Kasich, Clinton benefit from victories in Ohio

For Ohio Gov. John Kasich, it was a rather simple proposition: Either win the presidential primary Tuesday night in his home state or throw in the towel.

For former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, the prospects were much more appealing: Win the Democratic primary in Ohio and take a giant step toward the party nomination.

Kasich, serving his second term as governor, and Clinton, the former U.S. senator from New York, are today reveling in their victories in the extremely important Buckeye State.

There were 66 Republican delegates at stake, and the governor won them all. On the Democratic side, the delegates were distributed proportionately, with Clinton grabbing 76, while U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., received 67.

The other major primary contest Tuesday was in Florida with its 99 Republican delegates at stake. Billionaire Donald Trump, the front-runner for the GOP nomination, carried the Sunshine State (his second home) and took all the delegates.

Clinton won the Democratic primary and grabbed 130 delegates; Sanders received 63.

Because the delegate count is the most important factor in the presidential sweepstakes, Trump, who is running as the anti-establishment, anti-Washington candidate, is increasing his lead over his closest rival, U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas. Kasich lags far behind. The casualty from Tuesday’s Florida contest was the favorite son, Sen. Marco Rubio. He suspended his campaign after losing his state.

The same thing would have happened to Gov. Kasich had he fallen short in Ohio. Today, however, he continues his seemingly impossible quest for the Republican nomination for president with new-found vigor.

Ever since he entered the race last July, Kasich sought to separate himself from the initially crowded field of 17 by focusing on his extensive government service both in the U.S. House of Representatives and the Statehouse.

His refusal to wallow in the political muck that has become the hallmark of the Republican race has endeared him to the GOP establishment and major newspapers around the country. Kasich has been characterized as the only adult in a field of political juveniles – led by Trump.

Unfortunately, the bombastic real-estate developer whose business model is built around the Trump brand, has tapped into the large cadre of voters angry about all things government. In so doing, Trump has brought many new voters into the Republican fold, leaving Cruz and Kasich to battle over the traditional GOPers.

Potty politics

Nonetheless, Ohio’s governor made it clear Tuesday night that he does not intend to indulge in the potty politics that have many Americans shaking their heads in dismay.

“I will not take the low road to the highest office in the land,” Kasich declared during his victory address.

We hope he keeps that pledge and does not adopt Trump’s win-at-all-costs approach to this election.

There is a reason for Kasich to stay on the high road. If no candidate secures the 1,237 delegates needed for outright victory, there would be a brokered convention in Cleveland in July. At that point, the party establishment that opposes Trump’s candidacy would rally behind someone who shares its values.

As of this week, Trump has 646 delegates; Cruz, 397; and Kasich, 142.

On the Democratic side, Clinton has 1,132 pledged delegates and 467 superdelegates, while Sanders has 818 pledged and 26 super. A total of 2,383 delegates are needed for nomination.

Sanders, who also is running on an anti-establishment platform, is adamant about staying in the race. The party should welcome his continued presence because it is forcing Clinton to focus on the issues that Sanders’ supporters, many of them college-age, believe are important to their lives and futures.

Kasich, on the other hand, now has the chance to widen his appeal among rank- and-file Republicans who are not swayed by Trump’s egocentric candidacy or Cruz’s right-wing ideology.

Ohio’s governor lost his chance to fine-tune his message in a Republican debate Monday in Salt Lake City after Trump said he would not participate.