Maybe Kasich has better polling that what the public is seeing https://t.co/x1ySiev3Iv
— Dana Houle (@DanaHoule) September 19, 2016
I hope Kay sees this in the morning, because I’m really curious about her perspective from home base. At Politico, “Kasich camp bashes Priebus, warns of national GOP ‘wipeout'”:
Ohio Gov. John Kasich’s war with the national Republican Party exploded into the open Sunday night, when his top adviser thrashed GOP leader Reince Priebus and hinted that the presidential election may be out of reach for Donald Trump.
The statement, issued on official campaign letterhead, followed remarks by Priebus earlier Sunday suggesting the party might block the Ohio governor from running for president again because he has refused to support Trump.
“Thankfully, there are still leaders in this country who put principles before politics,” said John Weaver, Kasich’s adviser, adding, “The idea of a greater purpose beyond oneself may be alien to political party bosses like Reince Priebus, but it is at the center of everything Governor Kasich does.”…
Kasich’s statement was a stunning act of open hostility between the national Republican Party and the governor in perhaps the most crucial swing state — and at a sensitive moment in the election. Trump has risen in national polls and inched closer to Hillary Clinton in swing states. He’s even passed her in Ohio, perhaps his strongest chance to capture a state that Mitt Romney lost in 2012.
RNC spokesman Sean Spicer shrugged off the Kasich camp’s statement. “We are totally focused on winning back the White House and maintaining our majorities in the House and Senate,” Spicer said.
But another national GOP strategist, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Kasich may end up getting punished by Republican voters for breaking his word to support the party’s nominee — which he made along with other rivals last fall. In fact, the party also makes its lists and resources available to campaigns based on similar agreements, and Kasich was a beneficiary of those lists…
@alexburnsNYT But Kasich has tons of leverage over Preibus, seeing how he controls GOP operations in a critical state this year.
— Kevin M. Kruse (@KevinMKruse) September 19, 2016
RNC Chairman: Party could penalize former GOP candidates who don’t endorse Donald Trump https://t.co/Aj3srNcoon
— Kellyanne Conway (@KellyannePolls) September 18, 2016
RYAN: Jesus, Reince is lying like crazy for you. Shame on him.
TRUMP: Yeah, so much more dignified to crawl around ducking cameras like you— Owen Ellickson (@onlxn) September 18, 2016
And if Trump loses, I bet there are a lot of Republicans who want to penalize Priebus https://t.co/VQDXeTmSuZ
— Dan Pfeiffer (@danpfeiffer) September 18, 2016
Late Night Open Thread: Kasich Escapes the CompoundPost + Comments (95)