GOP presidential candidate John Kasich said Tuesday he's been "counted out" for his whole political career, and he hopes the other candidates continue to underestimate him as the race for the White House continues.
"I hope they keep underestimating me because there was another guy they underestimated all the time," the Ohio governor told ABC's
"Good Morning America" host George Stephanopoulos.
"His name was [Ronald] Reagan."
Kasich's campaign has been focusing on New Hampshire, and he predicted Tuesday he'll "finish very strong," even though "I'm not like Muhammad Ali, I can't predict exactly what round or whatever."
And no matter how New Hampshire rolls out, Kasich told Stephanopoulos that his campaign bus has already been sent to South Carolina. Monday, his campaign listed a schedule of events for the southern state, which will hold its primary election on Feb. 20.
New polls are showing Kasich's rising, with a
University of Massachusetts-Lowell New Hampshire tracking poll on Monday showing him at 10 percent and tied with former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush.
However, he remained behind Donald Trump, Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz. He also placed second in a new
Monmouth University poll, bringing in 14 percent of the voters compared to 30 percent for Trump.
But Kasich is still maintaining his optimism, and even perhaps a sense of awe over the New Hampshire race.
"Last night we were out there in a driving snowstorm, probably 300-400 hundred people standing out there cheering," he told Stephanopoulos. "It was like a movie set."