Will Kasich get primaried over taking the Medicaid expansion?

[Indy Texas]

I've been perusing the conservative Internets lately looking at the Right's take on Governor Kasich's "sell out." The comment sections inevitably call for a "real conservative" to take out Kasich. Is a True Believer going to field a primary challenge? And if so, does this make it easier for the Democrats to win back that seat in 2014?

[Maxwell]

I don't believe there is a serious Tea Party guy in Ohio. I mean, Kasich ran as "Tea Party before there was a Tea Party".

[MaxQue]

Kasich is smart. He knows than the problem will be the general, not the primary and than taking the expansion will help him in the general (but not in the primary).

[wan]

Looks like a Republican pulled out a calculator and actually did some math for a change. 

[Snowstalker Mk. II]

Government subsidization of retirees' health care is fine, but for poor people? That's socialism!

[Small Business Owner of Any Repute]

No.

[Maxwell]

Besides, who is going to run against him from the right? Mike Dewine? The guy, in this day and age, is a moderate republican by all means. Rob Portman? probably wouldn't be suited to be an executive, seems much more of a legislator if anything. Ken Blackwell? a joke.

[Indy Texas]

Besides, who is going to run against him from the right? Mike Dewine? The guy, in this day and age, is a moderate republican by all means. Rob Portman? probably wouldn't be suited to be an executive, seems much more of a legislator if anything. Ken Blackwell? a joke.

What about some Ron Johnson-type businessman with no prior political connections?

[Maxwell]

Besides, who is going to run against him from the right? Mike Dewine? The guy, in this day and age, is a moderate republican by all means. Rob Portman? probably wouldn't be suited to be an executive, seems much more of a legislator if anything. Ken Blackwell? a joke.

What about some Ron Johnson-type businessman with no prior political connections?

That's a distinct possibility, but I think Kasich has enough sway with conservative republicans that I think that this isn't going to have much effect. Plus, Kasich's approvals are on the up now, so I think he's not dead in the waters like a Rick Scott or Paul LePage.

[TJ in Oregon]

I highly doubt it. First off Kasich is too popular for people to be lining up in a primary. Second, if you look around at the type of Republicans in office in Ohio, most are establishment types rather than Tea Partiers. The most notable Tea Partier in Ohio is probably Jim Jordan and he's not about to throw out a safe congressional district for as long as he wants it to primary a sitting governor.

The sentiment in the Ohio GOP is that we pushed too far with Senate Bill 5 and really don't want to get burned again. And the a decent portion of the Republican voters also voted to strike that down, along with substantial legislators. There's just not that much room to Kasich's right that he needs to worry.

[Badger]

No.

This. There were some serious tea party primary candidate for state office (e.g. Auditor) in the TP's high water mark of 2010, and they were soundly beaten by establishment candidates.

[Oldiesfreak1854]

Kasich is a dead man walking, so I don't think it really matters.

[Maxwell]

Kasich is a dead man walking, so I don't think it really matters.

I'll be the dummy and bite this time.

The man's numbers have been a consistent upward slope since the beginning of his term. Now he's 45-40 approvals and the trend is upward. How is that a dead man walking? Do you just say things to get people to respond to you?

[politicallefty]

I don't think Kasich is necessarily DOA, but he's going to get a very strong Democratic challenge next year. He definitely doesn't have to worry about a primary challenge, even with his decision on Medicaid. That's a move looking towards the general election. I think it's a shame Strickland isn't running again, as I think he could win the governor's mansion in 2014. Kasich will still be highly vulnerable no matter what happens, but he's not DOA.

[nclib]

Probably not.

Which other GOP Governors have taken it?--NV, AZ, NM, VA, who else?

[greenforest32]

Probably not.

Which other GOP Governors have taken it?--NV, AZ, NM, VA, who else?

I don't think McDonnell supports it (he spoke against an expansion in his 2013 state of the state address in January). Otherwise the current number of Republican governors in support is 6 (NV, AZ, NM, ND, OH, MI): http://www.advisory.com/MedicaidMap

Not sure which way the remaining undecided GOP governors (AK, FL, IN, KS, NC, TN, UT, WI) will go. Haslam (TN) said similar things to McDonnell iirc and I wonder about McCrory (NC) considering he appointed Art Pope as budget director and the talk of abolishing the state income tax. Florida might be similar to Michigan and Ohio as Rick Scott has recently switched from hard opposition to iffy and the expansion polls relatively well there.

http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2013-02-08/news/os-scott-tiger-bay-speech-20130208_1_medicaid-expansion-expansion-cost-scott

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http://www.wtsp.com/news/health/article/296975/12/Poll-62-of-Floridians-support-Medicaid-expansion

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http://www.acscan.org/content/media-center/medicaid-poll/

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