Kasich takes a different path and inches up

John Kasich is trying a different approach to getting attention as he seeks the Republican presidential nomination, and there were signs Sunday it could be working.

The Ohio governor, who formally entered the race Tuesday, is up to fourth in the latest New Hampshire poll from NBC and the Marist Institute for Public Opinion.

He’s also in the top 10 in the latest nationwide CNN/ORC survey – an important place to be, since the top 10 and ties in an average of national polls will qualify for the Republican presidential debate August 6 in Kasich’s state. The poll of registered Republican voters and Republican-leaning independents, released Sunday, has real estate mogul Donald Trump first. Kasich is tied at 4 percent with retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie.

Kasich, now in his second term as governor, is stressing his record and his reputation as someone who gets things done.

"If we're running for these offices just to get elected, I mean, we're not running for class president," he said Sunday on NBC’s "Meet the Press." "We're running to be the commander-in-chief and the leader of the United States of America. Grow up."

Kasich insisted the way to get attention is to stress one’s resume and record.

A leader can’t fix problems "with hot rhetoric, one party. It has to be, either we're in this to fix America or we're in this to get elected."

He insisted, "I'm not going to just make statements just to make them. Do you ever notice, when people run for president, they never keep their word? They never keep their promises. And the reason is they make promises that are ridiculous."

This story was originally published July 26, 2015 at 11:55 AM with the headline "Kasich takes a different path and inches up."