Whatever one may think of John Kasich as a presidential candidate, and he’s certainly not my cup of tea, the man has the kind of resume you would expect from a serious contender: Governor of Ohio, member of the House of Representatives from 1983 to 2001; a commentator on Fox News Channel, hosting Heartland with John Kasich (2001–2007). He also worked as an investment banker, as managing director of Lehman Brothers’ Columbus, Ohio, so he’s got the private sector covered.
On Tuesday Kasich will announce his bid for the presidency, making him the latest entrant in a very crowded field of Republican contenders.
The question is will anyone care?
His strategy appears to be built on the fact that there is no presumptive nominee so anything could happen, particularly as Jeb Bush hasn’t been able to get the job done.
“He hasn’t caught fire, and that’s why there’s so many people running,” said John Weaver, Kasich’s chief strategist and a veteran of presidential politics, who argued that for the first time in more than half a century the party lacked a presumptive nominee. “There’s not a front-runner in this race.” As he sketches out a path to the nomination, Kasich — who waged a short-lived bid for the presidency in 2000 — is preparing to make his most aggressive stand in New Hampshire, the famously independent-minded state where, his advisers believe, his plain-spoken approach and pugnacious style will garner the most appeal.
Now, there’s a campaign slogan: “Anything Could Happen, So Give Kasich a Look.”
(Cross-posted at Phantom Public.)
I think the issue is not so much whether or not John Kasich can make a run at this, but why it is that the RNC handed off the responsibility for the debates to the networks. This means that Kasich is very likely not even going to be allowed into the debates even while clearly unrealistic candidates are sure to get in. If the RNC wanted an even bigger circus than they got in 2012, mission accomplished!
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