What's with the Kasich boner?

[Oswald Acted Alone, You Kook]

Seriously, everyone here seems to be in love with him.

[RR1997]

Who is this "Kaish" guy you speak of? I don't remember seeing him on tonight's debate.

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

Because he came out of nowhere and won the debate???

[exopolitician]

He doesn't seem crazy. That's always a plus.

[dudeabides]

Kasich was okay tonight. Christie and Rubio stood out, Paul was feisty, and Bush stood his ground. Walker and Kasich were decent, but nothing special.

[DrScholl]

I think because he expanded Medicaid and said he has a gay friend, that translated to "HE CAN BEAT HILLARY" and that is all a lot of Republicans are worried about.

[Dereich]

He was this debate's Huntsman: a candidate the leftists of the forum could point to and say: "See? One of them is SLIGHTLY less crazy!"

[MisSkeptic]

He was this debate's Huntsman: a candidate the leftists of the forum could point to and say: "See? One of them is SLIGHTLY less crazy!"

I remember reading about Huntsman on Rationalwiki's page of him. Seems interesting. However, I would like to root on the Huntsman spider. That spider looks awesome.

[HagridOfTheDeep]

Kasich was okay tonight. Christie and Rubio stood out, Paul was feisty, and Bush stood his ground. Walker and Kasich were decent, but nothing special.

Dude, you are such a hack.

[Adam Griffin]

I've been saying for months that Kasich is a dark horse candidate who stands at least as good of a chance of winning the GOP nomination as Bush. He is a moderate Republican (except when it comes to labor, but unlike Walker, his most extreme decisions never came to pass and so the OH electorate doesn't seem to hold it against him) who has all of the establishment credibility of Bush without the baggage, he has made a variety of tough decisions that make him stand out from his competitors in terms of not always pleasing the Republican base (but can still sell the decisions to the base in a way that neutralizes a lot of the anger), he knows how to speak the language that makes Middle America cream its pants and unlike Bush, he is a widely-popular current Governor in/of what is deemed the most important swing state in the country.

He is the candidate Democrats should fear most. Midwestern communitarian-style Republicans are the most formidable type of Republican, IMO. The only problem he has is that he looks a little goofy/too animated on the debate stage.

[Joe Republic]

Simple: the studio audience already like their own governor, so every time he opened his mouth he got a standing ovation.  Apparently that means he won?

[Kingpoleon]

I've been saying for months that Kasich is a dark horse candidate who stands at least as good of a chance of winning the GOP nomination as Bush. He is a moderate Republican (except when it comes to labor, but unlike Walker, his most extreme decisions never came to pass and so the OH electorate doesn't seem to hold it against him) who has all of the establishment credibility of Bush without the baggage, he has made a variety of tough decisions that make him stand out from his competitors in terms of not always pleasing the Republican base (but can still sell the decisions to the base in a way that neutralizes a lot of the anger), he knows how to speak the language that makes Middle America cream its pants and unlike Bush, he is a widely-popular current Governor in/of what is deemed the most important swing state in the country.

He is the candidate Democrats should fear most. Midwestern communitarian-style Republicans are the most formidable type of Republican, IMO. The only problem he has is that he looks a little goofy/too animated on the debate stage.

Many unions endorsed him in 2014, which caused the start of his opponent's explosion.

Because he came out of nowhere and won the debate???

"A dark horse - he wrote and balanced the budget and cut taxes, the policies even moderate [other partiers] agree with in a general election while appealing to independents, serving nearly two decades on foreign policy, and became Governor of the most important bellwether state after working as a maverick host on his party's main news source - has won the debates after perfectly timing his announcement to slip in."

It is the perfect script, honestly.

[GMantis]

He is easily the best candidate the Republicans could nominate this time. This should be enough of an explanation.

[Chancellor Tanterterg]

Because he came out of nowhere and won the debate???

Nah, Trump clearly won the debate.

[pbrower2a]

Kasich seems the most competent -- prepared with legitimate achievements (of course, the economic growth is an effect of the OBAMA-era recovery)... and not being trapped in contradictions or right-wing boilerplate.

Unlike the others he has not been overexposed. 

[Torie]

Seriously, everyone here seems to be in love with him.

Because they agreed with what he said more than the other candidates. It's always tough to separate style from substance. I mean Huckabee gave a few very crisp and articulate answers, the substance of which was horrific, so that makes it hard to say he did well when you think that. Make sense?

Kasich still has a problem with his "aw shucks" manner and awkward body movements. And I am getting tired of hearing that his Dad was a mailman. I look forward to a debate down the line with fewer players, where the candidates have more time to discuss their policy ideas, and Trump calls in sick, and is absent. He's a huge distraction and sucks up valuable time with his antics, and of course by questions that are all about his "colorful" past.

[Mr. Illini]

It's because he is the sane man in the room

[Republican Michigander]

Kasich was the last guy to balance the DC budget and balanced Ohio's budget without raising taxes. He's also won tough districts and won Ohio statewide twice.

I haven't decided, but he's in my top three with Cruz and Walker.

[The Free North]

Kasich was helped enormously by the crowd. Had this debate been in Iowa or New Hampshire, I doubt people would have thought he did as well.


Everything he said was met with huge applause.

[Fuzzy Bear]

Because he came out of nowhere and won the debate???

Kasich only appeared to come out of nowhere.  He comes from a state the GOP needs to win, which makes it SOMEWHERE!

He's only "moderate" by Tea Party standards.  He was conservative enough to once be a FOX talking head.  And he IS the most electable of all the GOP crowd, which people are beginning to see.  The posters here who picked up on this are 100% right about this.

[Blair]

I thought it was Clinton's  budget in 1993 that put a path on for balancing the budget?

Aside from that he's perfect for Atlasia. He's the sane GOP member allowing some people to prove they're not partisan hacks, and he lets the moderates shows they're not tea party members. Often who people support shows a lot more than just their politics, or am I over thinking it?

[Torie]

I thought it was Clinton's  budget in 1993 that put a path on for balancing the budget?

Aside from that he's perfect for Atlasia. He's the sane GOP member allowing some people to prove they're not partisan hacks, and he lets the moderates shows they're not tea party members. Often who people support shows a lot more than just their politics, or am I over thinking it?

The latter, but that is OK. Some folks like Kasich's style, some like his Kemp like interest in lifting up the poor, some like that he seems relatively unscripted, and just says what he thinks, rather than what has been focus grouped or polled to death, and some like all of those things. Suggesting that folks support someone to prove something to someone else, I think is kind of a put down myself that I don't think has much justification.

[Chancellor Tanterterg]

ITT Atlas Democrats love a union-busting right-winger because he went to a gay wedding once.

[ElectionsGuy]

I echo the same feeling. I thought Kasich had good moments. But I don't get why people are saying he decisively won the debate or that he was clearly the winner. He repeated talking points all night.

[andrew_c]

Unlike most other Republican candidates, Kasich is actually sane and competent.