First of all, at the national level, American voters have delivered a strong, powerful message to the Obama administration.

They do not like the policies and actions of the president! They do not like his arrogance and his refusal to listen to the wishes of the majority of Americans.

They don’t like his health care effort, they are extremely concerned about the national debt, and they find many of his campaign promises to be shallow, such as his pledge for transparency in all legislative actions.

Despite all his big talk about reducing unemployment with billions of dollars, he has failed in this effort, and voters do not like what appears to be the Obama grand scheme to move this country from a system of free enterprise and capitalism to socialism.

He has his dream for America, and it doesn’t resonate with the majority of Americans.

The new House of Representatives with the GOP holding a strong majority, has the responsibility of delivering, to their utmost ability, on their campaign promises.

It’s easy to be on the outside and be critical, but it’s another game to be in control of the House and come up with meaningful, positive legislation.

Democrats still control the Senate, although by a slim margin, and Obama still wields a powerful club.

Obama has said he wants to cooperate with the GOP-controlled House, but, at the same time, he said if Republicans want to join in a cooperative manner, they must sit in “the back seat.” He and his fellow Democrats in the Senate intend to remain in the driver’s seat and steer the country the way they want regardless of what the majority of citizens, or the GOP, may wish.

Obama’s description of “cooperation” seems a bit one-sided.

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What does the election say about Lawrence, Kansas? Clearly Lawrence and its voters are off on another planet — not in the same constellation as the rest of the state or nation.

Lawrence/Douglas County voters favored every Democratic candidate — for governor, the U.S. Senate, secretary of state, attorney general — over the Republican opposition by substantial margins. Statewide, each of these offices was won by Republicans by a large margin.

What makes Lawrence so different — not only in how residents vote for political candidates but how the City Commission operates and how these five individuals try to guide and control the city’s future?

What makes Lawrence so out of step with the rest of the state? And will this eventually result in a community that once had a bright future becoming one that, by its actions, has seen its best days as a thing of the past?

Lawrence wasn’t always this way. Is it for the better or worse? Unfortunately, there won’t be any answers until sometime in the future, when it may be too late to make any corrective actions.