John Kasich Bucks Call By Reince Priebus To Unite Around Donald Trump, Says Ted Cruz Exit Is Part Of His Strategy
Despite the prevailing opinion that Donald Trump has finally nailed down the GOP nomination, John Kasich is not ready to exit stage left just yet. Shortly after Ted Cruz announced that he is suspending his bid for president, the Ohio Governor said that the high-profile departure would not have any effect on his own aspirations for the White House.
Via Facebook, the Kasich campaign assured supporters that the race will continue right down to the moment that the Republican National Convention convenes this summer. Through the message, John Kasich also took a swipe at Donald Trump himself for the controversial methods employed by the real estate mogul in his quest for a spot on the Republican ticket.
“Tonight’s results are not going to alter Gov. Kasich’s campaign plans. Our strategy has been and continues to be one that involves winning the nomination at an open convention. The comments from Trump, on the verge of winning in Indiana, heighten the differences between Governor Kasich and his positive, inclusive approach and the disrespectful ramblings from Donald Trump.”
On Twitter, John Kasich also gave props to his former rival Ted Cruz for a hard-fought run at the nomination.
Sen. @TedCruz should be proud of his strong and disciplined campaign. Texas is lucky to have you. Best wishes going forward. -John
— John Kasich (@JohnKasich) May 4, 2016
Kasich’s determination is not just in defiance of the odds, which decidedly rule him out of a win without a floor fight. At this point, his path forward is also contrary to the directive of his own party’s leadership. Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus called for the GOP to unite around Trump in the wake of Cruz’s exit from the race, despite signs that John Kasich is on board just yet.
.@realDonaldTrump will be presumptive @GOP nominee, we all need to unite and focus on defeating @HillaryClinton #NeverClinton
— Reince Priebus (@Reince) May 4, 2016
Indeed, while Donald Trump and Reince Priebus are looking ahead to a battle with Hillary Clinton, John Kasich still regards his campaign as one of “two paths” that remain in the present election cycle.
Now more than ever, there are two paths…https://t.co/XGNi1Uf8lT
— John Kasich (@JohnKasich) May 4, 2016
Cleveland-based Fox News affiliate FOX8 further noted that John Kasich has pledged to remain in contention unless a fellow Republican – presumably Donald Trump – clinches the required delegate count of 1,237 prior to the convention. The Republican National Convention will take place in Cleveland from July 18 through July 21.
Ohioans are largely divided on whether or not their chief executive should remain in the hunt at this point. A recent survey by Public Policy Polling indicates that 49 percent of Ohioans think Kasich should drop out while 38 percent would like to see him forge ahead. Ohio is the only state won by Kasich during the contentious primary season. According to election results published by the New York Times, Kasich beat Donald Trump by a respectable margin. Then again, Donald Trump is not exactly a favorite in the Midwestern battleground state, as the aforementioned Public Policy Polling results indicate that 57 percent of Ohio voters view the billionaire candidate unfavorably.
Donald Trump trounced both Ted Cruz and John Kasich in the Indiana primary election. His overwhelming victory came despite an alliance between Ted Cruz and John Kasich and Cruz’s announcement that he had tapped Carly Fiorina as a running mate. Many news outlets, including Cleveland, panned the aforementioned strategies as “desperation moves.”
[Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images]
