subject was in 1994; Kasich helped President Bill Clinton and the Democratic Party pass the Ban on Assault Weapons Bill. We all know how Republicans are with their guns, and despite that, Kasich was able to convince 42 other members of his party to "cross enemy lines" and vote for the bill. Kasich is considered a moderate Republican, not taking sides socially and staying fiscally conservative. On top of all that, he has also supported Obama with immigration policy and parts of Obamacare, saying that he would repeal and replace the other pieces of the act that didn't appeal to him or other conservatives.

5. The architect behind the balance

Kasich was Chairman of the House Budget Committee in 1997, which means he was the head honcho and architect behind the balancing of the US budget that year. Note that this was the only time in the history of this country when the US had a balanced budget. People normally give credit to Clinton, and although he was president at the time, the hard work behind the act was done by Kasich and his crew.

6. Ohio's "rainy-day fund"

In 2010 Kasich was elected Governor of Ohio. As a result of his first term, Ohio's state surplus went from 0.89 cents to $1.5 billion by 2014. When Kasich ran for his second term, he won by a landslide, only losing two of the 16 districts in Ohio.

7. He OWNS Ohio

Ohio, the state itself, is extremely important when it comes to who wins the presidency. The state is considered one of the biggest “swing states” due to its vast electoral college and its indecisiveness when it comes to party affiliation. Kasich, being the Governor of Ohio, would and should sound like the obvious choice for Republicans, giving them almost a 100 percent chance to win that state come election night. If we remember correctly, President Barack Obama won Ohio in both 2008 and 2012. The fact that Kasich holds a 64 percent approval rating from his constituents (the highest among any acting Governor) is really just the icing on the cake.

8. Experience abroad

Domestic politics are all fine and dandy but does Kasich have what it takes to act in foreign countries? He has visited 11 different nations on eight separate missions and was directly involved in the Goldwater-Nichols Act, which called for re-structuring of the U.S. military during the end of the Cold War. Sounds pretty qualified to me.

9. Other accomplishments

Since taking the role as Governor of Ohio, he has created almost 350,000 new jobs, stemming from JobsOhio, a private non-profit organization that boosted Ohio's economy. Funding for public schools (grades K-12) are at an all-time high in his state. He considered running for President in 2000, but quickly ended the idea due to funding. However, his heart belongs in the White House now.

10. A "smarter" Trump

Finally, Kasich’s personality and rhetoric are at the top of the table. Republicans love the bluntness of Donald Trump, but take a second to listen to John Kasich speak and you will receive the same satisfaction, only without the arrogance and ignorance that Trump speaks with. He [Kasich] has a way with words, just like Obama does. Democrats love the smooth-speaking Obama and Clinton, but Kasich is a master of the tongue without manipulating his people.

So this is John Kasich everybody, and despite party affiliation, this man could and should be the next president. Although his timing was poor when deciding to announce his candidacy, Kasich has already climbed the poll ladder in hopes of being a part of the August 6 debate. This man might be under the radar now but through his accomplishments, ideology, and faith, I am sure that soon enough, his recognition as a true potential candidate will come about.