COLUMBUS OH – Sunday Ohio Governor John Kasich tapped Governor Rauner's chief communicator Mike Schrimpf to Kasich team as communication director. Schrimpf will oversee strategic message development and coordinate communication outreach with in-state political teams as well as the campaign’s national leadership team.
Kasich, who focused most of his primary efforts in New Hampshire, came in second there, gaining four delegates. After Jeb Bush's departure from the race Saturday night, Kasich remains as the only active Republican governor in the race.
Schrimpf previously served as chief communicator for Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner. He served in a similar capacity in Rauner’s 2014 campaign and also served in senior communication positions for the Republican Governors Association.
“Mike has worked well with our organization for many years at RGA and will be a good fit with the team as Governor Kasich’s growing support creates new opportunities for us to talk about his positive, unifying vision for America. He is an excellent communication thinker and leader who knows how to work effectively in senior positions with large teams and we’re fortunate to have him join the campaign,” said Campaign Manager Beth Hansen.
Mike is the twin brother of Chris Schrimpf who serves as senior communication advisor and travels with the governor to direct his personal communication activities.
Everyone thought one of the GOP governors would be the nominee this year. But governors Rick Perry of Texas, Scott Walker of Wisconsin, Bobby Jindal of Louisiana, Chris Christie of New Jersey, and former Gov. Jeb Bush of Florida have all left the race. I would happily support any one of these governors for re-election to their office. But state-level credentials do not and cannot include foreign policy and national defense. The idea that a governor commands his state-level National Guard units and therefore has experience to be a national commander in chief is just silly as any National Guard member knows. Gov. Kasich has a right to be proud of his resume in Congress and as governor of Ohio but that does not necessaarily translate into a vision for national leadership. It is true that U.S. Senators do not have executive-level administrative experience but so what? They do have experience with national and international issues that governors do not. Sen. Rubio ins particular is very articulate on international policy. Gov. Kasich is running behind Trump, and Rubio, in Michigan and second to Trump only in the very liberal and non-Republican state of Massachusetts. It is not the fault of Rubio or Cruz that the governors did not catch on with the mood of voters this year. At this point, Kasich can only delay his inevitable defeat down the road because he has so little chance now of being nominated.
This may be the end of THIS guy’s political career, as well as Kasich’s.
Time will tell, but I don’t see disgusted Illinois grass roots Republicans willing to have John Kasich shoved down our throats by the “Establishment Republicans.”
But Ed Sullivan would disagree!
Ed Sullivan says it’s too early to write Kasich off!
Personally, I think hiring ANY Republican political consultant from Illinois is the proverbial ‘final nail in the coffin’.
Or ‘hail mary’, or ‘act of desperation’, or ………