Elections

Kasich Continues To Make Plea For ‘Professional’ Insider

Alex Pfeiffer White House Correspondent
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ARLINGTON, Va. — Journey’s hit song “Don’t Stop Believing” was playing over the loudspeakers as attendants waited for Ohio Gov. John Kasich to arrive at George Mason University Law School.

Kasich is currently last in most polling, yet is determined to stay into the race — at least until Ohio. If he loses there he’ll drop out.

The governor has been attempting to keep his campaign positive, amid a race filled with personal attacks.

He recognizes the current voter sentiment saying, “over the last period of time here, we’ve had these people who are very upset, saying, ‘let’s just throw the insiders out and let’s bring the outsiders.'” He continued, “And then the outsiders fumble and they can’t get it done, so they say let’s bring more outsiders in, and they get angrier, angrier, and angrier.”

Kasich made the argument that he is a professional, needed in the White House, all while breaking from his lack of negative campaigning to do an impersonation of Christie.

“When we look at these debates we hear a lot of bellicose language…I’ll give you one, ‘well if the Russians fly into my no-fly zone, I’ll shoot down their plane.’ That’s not what statesmen do,” he continued. “You know what you say, ‘if you fly into my no-fly zone, you’ll probably fly out the first time but if you fly in the second time you probably won’t be flying out.”

Kasich added, “It’s a difference between an amateur and a professional.”

The Ohio governor told the crowd as he has throughout the race that you don’t defeat Trump by attacking him. “You win by being patient, being calm, and waiting for that moment, waiting for that moment and I hope that it comes — we don’t know that it will come.”

“That somebody who has been a reformer all of their life and somebody who has been successful in giving an opportunity for everybody in this country to rise has a moment to be heard in America over the drumbeat of TV ratings and yelling and screaming.”

Kasich remains confident, when asked if he’d be willing to support Donald Trump if the real estate developer wins the nomination, he responded, “maybe the question ought to be will he support me?”