Marco Rubio’s campaign has been saying for a while now that John Kasich should drop out and stop spoiling Rubio’s chances and that they were planning for the possibility of winning the nomination at a brokered convention. Now, Kasich is saying much the same things:
“Well maybe they’re spoiling it for me. Maybe they all ought to get out," the governor of Ohio told Fox News on Monday, touting his experience and record in an interview.
The difference is that Rubio is serious when he whines that he coulda shoulda won if Kasich would just have gotten out of his way, while Kasich seems to understand that he has to keep fighting and winning delegates rather than expecting things to be handed to him on a silver platter. But Kasich's vision of the fight definitely stretches to the convention:
"The delegates will be smart, and they’ll figure it out," Kasich said. "I was at a convention where Ronald Reagan challenged Gerald Ford. Ford won and the party was unified. But, you know, to say – I have more than you, therefore I should get it? Go out and earn it! Don’t be whining about how it’s gonna work. Go get what you need to be the legitimate winner!"
The subtext, which would change after tomorrow's votes in Michigan, Mississippi and Idaho, is that several candidates may arrive in Cleveland, and the winner of a plurality of delegates might be unacceptable to the party establishment. Were Kasich to start winning March 15, he might be able to argue that the voters in the first primaries made an error that voters in later states corrected.
Kasich has overtaken Marco Rubio in recent Michigan polling and is even contending with Ted Cruz for second place, so Tuesday may be a good day for him—and for the chances of a brokered convention, whoever the competitors are once that day comes.