John Kasich interview with cleveland.com

In this Tuesday, Dec. 29, 2015 photo, Republican presidential candidate John Kasich talks to a crowd at Papagallos Restaurant in Keene, N.H.

(Kristopher Radder, The Brattleboro Reformer, via AP)

CLEVELAND, Ohio - Ohio Gov. John Kasich sees a polling bounce in New Hampshire as validation of his strategy in the critical first presidential primary.

After months of up-close-and-personal campaigning and a television ad blitz largely bankrolled by Kasich's allies at a free-spending political action committee, two new surveys show the Republican tied for second, trailing only Donald Trump.

"This is what I always thought was going to happen," Kasich said late Monday by telephone from California, where he had fundraisers scheduled. "I always thought we would emerge. We have the best ground game in the state."

Kasich, who also learned earlier in the day that he had clinched a prime-time spot at Thursday's GOP debates, wanted to enjoy the good news while it lasted.

"I'm probably going to get pounded now," he said.

The race in New Hampshire, presuming Trump maintains his wide lead, is a five-way scramble for second. With Kasich and three other center-right "establishment" candidates fighting for that spot, many have likened the race to a circular firing squad.

But until now, most of the shots have been aimed toward the other three: former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida. Team Kasich has gone particularly hard after the tough-talking Christie, who has surged in the wake of terrorism fears and an endorsement by the New Hampshire Union Leader.

Those eager to target Kasich are likely to find fodder in votes from his 18-year career in Congress and in his temperament. Don't be surprised if a 2011 video of Kasich referring to a police officer who ticketed him as an "idiot" soon meets a wider audience.

"They could hammer me and bring us down, but we've acquitted ourselves well," Kasich said. "I'm not worried about anything. I'm still the governor of Ohio."

The still-the-governor line is one Kasich uses often to downplay how much losing would sting. During Monday's interview, he toggled between Buckeye State pride and what struck as bit of pre-emptive defensiveness over how engaged he is in the job.

"I've flown the Ohio flag. I've bragged about Cleveland," he said at one point.

"Ohio grit, that's what it is," Kasich said at another, observing that, after "everybody was writing our epitaph," his campaign has exceeded low expectations.

"It's the Dawg Pound," he added, a reference to the scrappy Cleveland Browns fans. (Maybe not the best analogy given the team's 3-13 finish, in spite of loyal backers.)

As for how he juggled his duties back home, he volunteered: "I'm working as hard as I can, taking care of the state and, at the same time seeing where this thing leads."

Where this leads depends on how Kasich fares in New Hampshire. He has said repeatedly that he hopes to be "a story" - note: not the story - coming out of the primary. That probably means a top-three finish, depending on where Trump and Ted Cruz, the Texas senator and an anti-establishment candidate also in the mix for second place, land.

Kasich on Monday night resisted the "establishment" tag.

"I think I can win Trump and Cruz votes myself," he said. "You don't win Cuyahoga" - a big Democratic county he carried in his 2014 re-election campaign - "and think you can't win votes. They put a label on you, but I don't pay attention to any of that."

Slideshow: 5 keys to Kasich's New Hampshire rebound.