John Kasich left the race for the Republican presidential nomination this evening. Like Jeb Bush and Carly Fiorina, he is someone whose departure is worth mourning, I think.
Despite his impressive record in his home state, it is clear to me now that Kasich never had a chance of winning his party's presidential nomination in 2016. In a series of primary contests that will be remembered by historians for back-and-forths about the size of Donald Trump's manhood and the use of vulgar slang words for female anatomy on the campaign trail, it was always a pleasure to see the governor of Ohio, a resolute foe of drug use, obscenity in television and music, sleazy video games, and many other nasty things, making his stand on behalf of decency and Midwestern manners.
He spoke tonight as only he could. He praised the beauty of New Hampshire and Michigan's Upper Peninsula; he spoke with awe of traffic jams in California. He talked about being "changed" by "the people of this country." He rhapsodized about hugs. He spoke of how God "gave [him] the grace to make people feel safe" at town halls that were "magical" and of the need to "slow down our lives." He admitted that his campaign "wasn't sexy." He spoke disparagingly of Twitter and of journalists, who "don't understand life."
Kasich cried. I wish I were there to give him a hug.