2016 Postmortem
In reply to the discussion: The **NEW** DU Primary 2016 Poll [View all]Garrett78
(10,721 posts)While Kasich may not inspire the base as much as some other Republicans, Kasich would definitely get their support. And he's from the crucial state of Ohio. A Kasich-Rubio ticket (with Florida being the other crucial state) could win in spite of the electoral college map favoring Dems. If Clinton is the Democratic Party nominee, you can bet the Republican base will be inspired regardless of who their nominee is. If people think the leftist critique of Clinton is harsh, just wait until the Republican Party starts focusing its attention on her. She's extremely polarizing and has a very high "unfavorable" percentage. The hate is irrational (suggesting that she's a liberal extremist, which is absurd), but since when do Republican voters care about rationality?
Do I think Kasich will be the nominee? I wouldn't bet on it, but it wouldn't shock me either. I'd say he's the 3rd most likely behind Walker and Bush. I'd almost bet money that Rubio will be the VP nominee regardless, though a Bush-Rubio ticket might be "too Florida" for the Republican Party to consider. Then again, Florida is the single most important state.