STATEMENT: John Kasich Finishes Strong In New Hampshire, Continues To Beat Expectations

February 9, 2016 – In response to Ohio Governor John Kasich's strong performance in the New Hampshire primary, New Day For America Executive Director Matt Carle released the following statement: 

"Throughout this campaign, John Kasich's optimistic vision for our country set him apart from the other candidates in this race, and the voters just rewarded him for it. For months, the media, political pundits and other campaigns attempted to write his political obituary. Undoubtedly, these same people will now say John Kasich doesn't have the resources or the organization to win. It seems the more people doubt John Kasich, the stronger he gets. John Kasich is the conservative, optimistic leader who has won 12-out-of-12 elections in the key swing state of Ohio and can win in November. State by state, we're confident he will continue to connect with voters and ultimately become our Republican nominee. On to South Carolina!"

STANDING IN THE 2016 FIELD

Roll Call In January 2016: “It’s Official: Put A Fork In Kasich’s Candidacy”(Stuart Rothenberg, “It’s Official: Put A Fork In Kasich’s Candidacy,” Roll Call, 1/29/16)

Bloomberg, On Kasich’s New Hampshire Standing In December 2015: “So Far, The Pieces Do Not Appear To Be Falling Into Place…” “Governors Chris Christie of New Jersey, John Kasich of Ohio and Jeb Bush (formerly) of Florida were supposed to prove their political clout in the Granite State. No Republican in the modern primary era since the 1970s has won the nomination without taking Iowa or New Hampshire, and the three have staked their campaigns on the state where the Republican electorateelatively centrist compared to Iowa and South Carolina, has successfully selected the past two Republican nominees.  So far, the pieces do not appear to be falling into place for anti-Trump Republicans.” (Sahil Kapur and Kevin Cirilli, “How Anti-Trump Republicans Are Blowing Their Chance In New Hampshire,” Bloomberg, 12/23/15)

The Columbus Dispatch In December 2015: “Kasich’s Campaign Seen As Lacking Momentum” (Jessica Wehrman and Jack Torry, “Kasich’s Campaign Seen As Lacking Momentum,” The Columbus Dispatch, 12/7/15)

The Washington Times In November 2015: Kasich Has “Stalled, Leaving Analysts To Question His Strategy Choices.” “He got a late start as one of the last candidates to announce, in a field already crowded with governors appealing to the establishment wing of the GOP — leaving him little choice but to try to make a stand in New Hampshire, which is the most moderate-friendly of the early-primary states. A well-received performance in the first presidential debate in August gave him a boost, but he’s since stalled, leaving analysts to question his strategy choices.” (Kelly Riddell, “Kasich Pins Presidential Hopes On NewHampshire Primary,” The Washington Times, 11/2/15)

Conservative Commentator Brent Bozell In November 2015: “Remember Wile E. Coyote Going Over The Cliff And Landing With A Pathetic ‘Poof’? That Was The Kasich Campaign Tonight.” “Instead, he finds himself mocked by his party’s base as a liberal turncoat in a way that echoes the reaction to Jon Huntsman’s short-lived 2012 campaign. After the Fox debateedState founder Erick Erickson labeled Kasich an ‘ass.’ Brent Bozell tweeted: ‘Remember Wile E. Coyote going over the cliff and landing with a pathetic ‘poof’? That was the Kasich campaign tonight.’” (Gabriel Sherman, “And John Kasich Is the Angry One?,” NewYork Magazine, 11/13/15)

Dayton Daily News Headline In October 2015: “Kasich Losing Traction In Crowded GOP Race” (Jessica Wehrman, “Kasich Losing Traction In Crowded GOP Race,” Dayton Daily News, 10/9/15)

National Review, On Kasich In October 2015: “His Poll Numbers Slipping And His Path To The Presidential Nomination Looking Increasingly Narrow…” “With his poll numbers slipping and his path to the presidential nomination looking increasingly narrow, Kasich is preparing to fight to break out of the pack and ensure that when New Hampshire voters go to the polls in February, they go with him. Kasich has worked hard to portray himself as the adult in the room: a popular governor of a swing state, a former congressman who helped push through the last balanced budget, a candidate willing to own the fact that he might be more palatable in a general election than in a primary, and unwilling to engage in the histrionic squabbles that have so far defined the Republican field.”  (Alexis Levinson, “As His Poll Numbers Slide, Kasich Goes On The Offensive,”National Review, 10/15/15)

The Columbus Dispatch In October 2015: “These Have Not Been Easy Days For Republican Presidential Candidate John Kasich. A Spate Of Fresh Polls Shows He Is Fading…” “These have not been easy days for Republican presidential candidate John Kasich. A spate of fresh polls shows he is fading not only in New Hampshire but also in his own state of Ohio. He was relatively invisible in the last Republican presidential debate and seems unable to break past the dominant presence of New York billionaire Donald Trumpetired Baltimore neurosurgeon Ben Carson and former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina.” (Jessica Wehrman and Jack Torry, “Can Kasich Regain Lost Momentum?,” The Columbus Dispatch, 10/12/15)

