John Kasich was the only adult on the GOP debate stage. But do Republican voters even want an adult?

The Ohio governor needs to win Michigan more than any of his rivals. Did the Fox News debate in Detroit make Midwestern Nice a winner?

Standing out from the scrum.
(Image credit: Getty Images)

On substance, Ohio Gov. John Kasich won Thursday night's Republican presidential debate in Detroit. On style, too, if your tastes don't veer toward sophomoric humor and yelling. Indeed, Kasich was the only adult on the debate stage.

You could have gathered that from watching the debate, or you could just let Kasich tell you. "Throughout this campaign I've talked about issues, I have never tried to go and get into these scrums that we're seeing here on the stage," he said near the beginning of the debate. "And people say everywhere I go, 'You seem to be the adult on the stage.'"

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Peter Weber, The Week US

Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.