Post by Logan on Jan 20, 2016 20:01:56 GMT -6
CONCORD, N.H. -- “Fun, hopeful, positive, and inspiring” — these were the four words John Kasich used Wednesday to describe his presidential campaign, which offers proof, once again, that he’s not waging nearly the same campaign as his Republican rivals.
At a time when GOP presidential candidates are competing to see who can describe America’s challenges in the most apocalyptic terms possible, Kasich is running as the Happy Warrior. In a one-hour town hall at a local Shriner’s hall in Concord, Kasich said the kind of things that you don’t often hear from Republicans these days. He’s tired of the negativity of his opponents. He doesn’t want to talk about Barack Obama, not even to bad-mouth him. He says the problems facing the United States are not really that hard — and can be easily solved. He talks about working with Democrats to solve serious national challenges. He is a decidedly empathetic person. He is the anti-Trump.
However, what’s most ironic about Kasich’s aspirational public personae is that his number one issue is that ultimate “eat your spinach” policy position: balancing the budget. With a large debt clock looming over those gathered to hear Kasich speak, it’s clear that cutting the national debt has become the animating force of his presidential campaign. In flinty, fiscally responsible and sober-minded New Hampshire, it’s a smart message. Indeed, Kasich’s entire approach to the primary, of trying to ratchet things down at a time when every Republican is trying to light things up provides a good explanation for his recent strong polling numbers in New Hampshire. With momentum in his favor, it’s not out of the realm of possibility that Kasich could finish second here and perhaps follow in the footsteps of the token “moderate” from the 2012 campaign, Jon Huntsman.
The problem, however, for Kasich is that his message is too New Hampshire-centric, and is unlikely to have much play when the race moves on from the Granite State.
Continued at www.bostonglobe.com/opinion/2016/01/20/kasich-may-play-well-but-just-wait/eCODb5ktNNPldFNNwOhIMO/story.html .
At a time when GOP presidential candidates are competing to see who can describe America’s challenges in the most apocalyptic terms possible, Kasich is running as the Happy Warrior. In a one-hour town hall at a local Shriner’s hall in Concord, Kasich said the kind of things that you don’t often hear from Republicans these days. He’s tired of the negativity of his opponents. He doesn’t want to talk about Barack Obama, not even to bad-mouth him. He says the problems facing the United States are not really that hard — and can be easily solved. He talks about working with Democrats to solve serious national challenges. He is a decidedly empathetic person. He is the anti-Trump.
However, what’s most ironic about Kasich’s aspirational public personae is that his number one issue is that ultimate “eat your spinach” policy position: balancing the budget. With a large debt clock looming over those gathered to hear Kasich speak, it’s clear that cutting the national debt has become the animating force of his presidential campaign. In flinty, fiscally responsible and sober-minded New Hampshire, it’s a smart message. Indeed, Kasich’s entire approach to the primary, of trying to ratchet things down at a time when every Republican is trying to light things up provides a good explanation for his recent strong polling numbers in New Hampshire. With momentum in his favor, it’s not out of the realm of possibility that Kasich could finish second here and perhaps follow in the footsteps of the token “moderate” from the 2012 campaign, Jon Huntsman.
The problem, however, for Kasich is that his message is too New Hampshire-centric, and is unlikely to have much play when the race moves on from the Granite State.
Continued at www.bostonglobe.com/opinion/2016/01/20/kasich-may-play-well-but-just-wait/eCODb5ktNNPldFNNwOhIMO/story.html .