Adding to the chaos is Kasich’s surprisingly strong showing, which empowered him to push forward. While the Ohio governor is unlikely to fare well in South Carolina, where he has little infrastructure, his advisers argue that he will be able to remain in the race for weeks on end and rack up delegates in Midwestern states like Michigan, where Kasich has begun establishing a strong organization. He is virtually certain to win Ohio, which holds its primary a week later, on March 15, and awards its delegates on a winner-take-all basis.
While Kasich remains a longshot to win the Republican nomination, his ongoing presence in the race will complicate the party’s hopes to unify the field.
“Kasich coming in second and the bunching up in low double digits of the mainstream candidates is a dream come true for Trump,” said Ari Fleischer, who was press secretary in the George W. Bush White House. “His opposition divides and he conquers.”
Many now envision Kasich, Bush, and Rubio spending the next week-and-a-half locked in a furious battle in South Carolina, the same state where George W. Bush and John McCain warred in a famously brutal 2000 primary. All three campaigns are guided by political operatives known for employing aggressive tactics.
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