SURVEY SAYS: What Message Should the Elected Take From the Election?

The answers were as diverse as our readers, and the nation in general.  I can promise you that however you feel about the 2010 elections, you’ll find something in the list below with which to agree – and disagree.

Regardless, I hope you find items on the following pages informative, if not insightful.    

Thanks to everyone who participated, regardless of your perspective!

Stop all the partisanship and work together.  Obama has been trying to send this message for 2 years.  Stop the extremism and fear mongering - work together just like we all have to every day.  And "Tea Partiers - go jump in a lake!!!"

Stay informed, listen, learn, talk to your friends and neighbors, be actively engaged, give of yourself and your resources and then VOTE!  And encourage others to do so as well.

They're age-old "isms" but long since forgotten by more than just politicos; principles before personalities, service is an active verb, and finally, perks (and beans) produce gas.

Honesty in office.  Control spending.  Improve the economy.

That the American populus, in general, do not like, or want, this country taken in the direction that it has been going for almost 2 years. I believe they want less government intrusion in banking, manufacturing, and other sectors of the economy,  no more bailouts, get spending under control, repeal Obamacare, control the borders, etc., i.e., we do not want European style socialism.

Negative campaigning leads to low voter turn out.

To our newly elected Ohio Attorney General, Mike DeWine, who in his victory speech declared that one of his first official acts will be to join the effort to repeal the "ObamaCare" reforms: Since repeal would, by definition, put us right back where we were before, my question is, Just what, exactly, was about the pre-reform situation that I should be eager to bring back?

I did vote and it doesn't matter what I hope the message is they will take from this election...this new crop of expletives deleted will take their message from the lobbyists and the PAC's and the big anonymous donors to whom they are beholden and will be rewarded richly when they move out of politics with jobs and high paying appointments to corporate boards.  Bitter?  You betcha.

The electorate is mad, confused and wanted to punish someone --- anyone -- who they had an opportunity to punish. The 2010 election result is not a mandate for any particular platform or agenda, and you'd better hope you're lucky enough that the unemployment rate is at 6% or lower in 2012. Otherwise, no matter who you are or what you do or don't do, you are likely to be out on your ear in the next election cycle.

Absolute power corrupts absolutely...regardless of party affiliation.

I really don't think the message this election provided, which was removing a lot of incumbents and the re-emergence of Republicans, will have any actual impact.  Politicians are politicians are politicians.  It doesn't matter whether Rep. or Dem., almost all are inevitably out for themselves and their own agenda.  It will be business "as usual" no matter what has been said and what promises have been made.  The entire structure including the two party system needs to be changed.

That we can not simply spend our way out of the current economic problems.

Stop the bickering, work together, reduce the deficit and get things moving again.  If you don't, two years from now we'll vote in someone else!

Ugh--more years of the same thing in MA!

Stop spending so much money, repeal health care reform

"Quit spending, scrap the health care, crack down on the real estate deals that have inflated values, and hurt John Q Public.  I think the public wanted to send the message to government to start thinking about the middle class and not the upper class."

Balance of power in government.  If there is a Democrat for President, Congress needs strong Republican representation to balance it out.

"Less government spending.  Lower taxes.  Less regulation"

Despite the "change in power" in Washington, the election showed a deeply divide electorate (and those who won, in most cases won by very slim margins).  This isn't a "mandate for one party over the other, but rather a clear indication that Americans want cooperation between the two sides.

Quite Spending and make cuts.

Listen to the people - ALL the people - not just those who happen to agree with you.

I hope that politicians understand that we are not hiring (I didn't say electing) them for their party agenda.  There is no such thing as a mandate.  We are hiring them to represent us.  Please do your job and represent the interests of your constituents.  The majority of us don't elect a party.  We elect individual candidates.  If you don't do your job and represent our interests, then we'll fire you.  That's the way any job works.

The message is that people are frustrated with the economy and they want someone to do something about it.

Whatever message I want sent will be shouted down by the guys who originally drove the truck into the ditch and now have been given the keys back.  It’s always the ones who do the tough work who get cast aside.

I hope they do what they can to make the necessary changes to the healthcare bill and deal with cap and trade.  We do not want to turn into a country like France where government entitlements have bankrupted the country and have made their citizens too reliant on government.

You must represent the people who vote you in, not the special interest groups or the extreme members of your party.