The Christian Science Monitor In September 2015: “Does John Kasich Have A Strategic Plan, And If He Does, What Is It?” “Does John Kasich have a strategic plan, and if he does, what is it? Those are questions that ran through our head every time Ohio Governor Kasich got rolling during the Republican debate at the Ronald Reagan library near Los Angeles on Wednesday night. He spoke well, so this isn’t a comment on his particular debate performance. It’s just that he seemed like such an outlier.” (Peter Grier, “GOP Debate: What Was John Kasich Thinking?,” The Christian Science Monitor, 9/17/15)

National Review Headline In August 2015: “John Kasich’s Exaggerated Momentum” (Jim Geraghty, “John Kasich’s Exaggerated Momentum,” National Review, 8/4/15)

Politico In July 2015: “John Kasich Throws A Hail Mary: The Ohio Governor Needs To Get His Name Out There, And Fast” (Alex Isenstadt, “John Kasich Throws A Hail Mary,” Politico, 7/21/15)

Conservative Commentator Erick Erickson: “John Kasich Does Not Want To Be President. He Wants To Be The Guy Who Scuttles The Chances Of Other Candidates.” “Erick Erickson, editor-in-chief of the conservative website RedState.com, wrote Wednesday that Ohio Gov. John Kasich (R) would only enter the 2016 GOP presidential race to “take out another Republican” like assassin John Wilkes Booth. Erickson’s comments about Kasich, who has been considering entering the race, were made in a blog post for ‘The Erick Erickson Show’ and in an email to his subscribers. ‘John Kasich does not want to be President. He wants to be the guy who scuttles the chances of other candidates,’ Erickson wrote. ‘This isn’t a Presidential campaign, it is John Wilkes Booth acting on a debate stage until he can take out another Republican. Metaphorically speaking, of course.’”(Ahiza Garcia, “Erick Erickson: Kasich Would Be Like 'John Wilkes Booth' If He Runs For Prez,” Talking Points Memo, 6/11/15)

DEBATE STAGE DOUBTS

The Wall Street Journal In January 2016: “The Primetime Event Is Likely To Feature Fewer Candidates. … Ohio Gov. John Kasich Could Get Bumped…”“Another GOP debate takes place next Thursday, and the primetime event is likely to feature fewer candidates. Host Fox Business Network will announce Monday which candidates qualify. … And Ohio Gov. John Kasich could get bumped too.” (Randy Yeip, “At The Next Republican Debate, A Less Crowded Stage?,” The Wall Street Journal, 1/8/16)

The Columbus Dispatch In January 2016: “He Has Squeaked Into Each Of Five Debates Featuring The Top-Polling Republican Contenders. But Kasich’s Poll Numbers Are Stagnant.” “So far he has squeaked into each of five debates featuring the top-polling Republican contenders. But Kasich’s poll numbers are stagnant. And poll numbers are the main criteria used to determine who participates in the main event and who suffers the indignity of being in the “kiddie table” debate that serves as a warm-up act.” (Henry J. Gomez, “What To Expect From John Kasich As He Enters The Most Important Month Of His Political Career,” The Cleveland Plain Dealer, 1/6/16)

The Washington Post, On Kasich’s Debate Stage Standing In July 2015: “The Problem Is That He's Likely Too Late. … That Puts Kasich Out Of The Running -- And By A Decent Percentage.” “The short-term problem is different, but related. Kasich hopes to be able to parlay his announcement into enough of a bump in the polls to make the stage at the first debate in Ohio on August 6. The problem is that he's likely too late. … To determine participation, Fox will look at the average of the five most recent national polls. That puts Kasich out of the running -- and by a decent percentage.” (Philip Bump, “John Kasich’s Three Big Problems,” The Washington Post, 7/21/15)

The Washington Post In July 2015: “Kasich Starts So Far Down The Ladder … That There’s A Chance That He Might Not Even Make It Onto The Stage Of The First Republican Debate…”  “Kasich starts so far down the ladder – polling nationally at about 2 percent — that there’s a chance that he might not even make it onto the stage of the first Republican debate in his home state of Ohio. His three-day swing through New Hampshire is his best chance to get a bump in the ratings, and get on stage. How he starts is crucial to how he finishes.” (Ben Terris, “Kasich ‘Not Too Hot, Or Too Cold’ At His First New Hampshire Town Hall,” The Washington Post, 7/21/15)

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EMILY’s List Statement on New Hampshire Republican Primary Results

NARAL STATEMENT ON NH PRIMARY RESULTS