Throughout this campaign, John Kasich has presented himself as the only candidate who cares about discussing policy solutions to our nation’s problems. He reminds us that “when people hear my message, they like what they hear.” Inevitably this statement is followed up with the constant complaint that he hasn’t been given his fair share of media attention. Instead, media attention, according to Kasich, has been given to individuals like Donald Trump; a man Kasich assures us will never be the GOP nominee.
Fox News had a 13th debate scheduled to occur on Monday March 21st. I have some questions which have yet to be answered. However, Kasich refused to attend the debate because Donald Trump wasn’t going to be there… It’s interesting that Kasich would condition his attendance at a Presidential debate, based on the presence of someone who allegedly has no chance of becoming the party’s nominee.
Perhaps Kasich’s message is not as popular as he claims… This might explain why despite assurances of his strength as a candidate in the Midwest, Kasich lost Illinois, Michigan, Iowa, Minnesota, and Missouri. We are also told Kasich will find favorable territory once he “hitches up his covered wagon” and heads west. I guess on Kasich’s map, Nevada, Wyoming, Idaho, North Dakota, Hawaii, and Alaska are not western states. Then we have endless claims of his strength in eastern states, which apparently no longer includes Main, New Hampshire, Vermont, Virginia, Massachusetts, North Carolina, or South Carolina. Admittedly there’s always the possibility of picking up massive support in southern states, so long as they don’t follow the lead of Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, Kentucky, Kansas, Texas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas.
Whether Kasich is able to clench 112% of the remaining delegates needed to win remains to be seen. Regardless, Kasich can no longer complain that he doesn’t receive a fair share of media attention. Frankly, his refusal to attend a debate, the first one containing only three candidates, giving him substantial time to present his message, demonstrates that in reality he has received all the media attention he is entitled to: that being none.