COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP): Ohio Gov. John Kasich is a hug-addicted happy warrior in the Republican presidential campaign, a Mr. Nice Guy in a tank of sharks.

That’s not quite the governor Ohioans know.

He butted heads with unions and tea party activists alike after his 2010 election. He barreled into Columbus with a tone that was anything but patient, warning Statehouse lobbyists “if you’re not on the bus we will run over you with the bus.”

Kasich preaches a similar line against the status quo in his White House bid but his manner sets him apart from the slash-and-burn tone of the race.

He focuses on Ohio’s economic turnaround, but he admits he was one of America’s most unpopular governors early on and says that “didn’t bother me at all.”