First post-election thoughts

In no particular order, and perhaps an edit will come later today when all the details become more clear.

• It would appear voters and citizens actually want divided government.   In choosing mainly Republican Governors and then re-electing President Obama they seem to signal that gridlock and the checks and balances of our constitution feels safer.   
• No one comes out of last night with a mandate.  Not the President, not Congress, not any individual state leader.   We are a nation that is split very close to 50/50 on the hard questions of policy ... but not necessarily vision.  It feels like we agree on a vision of limited government, it's just that some want to use government to get us through the bumps and others want it out of the way.   
• At the local level the Democrats basically ran the table in Porter County, even though the statewide trends went Republican and the legislators elected are for the most part Republican.  Again voters seem to be signalling an interest in divided and balanced government.  But something more, negative campaigning at the local level probably backfired.   More on this in future posts about policy in NW Indiana, but negative campaigning doesn't work as well when we all know each other in a small community.  
• We stand ready for a dramatic recovery, similar to Clinton second term and Bush Jr first term.   Watch for deals to finally be cut that reduce deductions and regulations.   Watch for education funding at the state level to be contentious as inner city schools get cut and closed.   Watch for job creation to drive the middle class back into the arena of public thought, they weren't there this year, they were focused on paying bills.   
• For me and my house, we're watching closely the real estate and construction markets now.  Watch for a dramatic recovery in housing as rates are still low, taxes in Indiana are capped, home prices are almost too affordable, rents are too high, and it's been 5 years since this sleeping giant industry woke up and started hiring.   When they do it will be big.