Is a Romney endorsement for Kasich ahead of the critical Tuesday Ohio primary a kiss of death? Perhaps.
Moments ago, the WSJ reported that Mitt Romney is planning to endorse John Kasich later today in Ohio, citing Kasich.
This follows a CBS report that Mitt Romney will hit the campaign trail Monday with John Kasich, CBS News' Chief White House correspondent Major Garrett confirms.
On the eve of the Ohio primary, the 2012 nominee will appear with the Ohio governor in events in Westerville and North Canton. Romney recently delivered a speech dissecting Donald Trump's candidacy -- he called him a "phony" and a "fraud" and criticized Trump for the controversial things he's said on the campaign trail, as well as for his business acumen.
Romney has said he isn't endorsing but believes any of the three other contenders, Kasich, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz would all be more suitable Republican nominees than Trump. He has offered to help any of their campaigns and has already recorded robocalls for both Rubio and Kasich.
Romney, a former governor of Massachusetts, is not endorsing a candidate, but has emerged as a leading Trump critic
Clearly judging by the WSJ's update, Romney's intention is to be more than merely a fixture on the stage and a "Trump critic".
And yet, perhaps knowing that the last thing he needs is to come off as just another establishment muppet, and concerned that Romney's recent criticism of Trump ended up boosting Trump's popularity, Kasich may have just gotten cold feet, because according to the following note by Reuters, either ther WSJ is wrong, or Kasich had a prompt change of heart about Mitt's endorsement.
From Reuters:
Republican presidential candidate John Kasich's campaign on Monday denied a report that Mitt Romney, the party's presidential candidate in 2012, would endorse the Ohio governor on Monday.
A Wall Street Journal reporter said Kasich answered in the affirmative to a question about Romney's endorsement. Kasich spokesman Chris Schrimpf said, "This is not true. Kasich was responding and acknowledging a different question."
Romney endorsement would have provided Kasich with a boost on the eve of Ohio's primary in which he and front-runner Donald Trump are running a close race for first place
Actually, it is quite debatabale whether a Romney endorsement would have provided Kasich with a "boost", which is why we are left with an endorsement that is technically not an endorsement, or all the upside of being seen as part of the establishment without "actually being part of the establishment" and thus pushing many of the undecideds back into Trump's court.
Whatever the answer, it will be revealed shortly.