President Barack Obama summed up the 2014 election succinctly at a Wednesday press conference: “Obviously, Republicans had a good night.”
In his first public remarks since the sweeping Republican wins on Tuesday, Obama grappled with the meaning of the election results, which saw the GOP flip control of the Senate, pick up a surprising number of governorships, and enlarge their majority in the House.
“What stands out to me, though, is the American people sent a message, one they’ve sent for several elections: They expect the people they elect to work as hard as they do,” he said. “They want us to get the job done.”
The Republican gains were consistent with historical trends in midterms in the 6th year of a two-term president, though the scope and scale of the GOP victories exceeded most expectations in the run up to Election Day.
Obama’s press conference came shortly after Sen. Mitch McConnell, the presumptive new majority leader, addressed reporters in Kentucky. Both press conferences were televised nationally.
“I have a unique responsibility to make this town work,” Obama said. “To everyone who voted, I hear you.”
Asked about his role in Democratic losses on Tuesday, Obama said that the American people “rightly hold me accountable.”
“I’m the guy who’s elected by everybody,” he said. “They want to me to push hard to close some of these divisions, break through some of the gridlock and get some stuff done.”
