Once again, swing state Ohio’s delegation  is getting VIP treatment at the Republican National Convention. That includes hotels, floor seating and time for Ohio’s top pols — Gov. John Kasich and Sen. Rob Portman — at the podium.

History says Republicans can’t win the White House without Ohio. And polls consistently show the race between President Obama and Mitt Romney is close here. (The latest Quinnipac Poll out today says the president has a 4 point lead among likely voters.)

Democrats have won the White House without Ohio — though infrequently. And President Obama’s frequent trips to the Buckeye state show his campaign, at least, thinks Ohio is  a “must get.”

WKSU is covering both conventions, the Republicans in Tampa and the Democrats in Charlotte. And much of that coverage will come from well away from the convention floor, during the delegate breakfasts and other less-formal get-togethers where the politics of the future are often mapped out.