1st Kasich ad: $1.7 million to say 'it can happen again'

"It can happen again."

John Kasich, continuing his New-Hampshire-or-bust strategy, will hit the New England airwaves starting Thursday with nearly $2 million worth of commercials that tout his experience in Congress and as Ohio governor. The one-minute ads, paid for by the nonprofit that supports Kasich's candidacy, hope to gin up support for Kasich before his July 21 campaign launch.

A spokesman for the nonprofit, New Day for America, confirmed the ads will start airing Thursday. In total, this introductory round of ads will cost $1.7 million, a person with knowledge of the purchase told The Enquirer.

The ad buy, impressive in its size and its early launch in the campaign cycle, underscores Kasich's main focus: He's already spending in hopes of winning New Hampshire, even if that means he doesn't qualify for the first GOP debate, on Aug. 6 in Cleveland.

Rules for the debate limit the field to the top 10 GOP candidates in an average of national polls taken just before the debate. Kasich would currently miss that cut. He draws 1 to 2 percent in national polls.

But his showing is essentially just as poor in New Hampshire, the site of the nation's first primary election. But Kasich believes he has a chance of winning over New Hampshire's pragmatic voters to his moderate policies and blunt style. As Kasich himself said this spring: "If I go to New Hampshire and get blown out, (the) campaign's over."

So New Day for America plans to focus early spending on New Hampshire, rather than attempt a nationwide ad buy to raise Kasich's stature in national polls, said the person familiar with the ad purchase.

The July 21 launch is likely to improve Kasich's national polling in any case. Most candidates see a bump in polling in the days following their campaign launch.

Kasich's new ad is the brainchild of Fred Davis. He's the GOP media strategist behind the successful branding of Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder as "One Tough Nerd" and the nixed idea to tie President Barack Obama to his controversial former pastor.

In the commercial, a Rolodex flips through photos and soundbites of candidates running for president, then asks: "Hey, what about us?" Enter Kasich, a moderate, whom the spot labels "Conservative Governor of Ohio."

Kasich talks about his mailman father ("carried mail on his back"); his experience working through Ohio's 2011 budget shortfall (called a "deficit" in the spot, despite Ohio's constitutional requirement of a balanced budget); and his tenure in Congress ("Actually balanced the federal budget," text tells the viewer).

The commercial directs the viewer to JohnKasich.us, a pro-Kasich website maintained by New Day for America. Mess up and type Kasich.us? You'll end up at Plunderbund.com, an anti-Kasich liberal Ohio blog.



