John Kasich in Georgia: 'Miracles do happen'
Near the end of a town hall meeting Tuesday, Ohio Gov. John Kasich was stopped cold by a question from a retired Cobb County teacher who wondered why the Republican hasn't "captured the imagination" of voters as well as Donald Trump.
“That’s why you’re at where you’re at,” Janet McCoy said to scattered gasps among the crowd of a few hundred at his Kennesaw State University event. Kasich, recalibrating, responded that “something must be working” since he’s still in the race.
“In the era of the 24 (hour) news cycle, I’m just not going to go out there and do something to just grab attention,” he said. “You’ve got to get on the phone and call people. Because you know what, miracles do happen.”
With Trump at the top of the polls in Georgia and other states heading into Tuesday’s SEC primary, Kasich is facing increasing pressure to electrify his sunny campaign message — or stand aside and make way for Florida U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio to emerge as the mainstream Republican alternative.
“Miracles do happen” is likely not the signal his campaign wants to send a week before a crucial vote, though that was just one of the mixed signals Kasich sent throughout his daylong visit to Georgia.
About the Author
Greg Bluestein is the Atlanta Journal Constitution's chief political reporter. He is also an author, TV analyst and co-host of the Politically Georgia podcast.
