Like you, I voted for Kasich in spite of his petulant behavior during a couple of the debates. But I'm very displeased with him for his refusal to appear. Ohio is his state. Regardless of how he feels about Trump, he owed it to Cleveland to be there if only to help open the convention. He didn't have to give a speech in support of anyone, but could have talked of the issues the Country faces and encouraged at least down-ticket votes for Republicans.
Kasich IS encouraging down-ticket votes for Republicans. He has and will be giving speeches and helping to raise money for GOP Congressional candidates.
He's not abandoning the party, and neither am I. The retention of Congress has got to be our biggest goal this year, and Kasich is fully on board with that.
I didn't ask for much this year. Although I enthusiastically supported Kasich and donated money to his campaign, I would have supported any of the other candidates in the general except, of course, for Donald Trump. Trump's my line in the sand; as much as I don't want to see liberals prevail, I cannot in good conscience support a man who's unfit, unmoored and unprincipled. In short, I'd rather proceed forward in full-throated opposition to President Clinton for four years than chance turning the reigns of power over to someone as batspit crazy and dangerous as Trump.
And, yes, I was and have been open to Trump proving his mettle, but he can't or won't do so. It's still all about his lashing out at his Republican "enemies". He's obsessed with it. He can't stop, even in the wake of his biggest triumph. The other day, at the very time Sean Smith's mom was speaking from the podium about Clinton's complicity in the death of her son, Trump was being interviewed on Fox about how displeased he was with John Kasich. How stupid can you get?
And then there's Trump's obnoxious, sore-winner supporters. To hell with 'em. I realize that's an emotional reaction, but if the magnanimity of victory they declare folks like me irrelevant, than to hell with 'em.
I'm proud of John Kasich. He's stood by what he believes. I hope he stays engaged as one of the future bulwarks against President Clinton.