Invisible Stimulus in Fly-Over Towns

Invisible Stimulus in Fly-Over Towns

LEADVILLE, Colo. – A handful of days after the opening of Independence Pass, the dramatic highway separating this old mining town from Aspen, 15-foot snowdrifts still line the narrow roadway even as the temperature climbs to 60 degrees.

Below the 13,000-foot peaks ringing the pass, a large home-made sign grabs a traveler’s attention. “Vote Obama? Embarrassed Yet?” dominates the front-yard of a home on the edge of town.

Welcome to “fly-over” country, that nation’s midsection which Washington only views from the air and never really experiences on the ground.

President Obama may parachute in sporadically for invite-only...