That's because, as reporters in-state  and nationally have revealed, President Trump's bubble-gum-and-twine economic "policy" has wrecked America-to-China sales of soybeans.

That in turn threatens farm profitability in swathes of agribusiness in Ohio, because Ohio  ranks fifth nationally among the 50 states in soybean production , the Ohio Department of Agriculture reported earlier this year.

Ohio soybean farmers supported Donald Trump enthusiastically

Ohio backed President Trump big time in 2024 , casting 54.8% of its vote for him and his running mate, Cincinnati Republican J.D. Vance . In contrast, Ohio cast 43.7% of its presidential vote for the Democratic ticket, then-Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz.

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Nationally, Ohio's Trump-Vance tally was something of a runaway win, given that the ticket's national share of the vote was 49.7% of the total, the Harris-Walz ticket's share, 48.2%.

According to federal data reported in 2023 , Wood County (Bowling Green) ranked No. 1 among Ohio counties in soybean production, harvesting almost 9.7 million bushels harvested from more than 123,000 acres of farmland. Last year, Wood County voters cast 54.6% of their votes for Trump.

But Ohio's other big soybean-producing counties were even more enthusiastic than Wood in their support of Donald Trump last year, according to federal agricultural production statistics and Ohio county election returns.

Among those counties: Clinton (Wilmington), 76.6% for Trump; Darke (Greenville), 82% for Trump; Fayette (Washington Court House), 76.9% for Trump; Hardin (Kenton), 76.8% for Trump; Huron (Norwalk), 71.3% for Trump;

Madison (London), 71%; Mercer (Celina), 82.7% for Trump; Paulding, 77.2% for Trump; Pickaway (Circleville), 73.5% for Trump; Putnam (Ottawa), 83.5% for Trump; Seneca (Tiffin), 67.9% for Trump; and Van Wert, 78.5% for Trump.

Are these the consequences of the election?

Democratic President Barack Obama enraged Republicans when he said, amid Democratic victories - agree, now a misty memory - that "elections have consequences."

But as Republican rural Ohio - even before it loses its community hospitals thanks to the president's One Big Beautiful Bill Act - is finding out, yes, elections really do have consequences. But sometimes they're not the kind a president's voters wanted.

The Statehouse's rustics periodically heave themselves out of their seats to tell fellow Ohio House and state Senate members that agriculture is Ohio's No. 1 industry.

Ohio and the nation need real leadership

If that's really so, those legislators will take a break from, say, persecuting trans people, and instead fight the presidential antics that are squeezing Ohio's farm families.

The running Statehouse joke known as congressional redistricting is drawing fire from people who should know some plain truths:

Of course General Assembly Republicans are stalling, because the longer they delay, the greater their advantages thanks to Ohio's current redistricting rubrics, set by supposed reforms voters OK'd last decade, "reforms" proven, in practice, to be cosmetic.

Then thanks to deceitful ballot language engineered by Republican Secretary of State Frank LaRose, of Upper Arlington, and an apprentice, Republican state Sen. Theresa Gavarone, of Bowling Green (and permitted by Ohio's Supine - oops, Supreme - Court) voters rejected a ballot issue last year's to create a citizens' commission to redraw the boundaries of congressional and legislative districts.

Given that Republicans enjoy an unjustified majority of Ohio's U.S. House seats - 10 Republicans, five Democrats - there is no reason for General Assembly Republicans to advance redistricting until they can perfect a way to knock off at least two Ohio Democrats now in the U.S. House - Reps. Marcy Kaptur, of Toledo, and Emilia Sykes, of Akron.

Yes, redistricting can be dismissed as an insiders' fight. especially given an Ohio congressional delegation that, as now peopled, exhibits scanty distinction.

The now-Republican-run U.S. House's roll-over-and-play-dead reaction to Donald Trump's imposition of what amounts to martial law in some big U.S. cities is perilous to Americans' (eroding) liberties. And the Senate's "leadership" is nothing more than a tedious cavalcade of sound-bite cliches.

That's not responsible, constructive government. It's showbiz in a country that needs real leadership, not low-brow entertainment.