Kasich swings at frontrunners, Trump hits back
We told you earlier this week that John Kasich was planning to go on the attack against his rivals at this week’s Republican presidential debate. The Ohio governor wasted no time in doing just that at the candidates’ forum Wednesday night in Boulder.
Kasich received the first question of the night…a query about weakness or something. Whatever it was, it didn’t matter. JK ignored it and instead went on the attack against Donald Trump’s comments on illegal immigration and Ben Carson’s tax proposal:
…my great concern is that we are on the verge, perhaps, of picking someone who cannot do this job. I’ve watched to see people say that we should dismantle Medicare and Medicaid and leave the senior citizens out — out in the — in the cold. I’ve heard them talk about deporting 10 or 11 — people here from this country out of this country, splitting families. I’ve heard about tax schemes that don’t add up, that put our kids in — in a deeper hole than they are today…
When Carson later referenced his tax plan, Kasich interjected to characterize it as fantasy. And, almost in the same breath, he again took a shot at Trump’s illegal immigration comments.
Trump took the opportunity to fire back at Kasich…labeling the governor’s record in Ohio as one of luck. The billionaire also used his time to address Kasich’s change in tone and attribute it to the governor’s falling poll numbers:
First of all, John got lucky with a thing called fracking, OK? He hit oil. He got lucky with fracking. Believe me, that is why Ohio is doing well. Number — and that is important for you to know. Number two, this was the man that was a managing general partner at Lehman Brothers when it went down the tubes and almost took every one of us with it, including Ben [Carson] and myself, because I was there and I watched what happened. And Lehman Brothers started it all. He was on the board. And he was a managing general partner. And just thirdly, he was so nice. He was such a nice guy. And he said, oh, I’m never going to attack. But then his poll numbers tanked. He has got — that is why he is on the end [of the stage]. And he got nasty. And he got nasty. So you know what? You can have him.
The night offered other verbal back-and-forth moments, mostly between the candidates and the CNBC moderators. (Ted Cruz and Chris Christie both got in some notable digs.)
On Kasich…we’ll likely some of his debate lines turn up in some quickly pasted-together campaign ads. He took his fight to the frontrunners as advertised. But it may be the Trump response that viewers will most remember. (jj)
(photo credit: University of Colorado Boulder)
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