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WATERTOWN — The Republican Party has made mistake after mistake when it comes to providing leadership and direction on how best to position itself for the general election in November.

The fact Donald Trump is close to being our party’s nominee is an embarrassment, to say the least. But moving forward, the big question is: What can we do about it now?

Wisconsin is positioned to have a major impact on who our nominee is, and John Kasich is the best candidate — by far — to unify our party and the nation.

For me, the important point is: Who can beat Hillary Clinton in the fall and bring a Republican into the White House after eight long years of disappointment in Barack Obama. Ted Cruz and Donald Trump have proven they are flawed candidates with a narrow base of support and lots are negatives when it comes to how they are perceived by the voting public.

Kasich, in contrast, has strong crossover appeal from Democrats and independents, and much lower negative numbers when it comes to how he is viewed as a candidate.

Let’s not be swayed by the argument that Kasich can’t win, because none of the three Republicans will likely have the delegates required to be our party’s nominee.