A bittersweet moment for Kasich

CLEVELAND

For many Ohio Republicans, it was the convention that should have been: Ohio Gov. John R. Kasich on stage, his wife, Karen, by his side, soaking up the adulation and warmth from the overflow crowd.

It was the convention that should have been – considering that Kasich won the presidential primary in the battleground state by a landslide in his re-election bid.

But it wasn’t.

Rather, the event, billed as the “Rock & Roll Reception Featuring Governor John Kasich,” was less a celebration and more a fond farewell.

Kasich failed in his bid for the Republican nomination for president. He won just one state, Ohio – even though just about every objective analysis of the highly contentious primary and caucus battles featuring 17 candidates concluded that Kasich was the adult in the race.

Without a doubt, his qualifications and long experience in government made him imminently qualified to carry the GOP banner into the general election.

Unfortunately, this was not the year for thoughtful, steady political leadership in the Republican Party.

THE TRUMP EFFECT

Instead, voters opted for a showman, Donald J. Trump, the New York City billionaire businessman who has never before run for office. Trump once hosted the highly successful television reality show, “The Apprentice.”

So tonight, Trump will saunter across the stage – he’s very, very rich and, therefore, doesn’t care what anybody says – at the Quicken Loans Arena to deliver his acceptance speech. Thus will begin the fall presidential campaign with the most unlikely of GOP standard bearers. He is not a traditional Republican. He isn’t even an ideological Republican. He’s a populist who attracted more independent and Democratic voters than any GOP candidate since Ronald Reagan.

Thus, as Trump revels in his against-all-odds victory, Kasich, who will be leaving the governor’s office in 2018, can find solace in the fact that hundreds of his supporters showed up at Tuesday’s celebration at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and Museum.

The governor must also know that thoughtful Americans have even greater respect for him today because of his steadfast refusal to endorse Trump.

That principled stand has created a buzz at the Republican National Convention and has kept Kasich in the headlines.

He has stood firm, even in the face of harsh criticism from members of Trump’s campaign. Chairman Paul Manafort has said the governor is “embarrassing” Ohio.

He isn’t.

LEAVING TOWN

Indeed, even among the 66 Ohio delegates who were pledged to Kasich, there were rumblings that he should have endorsed Trump and attended the Thursday night session. Kasich was expected to leave Cleveland this morning.

Ohio’s delegation ultimately embraced Trump, who had more than enough delegates vote to win the nomination in the first round of balloting.

But that isn’t Kasich. He does not give in to political pressure.

It was telling the governor did not invoke Trump’s name once during his six-minute speech. The New York businessman, who has said he’s worth $10 billion, swept through the primaries and caucuses.

Kasich also steered clear of the controversy stirred up by his refusal to endorse the GOP presidential nominee.

During the primary campaign and even after he threw in the towel, Kasich made it clear that he had very little in common with Trump.

In explaining why he dropped out of the sweepstakes so abruptly, Kasich said, “I did not want to lie to keep in the race.”

That comment could easily be viewed as a shot at Trump.

There was another.

“I’m an optimist about America,” he said. “America is the leader of the world. We can’t shrink. … We can’t run away.”

That view stands in sharp contrast to Trump’s contention this country has lost its leadership standing in the world, is in economic and social turmoil and needs to be re-engineered. His campaign slogan, “Make America Great Again,” has now become the Republican Party’s rallying cry.

NOT PLAYING BALL

Speculation is rife this week about the reasons for Kasich’s refusal to play political ball.

The governor remains tight-lipped, which means various scenarios are being formed from thin air.

Here’s one: Donald Trump wins the presidency, picks major battles with Congress, the press and his detractors and turmoil ensues. The Republican Party starts looking for a steady hand at the helm and John Kasich’s name tops the list for the 2020 presidential election.

Whether that happens, the fact remains that a Trump presidency would be as much of a gamble as feeding money into the slots at one of his casinos.

On Tuesday, Kasich ended the chapter on his bid for the Republican nomination for president.

Meanwhile, Trump will stand at the lectern and declare: “I accept your nomination.”

Then, he’ll smirk, as he is wont to do when he pulls one over an unsuspecting foe.