At the inaugural GOP presidential debate, a swing-state governor with a record of reforms and a message of economic mobility made his mark. Entering the debate stage to loud applause, the experienced GOP executive touted his brand of compassionate conservatism. He disarmed skeptics of his free-wheeling speaking style, coming prepared with crisp talking points advocating his governing record.
That governor wasn't former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush. It was current Ohio Gov. John Kasich.
"Kasich is killing it. Hopeful. Uplifting. Optimistic. And he has an appeal to those who think the GOP doesn't care," tweeted Ari Fleischer, former spokesman for George W. Bush.
(RELATED: Winners: Trump, Kasich, Rubio. Losers: Bush, Carson, Cruz.)
If there's one immediate consequence of the hyped first Republican presidential debate, it's that millions of American viewers will be learning about many GOP candidates after knowing little about them beforehand. And one of those lesser-known but highly-accomplished candidates is Kasich, the two-term governor of the politically-pivotal battleground state.
Kasich isn't going to win over many of the party's conservative grassroots. But he's not Jon Huntsman, either. Through the course of the debate, he made a compelling case that he's as viable a contender for the establishment mantle as Bush, who seemed unusually tentative and rusty after not being on a debate stage for over a decade.