Poll Watch 11/5/10: Is Anyone Even Listening?

Here's what Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky) had to say about Tuesday's election results: “Over the past week, some have said it was indelicate of me to suggest that our top political priority over the next two years should be to deny President Obama a second term in office,” Mr. McConnell says. “But the fact is, if our primary legislative goals are to repeal and replace the health spending bill; to end the bailouts; cut spending; and shrink the size and scope of government, the only way to do all these things it is to put someone in the White House who won’t veto any of these things. We can hope the President will start listening to the electorate after Tuesday’s election. But we can’t plan on it.”    

Here’s what Americans actually said in exit polling shared by all of the major news networks and conducted by Edison Research in 26 states. 

• 52% of us view the Republican Party negatively, compared to 53% who similarly view the Dems.  Of the folks who view the Reps unfavorably, only 75% voted for a Dem, 23% still voted for the Republican.
• On health care, 48% say repeal the legislation, but an almost equal percent say minimally leave it alone (16%) or even expand it (31%). 
• On what the priorities should be, an almost equal number (37%) say the focus should be on spending to create jobs as say reducing the deficit (39%) should be the focus.  
• When asked if ‘one reason’ for voting was to express support for Barack Obama, to express opposition to Barack Obama, or Barack Obama was not a factor, an equal number (37%) said to express opposition as said he was not a factor.  
• It’s almost a dead heat on whether the stimulus helped the economy (32%), hurt the economy (33), or had no impact (32%).  
• And on the Bush-era tax cuts, 39% said continue them for everyone, 37% said continue them only for those families earning $250K or less, and 15% said let them expire for everyone.   

I wonder who the heck Mitch McConnell's listening to?