People can like which ever candidate they prefer but polls show just what to expect in a head to head contest vs. Hillary Clinton.
General Election: Kasich vs. Clinton
RealClearPolitics - Election 2016 - General Election: Kasich vs. Clinton
Kasich would be crushed by Clinton
General Election: Carson vs. Clinton
RealClearPolitics - Election 2016 - General Election: Carson vs. Clinton
Ben Carson easily defeats Clinton
Some of the polls need to be updated. The numbers will likely change as a result of the last GOP debate and Hillary's testimony before Congress. I don't see any scenario where Governor Kasich could defeat Clinton. But I'm a pessimist. I don't think any GOP candidate can defeat Clinton, despite many polls saying otherwise. The electoral college is winner take all in each state. The Democrat candidate has over 200 electoral votes guaranteed from solid blue states. Some argue that Texas will go blue and insure Democrats never lose a presidential race again. The campaigning is just a formality. It hardly matters what they promise to do or not do if elected. We already know how the vast majority of black and Hispanic voters will vote, and how almost half of white voters will vote. Find out how much the Hispanic population grew in each supposed swing state since 2012, and suddenly those are no longer swing states. They are blue states. Ohio included.
A year from now, a lot of sad and discouraged conservatives will be blaming Donald Trump or some other Republican politician for allowing Hillary to win. It will not be Donald Trumps fault. It will be the fault of the U'S Congress not securing the southern border many decades ago. It's too late to undo the past mistakes. There is a rapidly growing voting block of Hispanics that will determine national elections from this point forward.
Opinion polls mean little except deciding who gets to appear in the debates. They only sample a few thousand people, and they are all very dubious. I mean come on Trump even admitted in one of his speeches he has regularly paid people to manipulate polls in his favor for years. Especially polls for the hypothetical General Election are useless, that's just too far away. If a candidate like Kasich were to get the nomination they would have the full weight of the GOP behind them. That's no guarantee of victory, but whoever gets nominated will become a household name in America. It will come down moreso to whom is the better campaigner, debater, and whom has the better record and character. Everyone has some advantages over Hillary here and there, but Kasich is the only one that solidly beats her in all these fields.
On top of that, Kasich is the only one that really has the ability to attract the swing voters and even exploit the uncertainty and disenfranchisement in the Democrat base. That is very important too, because whilst Hillary might be a shoe-in, the Democrats are on low energy right now. If the GOP picks someone like Trump or Bush that the Dems really hate, and the general swing voting or nonpartisan public abhors, I think that would re-energize the Democrats. Ohio is not a blue state, Ohio has been and will continue to be a swing state. Obviously since Kasich is governor, and one of the best governors we've ever had, the best in my lifetime certainly, there is some favor towards him here. However Kasich earned the favor, it wasn't just give to him. Ohioans don't care about your party, doesn't matter what race they are. I personally know black people that would vote for Kasich if he were the nominee over Hillary, they even acknowledge he is the best candidate. Kasich's record of strong prosperity I believe will drown out any racial undertones.
Like you they are somewhat pessimistic that anyone can beat Hillary frankly. I understand that. Lol it's a lil joke me and my political watching friend have. Basically the silent majority Trump always talks about is real, but they're all Hillary supporters. Hillary is the favorite to win. I expect her to win. Even said so on this very thread before the race even began. Everyone I know offline expects her to win whether they like her or not. Hillary does have a good chance to win, but for the time being the possibility to defeat her, however slim it may be, is still on the table. It's a dim hope, but I am inclined that as long as there is a fighting chance, fight indeed.
Really the ball is in the GOP court, and they don't seem to even know it. All they have to do is pick a solid candidate like Kasich, Huckabee, Rubio, or Cruz. If the GOP instead nominates a joke like Trump, Carson, Fiorina, or Bush, then indeed they deserve to lose, and the only one they have to blame is themselves because they were given full knowledge those candidates are terrible, they were given good alternatives, they were given a chance to beat Hillary. So if the GOPers vote for losers a third election in a row, they have only themselves to blame.