Fed up with politics as usual

Whenever I need perspective, I go home to Fulton County, where I cut my teeth as a weekly-newspaper editor at a time when everyone seemed less angry and I still had hair.

At the end of every drive through endless corn and soybean fields made possible by pioneers who dug ditches to drain the Great Black Swamp, I find old acquaintances who have done what Americans are supposed to do - work hard, educate their children and look after their neighbors.

They are baby boomers, children of the 1960s, who fretted about America's future and, as a result, made the country better. Now, they are getting older and growing tired of the burden, eager to turn democracy's stewardship over to their children and grandchildren, while remaining ever protective of it, ready to step back in if needed.

As Wall Street's tumultuous week catapulted the country and world toward an uncertain and fearful future, I sought comfort in the familiar places and faces of home. But the usual uplifting visit did not occur, and perhaps for the first time ever, I returned to Columbus depressed. The economic and political factors dragging down the nation were reflected in conversations with three friends.

At Ickey's, the best place in Archbold to get a beer and burger, ever-affable James "Bummer" Dominique lamented that his business was down, maybe for the first time since his dad started the restaurant more than a half-century ago. A town once reputed to have more millionaires per capita than any other in the United States, even Archbold is suffering, especially after layoffs by its major employer, Sauder Woodworking.

"There's been a glut of homes on the market here, and Sauder cut back, and when Sauder cuts back, it makes a difference," Dominique said.

In tiny Pettisville, halfway between Archbold and Wauseon, I found Joe Rychener holding court at his feed company early in the morning with the farmers, teachers and businessmen who gather for coffee beneath a wood-carved sign: "Sit long, talk much."

Here, you can always get a dose of country wisdom, such as Ron Gearig's answer to my question about the local economy: "If you've got a good job, the economy's good. If you don't, it's bad."

The corn crop is hearty, and the farmers are doing pretty well, Rychener said. But many farmers also work in small factories, most related to the auto industry, and those jobs are drying up quickly.

"We're seeing that there are a lot more vets that need help," Rychener observed.

In Wauseon, at the county office building, Recorder Sandy Barber said housing transactions processed by her office are a fraction of what they were four years ago. Barber, who was chairwoman of the Fulton County GOP for 26 years, is a loyal partisan, but you won't find a Democrat in the county who doesn't like her. She played to win, but she didn't play to destroy her opponents, because she knew she'd be cheering with them at the next high-school football game.

In March, Barber retired as leader of the party. Part of the reason, she said, is that she just got worn down by the rancor and anger that has overtaken politics, particularly in Washington and Columbus.

Fulton County is 150 miles from Columbus and 600 miles from Washington. But what happens in those two capitals directly affects the lives of Dominique, Rychener, Barber and all the good people who share their little plot of God's country. Late last week, they watched with heightened anxiety and a sense of helplessness as President Bush and congressional leaders struggled over a plan to rescue the national economy.

All they could do - all any of us can do - is trust our leaders. If they fail, well, Bush will be gone in January, and the first thing the new Congress should do is replace House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California, House Minority Leader John Boehner of West Chester, Senate President Harry Reid of Nevada and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky.

From Archbold to Pettisville to Wauseon to Columbus, we little people are crying out for leadership.

Joe Hallett is senior editor at The Columbus Dispatch. E-mail him at jhallett@dispatch.com.