More than seven months after announcing his presidential bid in Columbus, John Kasich's goal was to be in a position to compete in Ohio.
That day has come.
"It's great to be in Ohio," Kasich said before a town hall event in Broadview Heights Tuesday. "I mean, I kissed the ground when I got into the FBO. I did -- I got down on my hands and knees. I actually didn't kiss the carpet because I didn't know if it was clean, but it's great to be home."
Kasich is in a position to do what no Ohioan has done since 1952, and that is win an Ohio presidential primary.
Robert Taft, son of former President William Howard Taft did it on May 6, 1952, which incidentally was a week to the day before Kasich was born.
Taft would win the popular vote in that year's fight for the Republican nomination but lose the party nod at the Republican National Convention that year to Dwight D. Eisenhower.
A contested convention is Kasich's only path to the nomination at this point. On Tuesday, Kasich said first things first.
"Well look, I think we should not get ahead of ourselves when it comes to the convention," he said. "I mean, I've talked about it probably more than I should have -- getting ahead of myself a little bit -- because politics. As you know, what was true today is not necessarily true tomorrow. That's why I think that we're interested in it.
"Let me put it to you in simple terms," he continued. "When you and I were in school and you made an 86 on your test, you didn't get an A, you got a B. And so if nobody can get to 90 and get an A? Well then we're going to have to have a convention."
Kasich reflected on how far he's come.
"At the end of the day, the governor of Ohio is one of four people left," he said. "There's only six people in the country who might be president.
"It's amazing how Ohio always ends up being the geographical center of presidential campaigns and it's happening again with our own guy our favorite son -- I hope I'm your favorite son, I hope," Kasich laughed.
