Here it is the morning after an election day, and I am left with trying to understand the subtlety of the American voter or the disconnect in the political judgment of that same voter.

When given the opportunity to vote on policy, yesterday's election outcomes point to a liberal bent on the part of the voting public. This is evident in support for raising the wage, the expansion of medical assistance programs, the legalization of marijuana, and background checks for firearm purchases, and the lack of support for person-hood legislation. Yet when it came to voting for candidates, those typically described as conservative won overwhelmingly. What are the prospects that GOP dominated state and federal legislative bodies will pass legislation consistent with the referendum questions supported by the voting public? Why would one hire an individual to perform a task that the individual has no interest in or desire to see through to completion?

It has often been said that the American voter does not vote in his/her own interest. I am not so sure. There certainly are single issue voters, where one issue trumps all others. There may also be cults of personality, where an individual candidate is favored, irrespective of his/her position on any or all issues. What is it about Democratic candidates that render them unappealing to that modest percentage of total voters that could make for a very different election outcomes?