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New Politicians, Same Grim Reality
 Liz Sidoti - Associated Press
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November 03, 2010
Washington – The election means a new reality for many politicians. For most Americans, grim reality remains the same.
The crushing remnants of the Great Recession didn’t change with Tuesday’s votes. National joblessness still is almost 10 percent, more than 2 million households are in foreclosure and bankruptcies are near record levels. And none of it’s showing much sign of abating anytime soon.
Again, the nation’s voters declared they wanted change. Republicans picked up their first Senate seat from Democrats in Indiana and Rand Paul, Kentucky, became the first conservative Tea Party candidate to win a Senate race. But the brutal truth is that chances are slim a divided government would agree on any measures to prod a swift turnaround.
It’s largely out of the politicians’ hands – regardless of who is in charge. The Federal Reserve meets today to decide its next move on the economy, but even it is running out of options.
An AP analysis of preliminary exit poll results and pre-election polls showed that voters were expressing dissatisfaction with Obama and the Congress but they didn’t have a favorable view of either the Democratic or Republican parties. They also were intensely dissatisfied with the way the federal government is working.
But the economy was by far their top concern, with no other issue coming close. Nearly all voters were worried about the economy, and about four in 10 said they are worse off financially than they were two years ago.
Liz Sidoti has covered national politics for The Associated Press since 2003. |
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