I don't know what message they'll take from the election. I just hope they will do something beside attack each other relentlessly in preparation of the next election. I'm NOT optimistic.

Business as usual will not be tolerated.

Listen to the people

I hope that the leaders of our great country remember that they work for us and are elected to do what we want them to not do what they want and shove it down our throats.  We have a great many problems in our country and they will not be handled by partisanship bickering.  We need to get this country back to work and we need to repeal the offensive healthcare legislation.

We need change

Republicans, you better get serious and get your act together.  Don't fail me.

That we need to stop spending money we don't have. Make DC a pig free zone and take pork off the menu.

I doubt anyone will take anything really positive from this election.  I am embarrassed by our process and believe we show very poorly in the world's eye. 

Most people are not very educated when it comes to large national policies.  They don't understand what the Fed does; or how the branches of government work.  With that in mind, make sure everything the representatives do is clearly explained to the mass electorate.  Stop treating politics as a bunch of sports teams and a big Super Bowl game; politics and the running of government needs to be treated as a civic duty.  And always remember that politicians must represent all the people--not just those who voted for them.  They must represent non-voters and those who can't vote due to age or infirmity or citizenship or loss of rights.

I think that people aren't happy with the current government.

I voted in Connecticut which is a left wing liberal State.  As a moderate Democrat, I voted for the entire Republican ticket, except for one local Democratic Probate Judge.  My vote didn't do anything to send the message I was hoping to send because all the left wing liberals were elected.

That we do not want to become a Socialist country.  The world is full of such countries so those that prefer that method of government have a host of places to choose from to live in that mode.  This country was founded to be different from others and to recognize the value and rights as well as the FREEDOM of the common citizen.  We may not have always been perfect at doing this but we do not want to give up this goal and purpose and continue to strive for it.  I would like them to understand that their purpose is not to gain personal power, control and influence but is to actually serve all of the people and to serve only at the WILL of the people for as long as they discharge those duties honorably.

Honesty, honesty, honesty.

With the House now Republican, the Senate Democrat, and the President a Socialist, we're pretty much not going to get anything passed for the next little while. Oh well. We have too many laws anyway.

I would like them to realize that they need to do their job or they can be replaced.  But I'm sure that they won't, and with all the spending for political advertisements they will have to "pay back" lots of people, so no change.

We need to address the economy without increasing taxes and by using the private sector for sustainable job recovery rather than temporary employment through government programs and projects, the cost of healthcare by reforming tort laws, reducing waste and fraud, as well as questioning the ethics of keeping people alive at any cost, and stem the influx of illegal aliens that drain our services and take resources from U.S. citizens.

"That we are tired of the bulls@@t that is going on. 

Our pre-election Governor signed contracts for light rail that the majority of the people don't want 2 days before the election.

Reminds me of OBAMACARE that the majority of the people didn't want.  Unfortunately it cost our Democratic Senator his long time job.  If the people in office would work for the people perhaps we wouldn't be in such a mess!"

In upstate NY, one message is the rent may be "too d@mn high" but nobody outside NYC cares one d@mn bit.

"We are NOT a country full of Left or Right wing people, for the most part we hang out somewhere in the middle.   Most things that both sides say are good but we really can't do it all and as times get tough, even though we don't want to, we are forced to be more concerned about the few people right around us and don't really care about others as much and right now times are tough. 

My message, do what the rest of us are doing, cut back on spending and do what you can do to improve the economy.  Having a place to live and food on the table is more important than a lot of the other things government seems to be worried about."

Bring back the middle class

Remember the government is ruled by the people in the USA.  God Bless America!

"1. President Obama's policies need to be given a chance to work.

 2.  In Maine the candidates who ran negative campaigns were mostly not elected.  Negative campaigning can backfire."

I hope they realize the status quo is no longer acceptable.  Having the honor of being elected BY THE PEOPLE to public office means you have to make changes and if you don't you are replaceable.

"Listen to the voters & don't think you know better than everyone else what's good for the country.  Don't berate America constantly; build on her strengths and get government back to doing what it's supposed to--not take care of everyone from cradle to grave by raising taxes on our grandchildren.  Give American business support and don't try to regulate it to death. 

Can't wait to hear how the White House interprets this tsunami."

To listen to the voters and not just try to out talk each other.

Taxes are too high, government spending is out of control, and politicians are too complacent about having a job for life.... 

