45. Hillary Kasich (January 20th 2013 - present)
Long before she became the first female President of the United States, Hillary Kasich was around the White House. She had been married to former Vice-President since 1982, and was right by his side during his failed campaign against Donald Trump in 2004. Their three children were a key part of what was essentially an all-American family.
Interestingly, the then-Hillary Rodham had dated 2000 Democratic nominee Bill Clinton for a number of years while they were at law school. In another timeline, perhaps she would have been Mrs. Clinton. Instead she became a staunch Republican after marrying Kasich, and rumours abound that it was she that suggested the Republicans carry out opposition research for evidence of Clinton's affairs.
Returning to Ohio with her husband after he left office in 2005, Hillary almost immediately began preparing for her own career in elected office. Recruited by the state party to run for office, Kasich declared her candidacy for the Senate seat of the retiring Mike DeWine. The contacts the Kasichs had accumulated over the past three decades bore fruit, and Clinton built up a huge war chest and a streak of endorsements. She easily won the Republican primary, and in a good night for Republicans, she defeated the Democratic nominee Richard Cordray comfortably.
Despite only being a freshman, it was clear that Kasich was going places. She was a key voice amongst the Republicans who challenged President Trump's agenda. While a relatively moderate member of her party, Kasich had no problem working with her more conservative colleagues when it served her purposes. She was also a rare Republican in favour of gay rights, and chose to work with the President in passing a bill to allow gay soldiers to serve openly in the military.
It came as little surprise to anyone when Kasich formally announced her candidacy for President in 2011. The party establishment, led by her husband and former President Gingrich, were lined up behind her, and from the very beginning she was the front-runner for the nomination. She was able to secure it early, despite a spirited challenge from former Vice-Presidential nominee Mitt Romney. In a show of party unity, Kasich selected Romney as her running mate.
The presidential election was close, but Kasich and Romney were able to successfully argue that Democratic management of the country had been a failure, and secure the White House for the Republican Party.
In her inaugural address, Kasich laid the groundwork for a more active American role in world affairs. She argued that American leadership was a key component of world peace, and that the United States would intervene to protect democracy, with troops if necessary. The Iranians had been sabre-rattling, arguing it was time to retake their lost provinces from Iraq, and so Kasich was quick to put an American peacekeeping force on the ground. Suitably chastised, the Iranians pulled back from invading. In addition, arms and materiel would be provided to the pro-democracy factions in Poland, Bulgaria and Romania. The Soviet Union was far from happy with American encroachment on their territory, but there was little they could do.
The economy continued a slow upturn, but job growth appeared to decline after the Kasich Administration passed a series of tax cuts. With slow growth and an increasing deficit, the Republicans barely held on to Congress during the midterm elections. Shortly after the new Congress began sitting, a lone gunman killed forty-five citizens in a shopping mall in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Kasich resisted intense pressure to introduce gun control legislation, and instead argued that it was overregulation that led to the tragedy. Americans were unconvinced, and her approval ratings took a dip.
There was never any doubt that Kasich would be nominated for a second term, and she was, once again choosing Romney as her running-mate. The election is now just three months away, and Kasich faces tough opposition from the Democratic nominee, former Speaker Chuck Schumer of New York, and his running mate, Governor of Montana Brian Schweitzer. The polls have been tight for most of the year, and while most pundits believe that Kasich will do enough to earn a second term, nothing is yet for certain. It will certainly be an interesting election.