Gov. John Kasich (R-OH)
Ohio Gov. John Kasich is joining the Republican presidential primary, a move he's scheduled to officially announce at 11 a.m. eastern time on Tuesday. Kasich's main strength is that he's governor of the key swing state of Ohio. His weaknesses are ... several.
Kasich is polling at 1.8 percent nationally and is therefore unlikely to get into the first Republican primary debate on August 6. His entry into the race was preceded by a round of articles about his bad temper (which his campaign is attempting to brand as refreshing and authentic bluntness). And he's getting into the race late. How late?
Kasich’s speech comes precisely 16 years and a week after he pulled out of the 2000 presidential race, and exactly a year before the 2016 Republican nominee will gives the acceptance speech at the party’s national convention in Cleveland.
The path to victory Kasich is banking on
starts in New Hampshire:
The governor has stocked his campaign with veterans of New Hampshire politics, including [John] Weaver, an architect of John McCain’s 2000 primary win in the state. (Weaver and Fred Davis, Kasich’s media consultant, also worked for former Ambassador Jon Huntsman, who turned New Hampshire into an outpost in his 2012 bid for the nomination but fell short.) Kasich has also established a political action committee, New Day for America, which has purchased $3 million in TV advertising in the state.
But even though Kasich has made several pre-campaign campaign trips there, he's still only polling at
two percent. And, uh, having Jon Huntsman's advisers on board is not the most awe-inspiring move: "I have advisers who last worked with a candidate who banked on New Hampshire and came in third there."
Still, Kasich is the sitting governor of a heavily populated state, and an important swing state. So an extremely long shot he may be, but at least he's no George Pataki or Lindsey Graham.