In a year dominated by a dramatic presidential election, each candidate has received intense scrutiny. However, the least attention has fallen to Ohio Governor and last place candidate John Kasich. Even as the media followed the more outspoken candidates as they fought tooth and nail for attention, Kasich continued his campaign in the same levelheaded and polite manner as he began it. By staying on message and running a clean campaign free of scandal, Kasich rose gradually in the ranks of the Republican nominees as other candidates dropped out, finally earning the attention from the press that his campaign deserves.

The factor that has begun to set Kasich apart from his competition is the positive message that he preaches. As attack ads fly across the political landscape, Kasich takes the stance that reason will eventually prevail over the slanderous mudslinging that characterizes the campaigns of the top two Republican candidates, real estate mogul Donald Trump and Texas Senator Ted Cruz. Each one has taken shots at Kasich, stooping to name calling tactics, mocking the governor’s lower numbers and attempting to connect him to prominent democratic leaders to discredit him. However, by utilizing the tool of respect rather than insult, Kasich has attracted the attention of many voters looking to avoid supporting such divisive Republican candidates.

Before getting too excited about Kasich’s chances, remember that his results in the primaries place him far behind the top two candidates. He holds the votes of  143 delegates, while Cruz and Trump surge ahead with 545 and 743 delegates, respectively. These disappointing numbers raise serious doubts about Kasich’s ability to excite and compel the American public in a meaningful way. The outcry from a concerned faction of the Republican party calls for Kasich’s third place race to end in order to allow more successful candidates to absorb his votes, allowing them to achieve even higher numbers.

Both Trump and Cruz hold the opinion that Kasich has no place staying in the election. However, as they stand to benefit the most from his absence, this is to be expected. Trump claims that if Kasich left, he would automatically win the Republican Primary. This hypothesis seems unlikely to hold up, since the moderate crowd that Kasich attracts seems far more likely to gravitate towards Cruz than to Trump’s exaggerated statements and bombastic nature. Cruz takes the pragmatic approach in his denouncing of Kasich’s campaign of appealing to the large demographic of voters who strongly disapprove of Trump. He claims that if Kasich drops out, it would give him a good chance of beating Trump outright, and that this would be better for the country in the long run.

While the other candidates seem all too willing to change their message to pull in votes, Kasich’s constancy seems a quality that would serve him well as president. Don’t count on him pulling out of this election yet, because it seems he’s as stalwart as ever to lead our nation. — Andrew Moore

Kasich’s argument for staying in the presidential race hinges not on winning a majority of delegates like the other two candidates, but on ensuring that his competitors don’t win by a majority. This eventuality would cause a rare occurrence called a contested convention, where the delegates vote a second time, and aren’t required to stick with their original choice. In other words, Kasich could absorb the votes of Trump and Cruz in this contested convention and become the Republican nominee as long as he looks like the most convincing candidate at that point in the race.

In polls against Democratic frontrunner Hillary Clinton, Kasich has scored the highest of the three remaining candidates, which he claims as the primary reason why he should be considered in the contested convention. He makes a valid point, since the childlike behavior of Trump and Cruz might paint a stark contrast to Clinton’s calm persona, tilting the election drastically in her favor if either of them were to run against her.

Many moderate Republican voters find themselves at a difficult crossroads in this election. On one hand, the behavior and policy of Trump and Cruz seem unpalatable, and voting for them might go against certain beliefs they hold dear. On the other hand, it doesn’t make much sense to vote for someone like Kasich, who can’t poll highly enough to even approach the numbers of the other candidates. Can someone like Kasich compete against the Democratic competition with exclusively positive campaigning tactics in the cutthroat battle that politics has become? These questions linger as the tension of the election escalates.

In my mind, the variable to cut through the noise is the steady nature of Kasich’s campaign. He hasn’t resorted to dirty tactics like the others, and has consistently gained momentum. If a second ballot is called in the Republican convention, that building momentum gives him a solid chance to come out ahead. Therefore, we can’t eliminate him simply based on his weak polling so far. As far as policy, Kasich seems to exemplify a moderate Republican, and those of that affiliation looking to elect a leader with their values should look no further. While the other candidates seem all too willing to change their message to pull in votes, Kasich’s constancy seems a quality that would serve him well as president. Don’t count on him pulling out of this election yet, because it seems he’s as stalwart as ever to lead our nation.

Information for this article found at: www.cincinnati.com and RealClearPolitics.

This author can be reached via Twitter: @Andrew_Mooooore and via email: Andrew Moore.

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