In the House of Representatives and Senate elections last week, voters indicated a great deal of dissatisfaction with President Obama, who was not up for re-election, and with congressional Democrats, who were.
The president has two more years in office before he must face voters again. But Republicans won a majority of seats in the House of Representatives, and narrowed the Democrats’ majority in the Senate.
What now?
Obama has faced reality by calling for cooperation and compromise. How much of either will House Republicans provide? They may need to oppose much of what the president and his allies want to do. There is no desire to have “stalemate.” But Republican representatives should “pick and choose” carefully what they want to go along with, or what they should dig their heels in to prevent.
Americans of all political views are concerned about the economy. Everyone wants more jobs. We are facing annual deficits of about $1.3 trillion or more! Who wants higher taxes? Who wants spending cuts?
It won’t take many weeks for us to find out.
Obama almost certainly will be the 2012 Democrat presidential candidate. The likely Republican nominee has not emerged yet. But time is short for the 2012 campaign to begin.
Very important decisions must be made by Congress — and the American people — very soon.