Both Kasich and Portman were elected to their current positions in 2010. The Governor's race was close, the Senate race a blow out. Both had previously been in the Congress. It would seem that in 2010, it was more likely that Portland helped Kasich than the other way around. Clearly the Bush family helped Portman more than Kasich ever did and there is a long term relationship with Bushes.
To Jeb, this could be the equivalent to the 2008 Richardson endorsement of Obama.
In trying to be sure of the facts on 2010, I went to the wikipedia bios. One thing that can be said of Kaisch is that he is not a kneejerk right wing Republican. There are many ways he is -- he is very anti union and very fiscally conservative, but on at least two issues he took what might be rather courageous positions.
While I think that he, like any Republican would be a disaster, his history might make him a bigger threat than someone like Cruz.
1) In 1994, Kasich was one of the Republican leaders to support a last-minute deal with President Bill Clinton to pass the Federal Assault Weapons Ban. After a series of meetings with Clinton's Chief of Staff, Leon Panetta, who was also a long-time friend of Kasich, the assault weapons ban was passed when 42 Republicans crossed party lines and voted with the Democrats to ban assault weapons.[41] Kasich's support of the assault-weapons ban angered the National Rifle Association, which gave Kasich an "F" rating in 1994 as a result.
2) He extended Medicaid in Ohio -- and this actually reflected his long ago Congressional position:
As ranking member of the Budget Committee, Kasich proposed his own health care reform plan as a rival to the Clinton health care plan of 1993 championed by First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton, but more market-based.[40] As Time magazine wrote, "The Kasich plan would have covered all Americans by 2005, using a form of an individual mandate that would have required employees to purchase insurance through their employers. (The mandate was an idea initially supported by conservative groups like the Heritage Foundation.)"
Given that both these issues are very likely to be BIG in the general election -- if he could find a way to get about 5% or so and win the nomination, he might have the best chance of claiming (though untrue) that he is the moderate in the race -- v either Clinton or Sanders.
It will be interesting to see- if like on the Democratic side -- a lot of top Republicans endorse. If there are a long string of Republicans endorsing Kasich before Iowa (and more importantly NH), it could be their PTB trying for a non Trump/non Cruz nominee.
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