Kasich: ‘Everybody Ought to Relax’ with Calls for Me To Drop Out
RUSH TRANSCRIPT:
DICKERSON: "Welcome back. Ohio governor John Kasich joins us now. Governor I was talking to two ever your supporters in a super Tuesday state. They would like to vote for you but they're worried that the primaries happen, they should get behind maybe Marco Rubio because they're worried about Donald Trump. Make your pitch to them about why they should stick with you?"
KASICH: "First of all, you know, I'm starting to get known in this country for the first time and a message is being heard. These guys have spent $50 million in the campaign I've spent about $15 million. The fact of the matter is a lot of the money they spent has been designed to hammer me, negative ads against me. We're getting big crowds everywhere we go. I was just in Vermont, tremendous turn out. Massachusetts, I'm heading to Virginia tomorrow. And we just keep going. And look, we finished second in New Hampshire. I think Marco finished fifth. We never expected to finish at the top in South Carolina and I think frankly we've exceeded expectations there. The late voters, we did very well with. The late deciders. And we're moving on and we feel good about where we are and, look, all I can tell saw the national polls, we're still strong, we've got good grass roots and everybody just hang on, things are going to settle down."
DICKERSON: Isn't there a sense of urgency you're getting well-known, you're on the rise. But there is also contests happening, people are coming in ahead of you. Where do you have to do well and win to still have a shot at this?"
KASICH: "Well, look, we got to do well in Vermont, in Massachusetts. We think we're going to do well in Virginia. We believe that we will over perform in Mississippi. We think we get to the midwest, whether it's Illinois or whether it's Michigan. Remember, John, as I heard Bernie Sanders saying it's proportional. I don't have to win these places, I just have to hang in there and continue to gain momentum. And no one ever expect me to get in the race, they didn't think I would get on the debate stage, different they didn't think I would do well in New Hampshire I finished second. We went to South Carolina. Short period of time later two weeks ago people in south Carolina had no clue who I was. So, we're the engine that can. Everybody just relax on this, look, think about it, there were 16 people in the race including a number of governors and there's only one left. And I think that at the end we have to make sure that we have somebody that can go to that town, change that system, grow employment, change the whole way in which it works and ship power money and influence back to the states. I'm optimistic about it."
DICKERSON: "One of the other arguments that people who would consider themselves mainstream Republicans are making, only until there becomes one mainstream alternative to Donald Trump is there any chance for trim top get knocked off by people whose beliefs they share, why aren't you just continuing to split the vote with Marco Rubio, address those concerns."
KASICH: "Again, I finished second in New Hampshire. He finished fifth. I didn't play in South Carolina. We're going to go to -- March 19 to number of states, where we think we're going to do well. It's a matter of continuing on, John. Being able to take advantage of the grass roots, we now have some bush people who have come our way both from a political point of view and a fundraising point of view. And we're going to keep struggling. To make sure that we can be out there, keep putting the resources together to be in a position of doing well. Remember this, I'm the person who beats Hillary Clinton by more than any other candidate in the used to today poll I beat by 11 points. I've risen to third police in the national polls out of no where without spending much money. I get the money, continue to put the grass roots together, you're going to see a great result. People want to consolidate. They ought to consolidate my way."
