U.S voters : I would like a brief synopsis on what today's mid term elections may signify for both the country & the president. Care to oblige?

In my opinion, these are some of the most important elections in the US in quite a while. In the 2008 elections, the democratic party took control of congress and the presidency. However, in many people’s opinion, the democrats did a very bad job at improving the economy and with a large health care bill (nicknamed Obamacare by opponents). It has been forecasted that the republicans (the other one of two main political parties) will take control of congress. There is also a new political party called the Tea Party, which promises to get rid of what is considered by many as too much federal power. It is gaining power quickly, and is becoming a major influence. This election will most likely result in a republican controlled congress, with a democratic president. The end result might be an almost-gridlock of power, due to the the large distrust between the two parties. In my opinion, this will be a very interesting election. If you want to learn more about it, do some research. A national news network called ABCNews is covering this topic on their website, http://abcnews.go.com/.

@PhiNotPi Yeah, thanks for that & yes I will do.

Obama looks like a man under the cosh, he has been far too coy, he needs a kick up the back side, he should be out there shredding the Tea Party, they are easy cannon fodder and he could have really exploited that. Obama needs to get out there and kick some butt, he is in a kind of limbo, despised by the right and the left are running out of patience. The best he can hope for now is some kind of crisis from which he will emerge victorious. But he is definitely in a crisis now. i fear Obama is but a brief interlude of sanity.

This is the trouble with American politics not enough debating, they should adopt a British equivalent of prime minister’s question time, that is the kind of harsh environment that would automatically exclude the embarrassment of the politically inane.

Keep in mind the Tea Party isn’t a actual party. The 138 candidates that claim “Tea Party” are actually running as Republicans.

@johnpowell of course, they are hardly likely to split the Republican Party, they may be stupid but unfortunately they aren’t completely stupid.

Its nothing new…. The american people are fickle creatures, and often times the vast majority of them ignore the political process until election time. Then when they do jump in they are easy prey to false ads and lies on both sides…. Either way they tend to all be unhappy and throw out the group in power. This will go on for a couple of elections… then they’ll throw out who they put in power and bring in the old guys again.

Ridiculous cycle made all the uglier by only having two major parties.

What’s important is how much support the President will have in Congress. He was only able to get our health reform legislation because he had enough of a majority in both houses. Even that was almost not enough because of the number of conservative members of his own party.

Now the House and maybe the Senate will switch over into Republican hands. The President’s hands will be tied. Almost no legislation except for emergency or feel good legislation will get passed.

Well, perhaps I exaggerate. Clinton was able to do a lot with a split power situation. Whether Obama will be able to work with a Republican Congress remains to be seen. Things are especially difficult since if the Congress obstructs, they can make Obama look like he can’t do anything, and lay the groundwork for a Republican President to be elected in 2012.

The voters will be roughly divided ½ and ½ for most of the issues.

The politicians will pick and chose among the results to prove their agenda works.

Everything will remain basically the same, except in the backroom deals that are made between the people who really run this country.

It is rather amusing that the Obama liberals are all complaining that the electorate is fickle and will change the party in power at a moment’s notice. History doesn’t bear that out. Republicans took control of congress in ‘94 for the first time in 30 years (can’t remember exactly and don’t feel like looking it up). They held congress for 12 years until 2006. Complaints about the war and the excessive spending drove the electorate to bring back the Democrats. 2008 was another major win for the Democrats mostly on an anti Bush vote (Surprising since he wasn’t even running). With the Democrats in total control of congress and the presidency, the electorate was shocked at what they did. And have resoundly rejected it, putting the republicans back in the house. I find it amusing that all the main stream rags were touting the death of the Republican party just two years ago.

It is likely that even without control of the senate, the Republicans may be able to pass some surprising legislation. The remaining Democrats have to be some what leary of passing anymore of Obama’s agenda. Even some of the Democratic winners campaigned against his agenda in order to win. The republicans may find some sympathetic Democrats in the Senate next year. If they do, it will force Obama to veto legislation and he will become the party of “No”. Interesting turn of events. His veto on some of these things will be politically devastating but ideologically necessary. What to do, what to do.

Nonetheless, he is still President and wields enormous power. I suspect his liberal agenda will go underground and he will push most of what he wants through regulation at the cabinet level. Carbon tax from the EPA, things like that. It should be an interesting ride but one that gives me at least, a sliver of hope.

@Jaxk That you think Obama has been heralding some kind of “liberal agenda” is only proof that you’ve bought into the Faux “news” punch bowl hook line and sinker.

He’s been one of the most moderate presidents in years (save for only Clinton). Even on his most liberal issue pressed through, healthcare, he took out so many of the “liberal” ideas (like the public option) that half of the people opposed to it are opposed to it because it didn’t go far enough!

All I hear about is the mainstream liberal media…. news flash for you, the ones with the well organized propaganda machine are the Right wing media and mud throwing machine. The Democrats and the liberals in general are by far and away the most unorganized bunch you will ever see.

@tedd

The idea that Obama is moderate is proof that you are so far left you have no idea where the middle really is. Wealth redistribution, government expansion and takeover of private industry, Cap N Trade, CardCheck, Class warfare, and the health care bill are all liberal, liberal, liberal. Every move he makes doesn’t just move us left but rather drags us kicking and screaming to the left. His agenda has been soundly rejected by the public and only the very far left are confused.

I understand that you want to blame this on Fox or any other entity you can’t understand but it simply is misdirected anger. I’ve been very conservative since long before there even was a Fox News. I like Fox and the tea parties not because I agree with them but rather because they agree with me. And it would seem so does the American electorate. Obama’s experiment in socialism ending and it’s time to let the economy recover.

Another interpretation is not that Obama’s programs are being rejected, but the speed with which they are being implemented is being rejected. Only time will tell if Obama is being rejected.