In Ohio GOP Primary, President Trump Is King And Kasich Is the Court Jester

In A Race To The Right, GOP Candidates Run Away From Kasich

Here’s a headline from the Cincinnati Enquirer you don’t see very often:

Ouch.

As the Republican primary heats up, all the candidates are desperately trying to claim the mantle of “Most Trumpian” – a dangerous move that puts them well outside the mainstream for the general election.

Even worse, the GOP candidates are using Kasich’s endorsement, or accusations of his endorsement, as a cudgel.

After Lt. Governor Mary Taylor said, “It’s widely known that Jon Husted and Mike DeWine have been endorsed by Governor Kasich,” Husted used Siri to highlight the fact the Lt. Governor had already been endorsed by the incumbent governor.

Lt. Governor Mary Taylor couldn’t let it end there, and is now desperately trying to erase an entire year’s worth of meetings and phone calls with Governor Kasich.

Unfortunately for her, the Governor has the receipts.

His spokesperson confirmed this claim as untrue, and the Columbus Dispatch reported yesterday Mary Taylor and Governor Kasich met “at least eight times during the first half of 2017, including a one-on-one meeting Jan. 30.”

So why are all the candidates feverishly distancing themselves from John Kasich?

It comes down to John Kasich’s decision to insure hundreds of thousands of Ohioans through Medicaid expansion versus cozying up to Donald Trump.

“The Republican candidates in the Ohio primary are sprinting towards Donald Trump and can’t run away from John Kasich fast enough,” said DGA Communications Director Jared Leopold. “At the same time, 62 percent of Ohioans want to retain and improve the Affordable Care Act, not replace it. This ridiculous charade shows how out-of-touch the GOP gubernatorial candidates are with actual Ohioans. It would be funny if it wasn’t so sad.”