Civility and bi-partisan action on behalf of the electorate are the expectations of the American people.  Less government and better communication with lower costs and effective and efficient government programs.  No fat in the budget process.

No new taxes, stop spending, and reduce the Massachusetts sales tax to 5%.  You know that 5% would have passed.  At the Federal level - hear what the voters have told you.  No new taxes, stop spending - you can't reform Social Security, Pensions, and Health Care without reducing expenses.

Please, please, please cut back on the taxes.

I hope and pray that the people we elect to represent us will do the job of doing what is right and good for the country and the people - instead of for the "party" and themselves.  I hate the gridlock and partisan rhetoric from the extremes of both parties and wish we would just be able to vote for the candidate based on their individual attributes and not be concerned by which party they belong to.  How can anything get done if no one is willing to listen to one another and are so consumed with hatred of the other side?

"Stop talking in sound bites and let us know how you will address your bumper-sticker one-liners!  And let us know how you will work effectively with whatever the other party is in your area.

For newly elected Republicans, How will you address the people whose jobs are lost due to ""no big government""?  How do you plan to pay for police, firefighters, roads, homeland security, war budgets and schools with ""reduced taxes""?

For Democrats in Congress, what do you plan to accomplish with the upcoming Lame Duck session?  How will you reach across the aisle to reduce chances of filibusters in the next few months?"

The American public doesn't want big government spending and are looking for a balance of power.

Stop the Dem vs. Rep garbage, and work on getting people back to work. People are tired of hearing blame on each party and it is time to work together to fix this mess.

Follow the will of the people and not the will of the politicians.

I want the newly elected politicians to support the desires of the majority of Americans and not to turn their backs on them so that they can push their own politically charged agendas. I want them to understand that forsaking the American public to promote their special interests through a variety of seldom used political tactics has its consequences and that Americans want representatives that represent the principles and the morality that made this country great.

If they don't seriously address the unemployment problem, they will be replaced in 2012.

Voters are angry, volatile & thoroughly inconsistent. Good luck in figuring out what they want.

Tea-nami!

If you listened to Barney Frank's acceptance speech, you know all you need to know about what the newly elected will take from this election.

It is their job to work for the citizens of this country, not for corporations or special interest groups.

WORK TOGETHER!!! 

"Send the DEMOCRAT bastards packing.  GA is a big red state, so the only races where I had any impact were governor (which turned out not to be as close as the news media nor the democrat candidate had hoped) and school board.  I had a friend running for a post, so I voted for him and was glad to see he won!

I do hope the president realizes that this means the country doesn't like the direction he's been leading us.  I'd like to see health care overturned, but I don't think that will happen. As one pundit pointed out, all of the moderate democrats were booted, and the ensconced liberals (Harry Waxman, Barney Frank, Pelosi) are safe.  So the lefties who are left are VERY left. 

Don't know what to think of the Tea Party.  Got two senators in office...but lost out in some other big races."

Voters are paying attention and will take action if they feel that Washington is not paying attention to our needs.

I hope the elected focus on (1) the security of our country (seems that that topic slipped through the cracks at least in Connecticut), (2) healthcare - with so many unemployed, so many are not insured - we need to take care of our own in this country

Reduce spending and come up with a long-term plan to reduce our nation's debt.

It's time to make changes to our economy by getting people back to work!

To listen to the people for a change!

"I hope they figured out two things:

1) You can't stimulate, legislate, or regulate your way out of a recession

2) Back to Jeffersonian simplicity - The government that governs least, governs best"

A little more common sense in effecting change with respect for what this country has traditionally stood for.

You can "run", but you can't hide.

I listened to a report on NPR a week ago where Michelle Obama was out campaigning for Democratic candidates. In one speech she reminded her audience that when she agreed to "give" her husband to "us" for four years, it was with the understanding that he would have support for the job that needed to be done. Last night's message would seem to indicate that Michelle can have her husband back whenever she wants him. Fiscal responsibility is last night's message and the Obama administration has none. 

we're tired of the messed up government, clean things up, cut taxes, quit giving people a free ride and letting the middle class people who are barely getting by pick up the tab for everyone else...REPEAL OBAMACARE!!!!!  You can't get any further in my pocket; there isn't anymore there!!!

Every election is a potential term limit.

"In this particular state, Florida, I hope not much in that they appear to have elected a new governor who should be in jail!

