Republicans may be dancing in the streets over their decisive victory over Democrats in the midterm elections, but not everyone is dancing with them.
A new poll by the
Pew Research Center finds that 48 percent of Americans are happy that Republicans trounced the Democrats and took full control of the next Congress, while 38 percent are unhappy.
The results are similar to those Pew found in 2010, when Republicans wrested control of the House from the Democrats. At that time, Pew reports, 48 percent were happy over the Republican victory and 34 percent said they were none too happy with the outcome.
The poll, conducted Nov. 6-9 among 1,353 respondents, found that deep divisions exist within the electorate about just who, and whose policies, should be running the country.
For example, 41 percent say GOP leaders should be steering the country, while 40 percent would prefer it if President Barack Obama were running things, but that shows a slip in Obama's popularity since, in 2010, Americans wanted Obama to take the lead over Republicans by 49 percent to 30 percent.
Obama's job approval rating has slipped as well, with 52 percent disapproving of his job performance and only 43 percent approving.
Americans generally were not happy with the way the election was conducted, with 62 percent feeling there was more mud slung about than before. However, four years ago, 77 percent felt the same way.
When it comes to specific issues, Americans also are strongly divided. Most, or 59 percent, favor the construction of the Keystone Pipeline. About 83 percent of Republicans queried favor the pipeline project, but whereas Democrats were 54 percent in favor of it in 2013, today only 43 percent want to see the pipeline finished.
Being anti-Obamacare was a big political issue for Republicans running in the midterms, but again, Americans are divided over it, with 51 percent disapproving of the Affordable Care Act and 45 percent in favor of it, and those who disapprove are about evenly divided over what Republicans should do about it: modify it or dump it completely. However, 88 percent of Republicans were dead set against it.
Only 18 percent in the poll expect gridlock to lessen, 26 percent expect Democrat-Republican relations to get worse, and 46 percent expect everything to continue as it has been.
The poll's results show that Americans would like to see a more cooperative government: 57 percent say Republican leaders should try to work with Obama and 62 percent say Obama should try to work with Republicans.