Presidential hopeful Gov. Kasich helps open Ohio State Fair

“I think the impact of his advertising can’t be underestimated”, said GOP consultant Fergus Cullen, noting the Kasich commercials have been far more successful than the only other candidate on the New Hamphire airwaves this early, Chris Christie.

The Ohio governor announced Monday that Simon Thomson would serve as manager in the leadoff primary state, with a focus on building grassroots support. “We didn’t really have to slash things”, Kasich said of the budget squeeze.

Schrimpf would not say, however, that Kasich will stick around next Thursday whether he makes the cut or not.

Kasich embraces conservative ideals but bucks his party on occasion and disdains the Republican sport of bashing Democrat Hillary Rodham Clinton.

The RNC determined that too many candidate forums and debates were held in 2012 and is limiting the number this time, with nine debates sanctioned to date. An NBC/Marist poll out Sunday had Kasich in fourth place in New Hampshire.

Fox News is allowing the top 10 candidates in the four most recent major national polls as of August 4 to take part in the debate in Cleveland. The event actually consists of two separate debates: the seven GOP hopefuls who poll the least from 5 to 6 p.m. and the matchup of the top 10 from 9 to 11 p.m., both on the same stage at Quicken Loans Arena. “I know how you get in there and build a team of people who can change this country”.

The group’s raised over $11 million as of June 30 and there’s some polling evidence the TV blitz is having an effect – Kasich’s support jumped to 7% in an NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll this week and in a separate Monmouth University poll, good for a top-four spot in each.

Among the other contributors were donors to Kasich’s past campaigns for governor, as well as acquaintances from his days a managing director for Lehman Brothers, including Ted Schlein, general partner at venture firm Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers in Menlo Park, Calif.

Associated Press writer Kathleen Ronayne in Nashua, N.H., contributed.