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I met John Kasich on the Flathead Lake tour boat, then named the Retta Mary, in the early 90’s. He was a young Ohio congressman, and along with a few of the other passengers, I intruded on his Montana vacation to engage him in conversation. I remember that he was concerned about “corporate welfare.” His view was that government shouldn’t play favorites among business and economic interests, and that the economic system functions better if government establishes general guidelines, and allows businesses to compete within them.

I was impressed by his genuinely jovial and outgoing demeanor. He liked everybody on the small tour boat, and everybody liked him.

A year or two later, I had a conversation with the president of the Ohio State Senate, and I asked him if he knew Kasich. He said he did, and that he had served with Kasich in the Ohio Senate before Kasich went on to Congress. He described him as independent-minded, outspoken, and sometimes out of line with party leadership. He commented that the young state senator frequently arrived for senate sessions on his motorcycle.