Why didn’t Kasich run for the Senate seat this year?

[TheBeardedOne]

Every interview he gives he definitely gives off the vibe he wants to and intends to stay into national politics for the foreseeable future. He also has to realize him possibly primary-ing Trump in 2020 would be a disaster for him. This seems like his best chance at staying in the spotlight and gunning for a 2024 run, regardless of what happens in 2020.

[AtorBoltox]

Because he doesn’t want to lose

[TheBeardedOne]

Because he doesn’t want to lose

Rick Scott is taking that risk

[Free Bird]

Because he doesn’t want to lose

Oh please. He'd have won. The real reason is he wants to run for President again.

[YE]

Kasich can't win a statewide GOP primary anymore.

[Ohioguy29]

Because he doesn’t want to lose

Oh please. He'd have won. The real reason is he wants to run for President again.

No, I'd bet money he would've lost. Lots of Trump voters despise Kasich and would cross the aisle to vote against him. I agree though that he's more interested in a presidential run than the unglamorous work of a Senate campaign. Also if he ran against Brown he might stop getting invited to all those liberal talk shows he loves going on.

[Ohioguy29]

Kasich can't win a statewide GOP primary anymore.

[BuckeyeNut]

1: It's a very bad look to run for Senate in 2018 and then run for POTUS in 2020
2: He would have a lot of difficulty beating a Trumper in a primary
3: He would have a lot of difficulty beating Sherrod in the general

The only Republican who could give Sherrod a run for his money at present is Portman, and that's an election that will literally never happen.

[💥💥 brandon bro (he/him/his)]

Kasich is one of the most cravenly ambitions people in the country right now. Dude ran for President in 2000 as a no-name Congressman and stayed in the 2016 primary much longer than someone with his level of support should have. Even against a much weaker opponent than Sherrod he wouldn't waste his time on a Senate run when he could spend that time laying groundwork for another Presidential run.

Just because he's willing to call out Trump/Trumpists doesn't mean he isn't still a ladder climbing bootlicker.

[CatoMinor]

Kasich can't win a statewide GOP primary anymore.

Ohio may contain a lot of Trump country, but Kasich still won the primary there.

[Doimper]

Because he doesn’t want to lose

Oh please. He'd have won. The real reason is he wants to run for President again.

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LOL

[MAINEiac4434]

John Kasich is nothing if not smart and savvy. He knew that in this environment, even with his popularity and distance from the Trump Administration, it'd be a hard race against an incumbent Senator. If he lost, his political career would pretty much be over.

[YE]

Kasich can't win a statewide GOP primary anymore.

Ohio may contain a lot of Trump country, but Kasich still won the primary there.

That was before Kasich went full #NeverTrump.

[Darthpi – Anti-Florida Activist]

John Kasich is nothing if not smart and savvy. He knew that in this environment, even with his popularity and distance from the Trump Administration, it'd be a hard race against an incumbent Senator. If he lost, his political career would pretty much be over.

Adding on to this: Kasich knows that his current political brand is built on being a nice, fundamentally decent guy, in contrast to the constant rage coming out of Trump world. Taking on a popular Senator and the attacks that would necessarily go into that would damage that brand. If he wants to run a primary challenge against Trump in 2020, he can't afford to risk doing that now.

[Badger]

1: It's a very bad look to run for Senate in 2018 and then run for POTUS in 2020
2: He would have a lot of difficulty beating a Trumper in a primary
3: He would have a lot of difficulty beating Sherrod in the general

The only Republican who could give Sherrod a run for his money at present is Portman, and that's an election that will literally never happen.

Exactly right. Plus, I'm sorry to say, double emphasis on number 2

[Oryxslayer]

Kasich is one of the most cravenly ambitions people in the country right now. Dude ran for President in 2000 as a no-name Congressman and stayed in the 2016 primary much longer than someone with his level of support should have. Even against a much weaker opponent than Sherrod he wouldn't waste his time on a Senate run when he could spend that time laying groundwork for another Presidential run.

Just because he's willing to call out Trump/Trumpists doesn't mean he isn't still a ladder climbing bootlicker.

Calling Kaisich cravenly ambitious is incredibly funny when there is a good chance he will be replaced by DeWine. The dudes a cockroach, no matter if he loses statewide, he is back winning offices and trying to climb the ladder.

[Xing]

Because he doesn’t want to lose

[Holy Unifying Centrist]

Kasich would be a strong challenger to Brown if he ever made it past a primary (very unlikely). I think he would only narrowly lose.

[junior chįmp]

Bozo Kasich will primary Trump in 2020

[TheSaint250]

Probably didn't wanna have to be in Congress under Trump.

[Doimper]

Bozo Kasich will primary Trump in 2020

And get like 5% of the vote from all the delusional RINOs who think the party is something it’s not

The RINO Tom signal has been activated.

[junior chįmp]

Bozo Kasich will primary Trump in 2020

And get like 5% of the vote from all the delusional RINOs who think the party is something it’s not

Just wait till Kasich starts talking that crazy talk about how evolution is real and how tax cuts don't balance budgets...he's going to get BTFO

[Landslide Lyndon]

Kasich probably wants the Democrats to take over congress.

[Sherrod Brown Shill]

Because God likes Sherrod Brown.

Also because he probably just wants to run in 2020 and end it there anyway.

[Progressive Pessimist]

Kasich is one of the most cravenly ambitions people in the country right now. Dude ran for President in 2000 as a no-name Congressman and stayed in the 2016 primary much longer than someone with his level of support should have. Even against a much weaker opponent than Sherrod he wouldn't waste his time on a Senate run when he could spend that time laying groundwork for another Presidential run.

Just because he's willing to call out Drumpf/Trumpists doesn't mean he isn't still a ladder climbing bootlicker.

You nailed it. Kasich simply doesn't want to lose before initiating a Presidential run. Something like that will make things even harder than they probably will be for him.