Should we dare go as far as to call it a high level of distrust, or is it just a case of a noted lack of confidence?

Whatever the case, Tuesday’s election results from North Carolina and across the nation sent a clear message to Raleigh and Washington, DC. The message was that Tar Heel voters, among others, were growing increasingly weary of the current government officials.

Two years ago, North Carolina and the nation were swept into the “change” tactics employed by a charismatic young senator from Illinois. With young voters flocking to the polls in record numbers, Barack Obama, with scores of Democratic candidates on his coattails, rode the wave of change to the White House.

On Tuesday, the tide swung to the older, more conservative voters, apparently disgruntled that the Democrat’s huge stimulus package has failed to jumpstart the economy.

This new change has swung control of the U.S. House to the Republicans, thus unseating current Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi. Meanwhile, the Democratic stronghold in the US Senate was weakened as they will hold, after all the pending swearing in ceremonies, a slim 50-46 advantage (down from a 58-40 majority).

Meanwhile, Republicans will control both chambers of the North Carolina General Assembly for the first time since the late 1800’s. The GOP completely flipped their once 10-seat minority in the Senate to a near 10-seat advantage (28-22), meaning that longtime Senate Pro Tem Marc Basnight of Dare County will pass the torch to a Republican. The House swung to the Republicans by a 62-58 count.

Now, we’ll wait and see if the Republican’s version of change…smaller and more spend-thrifty government…will satisfy the populace. If not, more change could be on the horizon in the 2012 election.

– The Roanoke-Chowan News-Herald