Via Politico:
John Kasich has attacked Donald Trump relentlessly in debates and now his super PAC is planning to invest $2.5 million in the most aggressive takedown of the poll leader yet — on behalf of an increasingly anxious GOP establishment.
The attack, according to a blueprint shared with POLITICO, will play out over the next two months on radio, TV, mail and online in New Hampshire. Strategists with the pro-Kasich group, called New Day for America, say the budget for the anti-Trump campaign is likely to grow.
The offensive comes as some in the GOP are beginning to plot how to combat the real estate mogul and entertainer, who many are convinced would essentially deliver the White House to Democrats if he were the nominee. In launching the effort, the group hopes to position Kasich, who has lagged in the Republican contest and is searching for momentum, as a central Trump antagonist.
This makes sense. Kasich is coming off of a horrible debate performance and going nowhere in the polls. Since that embarrassing debate, his biggest publicity came from a horrible idea he quickly had to flip-flop on. The only reason he was ever in this race is keeping him in it: he’s from Ohio. However, despite that, no one outside of his super PAC or the Kasich dining room cares about John Kasich as a candidate.
Going after Trump grabs him a headline or two and keeps him from being completely ignored.
The problem here, as almost anyone who has observed this race so far will point out, is that nothing sticks to Trump right now. Something may in the future, but it isn’t happening yet. Going one-on-one in a smack talk battle with him has pretty much been a losing proposition for everyone but Ben Carson. That’s because Trump (and Carson) has fans who just don’t care. It’s a cult of personality to rival Obama’s 2008 magic.
There is also the fact that Kasich seems angry and bitter even when he is saying something nice, so this probably won’t help.
Trump responded with a lengthy Twitter tirade. We’ll conclude with a couple of choice samples from that.
I want to do negative ads on John Kasich, but he is so irrelevant to the race that I don’t want to waste my money.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 20, 2015
Once John Kasich announced he was running for president, and opened his mouth, people realized he was a complete & total dud!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 20, 2015
Join the conversation as a VIP Member