When Ohio Gov. John Kasich gave his opening remarks at the Ohio State Fair on this morning - his fifth as Governor - he used the recent Republican National Convention to support his message that Ohio is cool again.

When Ohio Gov. John Kasich gave his opening remarks at the Ohio State Fair on this morning � his fifth as Governor � he used the recent Republican National Convention to support his message that Ohio is cool again.

"We had this incredible event up in Cleveland, and now people are trying to choose, 'Am I going to go to Maui, or am I going to go to Cleveland?'" he said. "That's how far we've come."

But when one loud passerby interrupted his speech, calling on him to "endorse Trump," it established a pattern he would follow for the rest of the morning, trailed by a pack of reporters: Don't talk about the presidential race or Republican nominee Donald Trump, who he has refused to endorse.

Kasich hasn't entirely shied away from the attention he gained while campaigning for president. He's been stumping for congressional candidates in a number of states � most recently in Philadelphia for House candidate Brian Fitzpatrick. He said he's planning to go to Kentucky to campaign for Rand Paul and Arizona for John McCain. Earlier this week he was in New York talking to a publisher about a book he's working on, which will be about his campaign and "the direction of the country."

>>Video | Opening day at the fair

But he followed a well-worn path as he toured the fair, hitting the same marks he has for the past four years: first cutting the ribbon, then on to the butter sculpture, the 14-foot animatronic Smokey Bear statue, and concluding the trek at his favorite exhibit, the butterfly house.

When reporters asked about Donald Trump, a potential 2020 run, and who should replace him after he leaves office, Kasich stopped to wax poetic about a monarch perched on his finger.

"That butterfly represents all the beauty of our world," he said. "It represents, not just the beauty of our world, but when I look at a butterfly like that I see all the hopes and dreams of kids, the future, how great it can be."

Kasich said one of his main goals for the fair was to encourage parents to talk to their children about drug usage, as well as highlighting the state's triumphs in job creation, up 430,000 during his time as governor.

He was less eager to talk about what role he will play in this election, or what his plans are for the future.

"Oh, that's just silly," he said when asked about another presidential run. "I have no clue what I'm going to be doing 20 minutes from now, let alone 2020."

He added that he didn't know who he was voting for this year, but maintained that it wouldn't be Hillary Clinton. However, he still feels no regret for not speaking at last week's convention, saying it would have been inappropriate for him to make an appearance if he wasn't going to endorse the candidate.

"You have to always follow your conscience in politics, and if you don't the you end up regretting it. I have a message of unity that's pretty darn clear and pretty well defined and I intend to continue that message."

@wtperkins

wperkins@dispatch.com