On the national level, I would hope that the new leaders do not think they won because they have the magic key to all our problems.  They won either because they were the lesser of two evils, people are scared and pulled any lever that was different from the status quo, or just voted no in anger."

I feel that there was more discussion regarding the election...whether it was the media or chit chat with family, friends and co-workers.  Many of us are concerned about the state of our Country and even the day after the election there is still chatter hoping that we made the right choices.  We need leaders who can make a difference and get our economy back on track...Americans need jobs; and we need less government and taxes.

I feel that there was more discussion regarding the election...whether it was the media or chit chat with family, friends and co-workers.  Many of us are concerned about the state of our Country and even the day after the election there is still chatter hoping that we made the right choices.  We need leaders who can make a difference and get our economy back on track...Americans need jobs; and we need less government and taxes.

Don't harm us messengers!

I hope that Congress realizes that a major factor that led to the economic crisis is a lack of regulation (and lack of enforcement of regulations) and they must take action across the isle to ensure that this doesn't happen again since there is very little either party can do now to end the crisis (it must run its course).

"Read my lips.  No more taxes.  No wait.  It's the economy, stupid.  No wait. 

It's always the same old, same old but I do hope that maybe, just maybe the magnitude and the degree of the ""out with old in with the new will"" sent a clear message - jobs, jobs, jobs.  You create jobs, you can lower taxes, reduce welfare programs, money frees up, debt is lowered.....and on and on."

I hope the newly elected will realize that the American people are not happy with the way that lawmakers complicate legislation, placate lobbyists and their own constituents.  I hope the message is to create jobs, rein in unreasonable spending and hold true to good values.

WAKE UP!  PAY ATTENTION TO WHAT THE PEOPLE WHO ELECTED YOU ACTUALLY WANT YOU TO DO!!

Stop sniping at each other, get back to work to figure out how to make this country great again.

Government doesn't create jobs, businesses do.  Stop relying on the government to fix everything.  Let the American people and businesses do what they do best - with as little interference as possible.

That voters wanted three basic things: Change, Change, and more CHANGE!

That the "change" the current administration campaigned on is not the "change" that the people had in mind!

Please work together to find a cost-effective solution for the nation's problems without finger-pointing and name-calling.  Just do it!

Fiscal sanity needs to be restored.  Or else, the United States of America will eventually be known as 'West China'.

Reright the ship (i.e. no comprehensive health care reform, no cap and trade, extend the tax cuts) and otherwise gridlock is fine.

"It doesn't matter what I think - the newly-elected Republicans are going to do roughly two things:  (1) protect the interests of the wealthy and (2) try to orchestrate the defeat of President Obama in 2012.  Thanks to Citizens United, the right wing media machine and (shudder) Speaker Boehner, the campaign against Obama will simply go into high gear now.

The message I hope President Obama takes is that the Republicans really are out to destroy him and trying to be even more bipartisan than he already was will be a stupid waste of time and even less productive than it wasn't the first two years of his term."

Folks didn't like Obama's change and now we need to change back to a more normal mainstream USA

That they work for US (the people) and not the President and his cronies that want to give away everything I work hard for every day.  We need a country that goes back to its roots -- you don't work, you don't eat!  No more "they owe me" attitudes!

No one has a mandate.

It would be nice if our elected officials actually put the country ahead of their own political futures.

Quit talking about it and start stimulating job growth...and by the way, you don't have any bigger mandate than the last guys! The fickle voters have spoken!

Their turn could be next ... don't rest on their laurels but recognize that citizens used the elections to send a message that we want action, bipartisanship and tired of mudslinging. Find a way to work together, stop standing on your soap box, now you must figure out how to deliver on your platform - what sounded good as a sound bite pre-election could become the tree limb from which your petard is hung if you don't find a way to produce.

Americans are tired of corruption, earmarks, lies, and status quo ... make a difference.

We are NOT happy with:  (1) the extremely leftist policies of the current Administration, (in other words, please move to the "center," (2) the over-spending by the current Administration, (3) the poor state of the economy, (4) the "big government" approach to solving problems, and (5) the current Administration's unwillingness to listen to the American people and to, instead, ramrod its own policies as it did with Health Care Reform

I hope you learned from this election that you need to listen to the people and not just push your own agenda. .

I hope they, unlike their predecessors, LISTEN to their constituents.

Stop the march to socialism and cut spending.