On Thursday's The Situation Room on CNN, during a discussion of GOP presidential candidate John Kasich recently stepping up criticism of Donald Trump's fitness to be commander-in-chief, CNN's Nia-Malika Henderson suggested that Kasich was "getting in the gutter" and undermined him by cynically proclaiming that Republicans who begin attacking Trump seem "disingenuous" because they have held back for so long.
Host Wolf Blitzer introduced a soundbite of Kasich by recalling that the Ohio governor "came out today swinging," and, after a clip of the GOP candidate arguing that Trump is not ready to be President, the CNN host added: "That was uncharacteristic for John Kasich. He's stayed away from that kind of direct, tough criticism of his Republican rivals, at least until now."
Henderson began:
Yeah, and anytime you kind of see these rivals who have all of a sudden discovered Donald Trump and discovered ways they should criticize him, it comes across as a little disingenuous because for a long time they stood on the sidelines and didn't want to criticize him. That was kind of part of Kasich's identity. He was the nice guy. He didn't want to mix it up and get in the gutter with the other folks. He, of course, is doing that now.
She then added:
He wants to present himself as the adult in the room. He in some ways has always run sort of a resume election. He can name drop Ronald Reagan and Strom Thurmond because he served in Washington when they were both around. But so far the voters haven't taken to that argument. He's won in one state. He's behind at least in these Wisconsin polls so far. That should be a state you would think he might be able to win.
