Real leadership starts with listening.

We live in a representative democracy.

A republic.

And our form of government works best when it works for the people.

That means engaging the public and giving them a voice - a chance to share their problems, their solutions, their ideas for fixing what ails us.

Which brings us to Fix Ohio Now - the new website developed by the Kasich campaign to give Ohioans a chance to participate in cleaning up the mess left behind by not only Ted Strickland and Lee Fisher, but Bob Taft and others who kicked the can down the road by not addressing the major issues facing the Buckeye State.



This, of course, will be met with cynicism by opponents of John Kasich.

They will mock and deride it. And they most certainly will do their best to sabotage it.

But why? What is wrong with offering Ohioans an opportunity to share their ideas?

They'll say it's because Kasich has none of his own to offer.

That's the company line for their side. And to be honest, it's what I'd tell the media, too, if I were them.

But for those that understand the strategies and tactics behind campaigns, Kasich's timing has been, and continues to be, impeccable.

Despite much hand wringing from critics, Kasich's decision to wait until last June to announce his candidacy worked perfectly. It allowed the public to maintain focus on Strickland and his failures and ingrain within them a disapproval of his leadership that remains today. And at the end of the day, it hasn't damaged his fundraising situation.

And now Kasich is again refusing to give in to demands to adjust his timeline. Why? Because a candidate can only announce their plans once. And when it happens, you want voters to be paying attention. It simply is bad politics to make a major announcement of any type when no one is ready to listen to it.

How important is coverage? Look at what the Fix Ohio Now website has already conjured up.



Kasich is playing his cards right with the Fix Ohio Now website. It enables him an opportunity to engage Ohioans and give them a voice.

And as Kasich says, the best ideas often come from unexpected places.

Maybe you have one. So share it.