Carl Weiser

cweiser@enquirer.com

If John Kasich were a movie, he'd be getting panned.

While not all the news for Kasich has been bad this week, the commentary on Ohio's governor - from experts, Republican voices and columnists - has become increasingly eye-rolling, mocking or even hostile. This all comes as Kasich's presidential campaign had hoped to be riding some momentum from his first Republican primary win in Ohio earlier this month - momentum that has failed to materialize.

Some examples

Vanity Fair: 'A Beginner's Guide to Hating John Kasich.'

Highlights:

"From my research into the matter, I can say that Republicans dislike John Kasich for many reasons, but let’s start with policy." "No less an authority than John McCain has said Kasich has a “hair-trigger temper,” which is like John Boehner describing someone as weepy."

A Beginner's Guide to Hating John Kasich

Slate: Operation Primary Kill: If John Kasich gets his way, it would effectively destroy the Republican primary process

Highlights:

His “campaign” now is about swaying delegates at the convention toward casting votes that are far different from the ones they were sent to Cleveland, by actual voters, to cast. These primary voters are themselves irrelevant to Kasich’s grand scheme. If that sounds like the old days when state primaries weren’t determinative of the nominee and party officials sorted everything out at the convention, that’s because it would be. The precedent of a Kasich nomination at this point would be to establish that presidential primaries only matter when the voters go along with the preferences of a party’s establishment. Nominating Kasich would be a middle finger to primary voters. They didn’t want to play along this time? Well, here’s what happens.

If John Kasich Gets His Way, It Would Effectively Destroy the GOP Primary Process

Political expert Stu Rothenberg on Rollcall.com: 'John Kasich’s Utterly Strange, Bizarre Campaign.'

Highlights:

Kasich’s campaign has bordered on the bizarre. He has survived for two reasons: First, he has refused to get out, no matter how badly he has done. And second, he has been so irrelevant that nobody attacked him, leaving him generally unscathed in a race where there is plenty of blood on the floor. Kasich’s campaign has been dogged by the ultimate contradiction this year: He has insisted he is challenging the establishment and running as an outsider. And yet, Kasich’s support has come primarily from Republican pragmatists who like his relatively moderate positioning or see him as the most electable.

John Kasich's Utterly Strange, Bizarre Campaign

Politico column from conservative National Review editor Rich Lowry: '#NeverKasich'

Highlights:

The Ohio governor is still out on the trail running a delusional vanity project masquerading as a presidential campaign. Kasich must hold the record for the most finishes of 4 percent or below of any candidate who has persisted in saying that he expects to be his party’s nominee. He is the Harold Stassen of primary-season futility.

#NeverKasich



New York Magazine's Daily Intelligencer: 'The Walking Dead: John Kasich Is Not Going to Win the Republican Presidential Nomination

Highlights:

He also managed to "finish fourth in a three-man race" in Arizona by trailing the zombie candidacy of Marco Rubio (who did better in early voting than Kasich did in early voting or on election day). In popular mythology, when you get bit by a zombie you soon zombify yourself. The Arizona showing by Kasich seems to consign him to the ranks of the walking dead. Even before last night, there were signs in every direction that the Ohioan had worn out his welcome with, well, just about everybody in the GOP.

The Walking Dead: John Kasich Is Not Going to Win the Republican Presidential Nomination

New York Times Magazine: 'Why the Republican Establishment Doesn’t Like John Kasich'

Highlights:

Most party insiders to whom I’ve spoken flatly reject a draft-Kasich movement. Partly this is because he hasn’t earned it. To date he has triumphed only in his home state — which was not a huge surprise, given that he won all 12 of his previous elections (for State Senate, Congress and governor) there. Many Beltway Republicans don’t like him. ... No doubt Chairman Kasich’s strict budgets made life unpleasant for a few lobbyists. But so did his demeanor — which, D.C. veterans say, was often sanctimonious and rude.

Why the Republican Establishment Doesn't Like John Kasich

Even Kasich's hometown paper, which has been an enthusiastic supporter, ran this cartoon:

Beeler Toon