Ohio Governor John Kasich is the most qualified Republican candidate for president. He has years of experience in both Congress, chairing the House Budget Committee, and the private sector. He is also the chief executive officer of a major state, with a record that he touts as hugely successful.
Ohio Governor John Kasich is the most electable Republican candidate for president. In 2014, he carried Ohio – a perennial swing state – with over 60 percent of the gubernatorial vote. Ohio has long served as a bellwether for presidential elections, voting for the eventual winner in the past twelve cycles, making Kasich’s popularity here invaluable. He has also carved himself out a niche as a “compassionate conservative,” palatable to most Republicans and Independents alike. This appeal would undoubtedly help him peel off more swing voters than any other Republican candidate and could make the difference in a close general election.
Ohio Governor John Kasich is also the lowest polling Republican candidate for president – by a significant margin.
Kasich has yet to win a primary at the time of this writing (Michigan may prove me wrong, but we’ll have to see). He came close in Vermont, but Trump edged him out. From a delegate perspective, he’s well below half of his closest rival, Marco Rubio, and not even in the same ballpark as Trump. His campaign is banking on a strong showing in the March 15th primaries, which include Kasich’s home state of Ohio, to hold on. The conventional political wisdom, however, is that his bid for the presidency is all but over.
So why can’t Kasich break through? He’s got far and away the best resume of all the Republican candidates, and his campaign has done much to emphasize his broad appeal. The problem doesn’t lie with Kasich, or rather, it’s nothing Kasich can be faulted for. The simple fact of the matter is that 2016 is not an election year amenable to moderates, particularly on the Republican side. This is the year where Ted Cruz is rapidly becoming the mainstream candidate. Donald Trump threw a monkey wrench into any semblance of politics as usual – and he's merely reflective of a deep-set resentment within many Americans of the Washington establishment.
At every debate, particularly these past two, Kasich has played the adult in the room. While Cruz and Rubio alternate taking cheap potshots at Trump, and the billionaire responds with childish insults and incomprehensible policy points, the Ohio governor stayed above it all and refused to take part in the pettiness. In fact, most observers thought he came off as the most “presidential.”
But here’s the problem – voters aren’t looking for a candidate with dignity and gravitas. They’re looking for someone who they believe can channel their anger and frustration. Kasich has a well-thought-out message that can resonate with voters across the country, but they don’t feel much like listening this time around.
