Voters Divided On Compromise, Says Polling Expert

By Kyle LaFleur

With election results just two days old, legislative compromise and the message voters sent to Washington were the focus of a panel put together by CQ-Roll Call on Thursday.

According to panelist Carroll Doherty, who serves as the Associate Director of Editorial at the Pew Research Center, the main message sent by voters was their rejection to the expansion of government.  

Doherty said that exit polls revealed that 56% of voters believe government is leaning left in regard to policies affecting businesses and individuals, up from 43 percent in 2008. Additionally, figures show that two out of three voters said the Recovery Act (stimulus) had either a detrimental or non-existent effect on the economy.  

Voters were divided on the future of the nation, especially when the idea of bipartisanship was brought up.

“We tested the general proposition of compromise a couple months ago — this was well before the election and well before the Tea Party victories — and at that time 54 percent of Democrats were telling us they admired political leaders who compromised with people they disagree with,” said Doherty. “Republicans told us the opposite, 62 percent prefer political leaders who stick to their positions.”

With Republicans now in control of the House and Democrats holding on to a weakened majority in the Senate, compromise is needed moving forward to pass legislation. Without it, gridlock could be a recurring theme on Capitol Hill for the next two years.