Voters still like limited government, lower taxes

A poll from the Club For Growth surveyed voters in 12 competitive Congressional districts; eleven of the 12 switched hands from Republican to Democrat following Tuesday's elections. The results might surprise some:

• Voters think the federal government does too much (54% to 39% saying government should do more)
• Voters favored cutting spending to bringing home federal projects 66% to 23%
• Voters support tax policy aimed at better economic conditions to spreading the wealth 73% to 21%
• Over 60% of voters want to extend the 2003 tax cuts on capital gains and on across the board on personal income, and favor permanent repeal of the estate tax.
• 62% of voters believe drilling in ANWR would reduce gas prices, and 75% support offshore drilling
• Only 8% of voters support card check legislation.
• 51% support personal accounts for Social Security and a plurality (47% to 41%) think free trade is good.

So why did Democrats pick up seats?

• Voters thought the bailout was bad (49% to 32% saying good)
• Voters opposed federal government guarantees of mortgages 71% to 20% (part of McCain's plan)
• A plurality think Democrats are better for "promoting economic growth" - 36% to 32% (24% said "no difference")
• 43% said Republicans were "The party that supports taxpayer bailouts for big corporations" vs. 15% for Democrats (26% said both).
• Republicans were identified as "The party that gave us the Bridge to Nowhere" - 48% to 13%
• And a whopping 80% agreed with "The Republicans used to be the party of economic growth, fiscal discipline, and limited government, but in recent years, too many Republicans in Washington have become just like the big spenders that they used to oppose." 

Pat Toomey has a column in the Wall Street Journal on the results of this poll.