Kasich defends immigrants as ‘contributing significantly’

Ohio Governor and Republican presidential candidate John Kasich stated that he would “prefer” for illegal immigrants in the US “to be legalized once we find out who they are” in an interview broadcast on CNN’s “The Lead” on Wednesday.

But Kasich’s relatively unknown candidacy means his position in the field could change as Republicans get to know him better.

Kasich’s campaign manager, John Weaver, told POLITICO he received two calls from New Hampshire journalists who claimed they had received opposition research from the Bush camp, though Bush aides rejected the suggestion, saying they’re not shopping any anti-Kasich material.

As Kasich displaces other Republicans, he could become a bigger target, especially of candidates who have been running for months but not getting additional support. He fought Ohio Republicans to expand Medicaid in the state as part of the Affordable Care Act.

According to National Journal, the Kasich 2016 campaign attempted to clarify his remarks following his appearance on “Meet the Press“.

In just a few weeks, things aren’t looking bad – he squeaked into the prime-time debate last Thursday and delivered a solid performance, he scored the clutch endorsement this week of Tom Rath, a prominent New Hampshire GOP operative, and that double-digit gap between Kasich and Bush? He cracks jokes, often stopping mid-sentence to ask question of the audience, employing the Socratic method like a law school classroom.

Got it? Neither do we.

But with such a long period until the next Republican debate – September 16 at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, Calif. – Kasich can concentrate on the grass-roots politics that he does so well. John F. Kennedy polled only 46.7 percent against Vice President Richard M. Nixon, and no Republican ever has won the White House without taking Ohio, a streak Abraham Lincoln began when he took Ohio with 53.2 percent in 1860.

He pointed out that former New Hampshire Sen.

He believes foreign aid, applied correctly, “can help us win the battle of ideas”, and preserve America’s leadership role in the world.

Kasich’s success has come at the expense of some of the other 16 Republicans in the race.

With billionaire tycoon and political bomb-thrower Donald Trump expected by many to fade from the race later this year, Kasich is suddenly one of the primary challengers to Jeb Bush, the former Florida governor who like Kasich espouses some policies towards the center of the ideological spectrum. They are in for the long haul.

This is not great news for Governor Christie.

After Trump, the son and brother of two presidents is second there with 13 percent support, according to this week’s Franklin Pierce University poll. There are people who lose their jobs at age of 51 and don’t know what’s going to happen. He, however, was gaining ground in Jeb Bush in the New Hampshire polls, pushed partly by a bold television advertising campaign broadcast in New Hampshire on his behalf.

Kasich dismissed a questioner during an afternoon town hall-style meeting who suggested immigrants in the country illegally are a burden on the system. “I will on some things, but I’ve got to be careful about that”. “I think conservatism is about giving everybody a chance – demanding personal responsibility – but allowing people to pursue their God-given goal is conservative”.