What happened to Kasich?

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

he never had a chance, mostly because he appealed to atlas's Very Serious People instead of republican primary voters

Fundamentally, this is the truth. It's a known rule that the candidate most attractive to Atlasites, is almost certainly doomed in the dog-catcher van full of rabid mutts, known as the GOP primary.

Rash, reactionary and simple now trumps (lol) sensible, rational and thoughtful (and it's not like Kasich is objectively moderate ... He's just not certifiable).