Kasich pledges ‘boots on the ground’ to fight ISIS

Ohio Gov. John Kasich (R) on Sunday pledged to put boots on the ground in the Middle East to fight “radical Islam,” which he said was the nation’s toughest foreign policy challenge.

{mosads}“You’ve got the air power, but you can’t solve anything just with air power,” he said in an appearance with NBC’s “Meet the Press,” sharply condemning the strategy used so far by President Obama to fight the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS). 

Obama has resisted any military response that would mean sending more troops to ISIS strongholds in parts of Syria and Iraq.

“I would be part of a coalition and I would take them down,” Kasich said.

Kasich is the most recent prominent Republican to jump into the 2016 race.

While the Ohio governor has remained near the bottom of most polls, a poll of New Hampshire voters by NBC-Marist released Sunday showed a slight jump.

Kasich’s support in New Hampshire jumped to 7 percent, just behind Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker at 12 percent and former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush at 14 percent. Businessman Donald Trump grabbed 21 percent support.

“If we’re running for these offices just to get elected, We’re not running for class president, we’re running to be the commander in chief and the leader of this country” he said, with a laugh. “Grow up.”