John Kasich launches Battleground Ohio campaign; Arnold endorses him

John Kasich is putting focus on winning Michigan and Ohio primaries.

COLUMBUS - In his battle to stop Donald Trump and stay in the presidential race, Ohio Gov. John Kasich enlisted the help of muscle man-turned-movie-star-turned-politician — Arnold Schwarzenegger, a.k.a The Governator.

Schwarzenegger, who was in Columbus for his annual sports festival, endorsed Kasich on Sunday during a campaign rally held just 10 days before Kasich’s must-win primary contest in his home state on March 15.

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Special report from Dayton Daily News political team

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If Kasich fails to beat Trump here, his campaign is kaput. But if he wins the Buckeye state contest, Kasich will continue to maneuver for a shot at winning the GOP nomination — possibly through a brokered convention in Cleveland in July.

Schwarzenegger, who has known Kasich since he first ran for Congress, said “Let me tell you something when he first went to Washington he kicked some serious butt. He was an action hero when he went to Washington….And then he became the governor of the great state of Ohio and once again he was the action hero.”

He praised Kasich for balancing the state budget, which is required by the Ohio constitution, and cutting $5 billion in taxes, building up a $2 billion budget surplus and helping create 300,000 private sector jobs since he took office in January 2011.

“This is the kind of action hero he is and I tell you, he will be like that if he will be in Washington because right now we need leadership like that,” Schwarzenegger said.

Kasich, who wore a ‘Governator II’ jacket he received from the California governor, recalled whining to Schwarzenegger about negative campaigning in the 2010 governor’s race. “I was like, ‘Arnold this is really not fair, this is not fun.’ He looked at me and gave me some of the best advice I’ve ever received. He said ‘John, love the beatings. Love them.’ And I’ve been loving them ever since and it’s just great.”

Kasich told his supporters that he understands everyday people and is committed to making a difference for them.

“I know that I can go to Washington and pull this together. I know how to balance budgets. I know how to build a team that will get us on a strong fiscal track,” he said. “I know how to deal with regulations where we have lost common sense.”

The event on Sunday was billed as a Battleground Ohio kick off and drew several hundred people, whom he told the Lord made special. “Do you know that the Lord has never made anybody like you and will never make anybody like you again?”

While Ohio is crucial for Kasich, Florida is critical for U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio. Both Ohio and Florida are winner-take-all states so the top vote getter is awarded all 66 delegates in Ohio and all 99 in Florida.

A Quinnipiac University poll released in February showed Trump leading Kasich by 5 points in Ohio. Three polls show Trump leading Rubio in Florida by 16 to 20 points, according to Real Clear Politics.

Although Rubio has the backing of establishment Republicans, he has only one the Minnesota primary and has 128 delegates. Kasich has yet to win a state and has 35 delegates. Meanwhile, Trump has 382 delegates and U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas has 300.

Before Ohio votes, Kasich will compete in Michigan, Mississippi, Idaho and Hawaii, which vote Tuesday. Those four states have a combined 150 delegates.

After the event in Columbus, Kasich was scheduled to hold a rally in Toledo before heading back to campaign stops in the metro Detroit area on Monday and in Lansing and Cleveland on Tuesday. Kasich campaigned in Michigan for most of last week.

A poll released Sunday shows Kasich is moving up and is now neck-and-neck with Trump in Michigan. But other polls show Trump up by double digits in Michigan. Last week, the four remaining GOP contenders — Kasich, Trump, Rubio and Cruz — debated in Detroit. Kasich remained above the fray and stuck to his positive message while Trump, Rubio and Cruz hurdled insults at one another.

“We’re gonna do well (in Michigan) and then we are coming here,” Kasich said. “I think it’s important that in Ohio we not only send a message to the country, but we send a message to the world that positive efforts in politics — and not name calling and slimming or big suggestions about how you’re going to fix things — but a positive message and raising the bar for our kids will win in this country and we’ll move America forward.”