'Marshmallow' could give Kasich s'more headaches

Some principles of public speech are so well established it's amazing when someone at a high level breaks one, as did Ohio Governor and presidential candidate John Kasich when he sought to refute charges that he's not tough enough.

"I'm no marshmallow," Kasich said on a recent Sunday morning TV news show. Actually the full quote was worse: "I'm not some kind of a pin cushion or a marshmallow." Moreover, it was not his first reference to the spongy confection in describing his character.

I know, I know, he was using the term to describe the antithesis of his character. But the average memory is imprecise and details are quick to fade. Eventually the only thing that could stick to Kasich from all of this is marshmallow.

It makes me think once again of the late Chester Burger, arguably the nation's first media consultant, who warned of using negative descriptions – even to deny them. "If a reporter asks about windfall profits," he said, "never use that term in your answer, or it's sure to wind up in the headline – with your name attached to it."

I don't know what Chet would have said to Kasich about his self-inflicted wound. Probably, "You should have hired me."