Blame Jeb

By Richard Barry

Ohio Gov. John Kasich has put into words what we've all been thinking about the size of the GOP presidential field, which is that it's all about Jeb Bush's inability to leave others in the dust.

"I didn't think I was going to be back up here again because frankly, I thought Jeb was just going to suck all the air out of the room, and it just hasn't happened," Kasich told Seacoast business leaders Thursday afternoon, at question and answer session [in New Hampshire] organized by GOP activist Renee Plummer.

Could Kasich make a credible run? Sure. Could he win the nomination? Maybe.

Asked in a one-on-one interview with NH1 News how he could stand out, the two-term governor and former longtime congressman said “I think it's the resume and the record. I mean I have a resume that's unique among anybody who's thinking about running with both national security and Washington experience and success and also being governor of a big state, being an executive. it's basically results."

Much has been written about Jeb Bush's massive war chest and how that will keep him in the race for the long haul, and how he could emerge the winner through attrition. But, and I think there is a lot to this, if Jeb never really catches fire and other relatively mainstream candidates like Scott Walker continue to say really dumb things, Gov. Kasich could be just the sort of candidate establishment types, with the money they bring, look to.

If Bush, Walker, and Rubio are in the first tier right now, I see Kasich as just on the outside waiting for a break to be a part of main event, certainly more so than Paul, Cruz, Perry, Jindal, and all the rest.

All because Jeb Bush couldn't close the deal early.