Kasich wouldn't be doing much better!!!!

[🐒Gods of Prosperity🔱🐲💸]

The idea that "the base" would stay home because of a moderate candidate is an unsubstantiated one. The same thing was said about McCain and Romney and didn't pan out. Considering that "the base" seems to agree with Trump on Hillary being the devil incarnate, I don't think Kasich would have a problem.

Not true -- McCain and Romney made strong pivots to the right in the primaries to offset their prior positions (e.g. RomneyCare, the 2007 immigration bill). By the summer of 2012, Romney was considered a strong Reagan-esque conservative.

Additionally, Romney and McCain, unlike Kasich, were charismatic candidates with charming backgrounds -- one was a Vietnam POW who couldn't raise his arms above his head because of the torture he endured; the other was a tall, handsome millionaire who once ran the Olympics. Hence, voters and journalists didn't ignore them, as they ignored Kasich.

yeah, when I think "charismatic," I think of Mitt Romney.

[OSR stands with Israel]

Kasich, like it or not, is a likeable guy. He doesn't have the charisma of many others, but he has an unmatched optimism and belief in the good of America.

To counter your points, usually the better known someone is, the more undecideds they win. His optimism has not been matched since Ronald Reagan. He would have brought the country together, and it's a shame he lost.

[Redban]

Kasich, like it or not, is a likeable guy. He doesn't have the charisma of many others, but he has an unmatched optimism and belief in the good of America.

To counter your points, usually the better known someone is, the more undecideds they win. His optimism has not been matched since Ronald Reagan. He would have brought the country together, and it's a shame he lost.

OK -- but that "likeability," "optimism," and "belief in the good of America" didn't help him win any votes in the primaries, showing that those characteristics are not enough.

[PeteB]

Kasich, like it or not, is a likeable guy. He doesn't have the charisma of many others, but he has an unmatched optimism and belief in the good of America.

To counter your points, usually the better known someone is, the more undecideds they win. His optimism has not been matched since Ronald Reagan. He would have brought the country together, and it's a shame he lost.

OK -- but that "likeability," "optimism," and "belief in the good of America" didn't help him win any votes in the primaries, showing that those characteristics are not enough.

That's because there was a vocal minority of Primary voters who were turned on by negativity and Trump's bombast. You can argue whether they were right or wrong (and I think they were dead wrong), but you cannot argue that those same characteristics will lead to a GOP loss with GE voters. Trump is tumbling against Hillary and all the polls (and I mean numerous and varied polls) showed that Kasich would have been a strong challenger to Hillary.

I am still not sure whether Kasich (or Ryan), at this late stage, could catch up and beat Clinton, but I am fairly certain that Trump has no chance in h..l to do that.

[pbrower2a]

It is hard to imagine any of the other Republican contenders to so bungle the Republican National Convention as Donald Trump did. We would not see evidence of a collapse of a campaign so soon after the Democratic National Convention. Donald trump has given the Democrats several themes as troublesome to Republicans as the "Willie Horton" ad.

Let's put some of the credit where it is due -- on the Democrats. Barack Obama has been a reasonably-good President, and he remains an awesome politician. He gave his political machine intact to Hillary Clinton, and he gave an impressive speech. John Podhoretz, a speechwriter for Ronald Reagan, said that except for five paragraphs, Ronald Reagan could have used that speech. Podhoretz said "I should know". Democrats have an excellent data base, one that can target potential voters with relevant ads.