Every time a candidate “takes on” Trump with their nastiness, I think of the movie First Blood. Basically, a Vietnam Veteran is minding his own business until a small town cop decides to begin harassing him for no reason whatsoever. In the end, the veteran ends up taking on the entire law enforcement community and winning. Gov. Kasich has seen that movie many times.
Apparently Ted Cruz has never watched First Blood.
Re the movie First Blood...
The ending in the book is a little different.
(I found it in the local dump’s book exchange and read it out of curiousity, having seen the movie).