It's about a half-hour drive between Hershey and Camp Hill, but for John Kasich it was a world away.

The presidential candidate was seemingly in a roomful of supporters and moderates during his Hershey town hall Friday morning.

Hours later, Kasich was in Cruz Country.

When the Ohio governor walked into the Pennsylvania Leadership Conference Friday afternoon, he entered a larger crowd than the town hall and one that waved signs of support for Texas Sen. Ted Cruz.

He did get some applause and a few laughs, but mostly it was combative.

"I hear murmurs in the crowd, and I love it," Kasich said in response to some jeers.

That came after he pierced the ideological souls of the most conservative in the room by saying teachers are underpaid.

It prompted the Pennsylvania Democrats to ask on Twitter, "So why did he slash Ohio's education budget?"

Some in the crowd also questioned Kasich's education record in Ohio, and that also did not go well.

He tried to answer before a woman said, "Not true, governor. Not true."

"I just need you to listen for a second. You don't have to agree with me," Kasich said.

The woman quickly said, "I don't."

Kasich offered a soft laugh as he pointed out that he hadn't said anything yet.

The candidate soon tried to pivot the conversation away from teachers, saying he would take the millions paid to athletes and give it to nurses.

Another conference guest asked him what sets him apart from his challengers, Cruz and Donald Trump, and Kasich gave an abbreviated, curt response.

"Look at the records...figure it out," he said.

People are getting to know him through the town halls and other events, and that's why he believes he's "in a dead heat with Donald Trump" in Pennsylvania, Kasich said.

He also said he's the only Republican candidate who can beat Hillary Clinton in a general election.

When someone asked him for his definition of beating her, Kasich said, "What's my definition of beating her? Getting more votes!"

Kasich also accused Clinton of changing positions based on polling. "I don't cave in."

There weren't many, but a few positions did work with the conservative crowd.

The applause was plenty when Kasich took on Democratic Sen. Bernie Sanders.

"Do any of you believe we can have free college? Let's be realistic, folks," he said.

Kasich also got applause when he said he wants Republican incumbent Pat Toomey to stay in the Senate.

"You nominate the wrong Republican candidate who divides the country, and we'll lose the U.S. Senate as well as the White House," he said.

But his best moments of the afternoon came when he was telling his personal story, talking about growing up near Pittsburgh and naming Roberto Clemente, legendary right fielder for the Pittsburgh Pirates, as his childhood hero.

Sticking to a theme of refusing to take "the low road to the highest office," he shared messages of optimism.

"Where I grew up, we didn't wait for someone to come in from Washington...we took care of things where we lived," Kasich said. "The spirit of our country, it's in our neighborhoods."

Moments later, Kasich pointed to a small group of young people in the first row: "We're counting on you to change the world."

But the governor didn't seem to change any minds by the time his speech was over.

"He's a progressive," some said about Kasich as they waved Cruz signs. "Go back to Ohio."