Reports indicate Republican Ohio Gov. John Kasich is “moving rapidly to assemble the staff and financial resources” required to run for the GOP presidential nomination, and he plans on announcing for same sometime after June 30th.
Kasich allies say it’s a certainty that he will enter the large and growing field of Republicans vying for the nomination. However, further down in the same article, there seems to be some hedging.
An adviser to Kasich, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to be candid, said there are “a couple more internal things we have to figure out. If we hit some internal goals, which we’re on pace to do, he’s going to run. . . . The only thing that would stop him is if for some reason the money dries up. But I think it’s going to be fine.”
The Kasich organization will wait until the end of June for a final financial assessment.
Kasich supporters who talked to the Washington Post cited his fiscal conservatism, along with his “national security credentials as a former member of the House Armed Services Committee; and a faith-based focus on programs and policies to help those most in need that advisers think could set him apart from competitors”.
If he runs, Kasich, 63, would join at least 16 other declared candidates by the time of the first debate in August, including half a dozen current or former governors. The timing of Kasich’s announcement is tied to his desire to assure himself that he is prepared to run a competitive race.
“I’m not worried about standing out,” Kasich said in a recent interview. “What I have over the rest of the field is experience that no one else has — national security, legislative and now I’m the executive.”
How much those attributes actually set him apart may remain to be seen. Perhaps interesting for now, some of the same people talking to the Post who claim a run is certain also seem to be leaving room for doubt.
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