If Donald Trump's team had only asked, instead demanded. Then, state Rep. Niraj Antani says, he gladly would have taken down a tweet that offended the Trump campaign.

If Donald Trump�s team had only asked, instead demanded.

Then, state Rep. Niraj Antani says, he gladly would have taken down a tweet that offended the Trump campaign.

Instead, the Trump campaign tried to �strong-arm� him into taking down his electronic missive that said: �FWIW, knocking doors in most affluent part of my GOP heavy district, and not one of them has been happy with Trump. All pro @JohnKasich�

Antani, 25, is a frequent tweeter and said he was merely sharing what he had found � not taking a jab at Trump.

Still, Antani eventually removed the tweet. But when he went to get the wristband that would admit him to the VIP seating area of a town hall meeting on Wednesday in his district featuring Trump�s running mate, Indiana Gov. Mike Pence, he was told that his name had been removed from the list.

So the only elected GOP Indian-American state official in Ohio history stood in the back of the Moraine banquet hall.

While Antani expressed appreciation for Pence�s call of apology afterward and said he�ll still vote for Trump, the Miamisburg rep said the attempt to show him up among his own supporters and contributors underscores the distance Trump must travel to bring true unity to the GOP.

Ohio�s economic dance: Step back, step forward

Political partisans often perform fun dance steps when it comes to the state of Ohio�s economy in an election year.

When the GOP is campaigning during the reign of a Democratic president, Ohio�s in the tank. But when Gov. John Kasich is running for re-election, everything is roses.

And of course, Democrats say just the opposite.

Last week saw an interesting twist on this political boogie.

U.S. Rep. Mike Turner of Dayton, who introduced VP nominee Mike Pence in Moraine, said Ohio�s economy is �struggling� and thus Trump should be elected.

But Pence didn�t stick to that approach. Instead, he cited Indiana and Ohio as examples of the good that happens when conservative Republicans are in charge and enact principles that �work every time.�

Quick fact check: ISIS isn�t gaining right now

While no one seemed to notice it at the time, Rep. Mike Turner�s additional assertion � �We have ISIS, who is gaining ground in the Middle East� � appears factually shaky.

While he may have been spinning somewhat for the Obama administation, Lt. General Sean MacFarland, commander of U.S. forces in Iraq, said last week, �Our strikes have enabled the liberation of more than 25,000 total square kilometers from (ISIS). That�s nearly half of what the enemy once controlled in Iraq and 20 percent of what they once controlled in Syria.�

Remember when: Misstep not Strickland�s first

Even though former Gov. Ted Strickland quickly apologized for his �insensitive remark� last week celebrating the death of Justice Antonin Scalia, Republicans weren�t letting him off the hook.

They gleefully pointed out that Strickland also was criticized last month for using fortune cookies � an American concoction � to attack Senate race opponent Rob Portman on China.

An Asian-American reporter asked at the time, don�t you think that might be racially insensitive? He got no response.

drowland@dispatch.com

@darreldrowland