No More Middle Ground?

Democratic strategist Joe Trippi said Tuesday that compromise will be difficult to find in the next Congress because so many moderates have been pushed out of office - not just this year, he says, but since 2006.

"In 2006 and 2008, we saw a lot of moderate Republicans go out the window," Trippi said. "And this year, you see half of the Blue Dogs on the Democratic side being wiped out tonight. So you're seeing the middle of both parties being pushed out."

Trippi said with the influx of Tea Party candidates coming in, and several left-leaning Democrats holding their seats, it's difficult to see how the two parties will be able to compromise on passing legislation. It's an observation echoed by political analyst Larry Sabato.

"You're going to have polarzied parties, no question about it," Sabato said. "The Democratic caucus in the House is going to be much more liberal because the moderates, the Blue Dogs, were slaughtered...the Republicans are more conservative because of the Tea Party."

Trippi said the GOP gains in the House respresented a direct rebuke to President Obama's policies over the last two years, and that it will be up to the president to immediately set the right tone if any legislative progress is to be made over the next to years.

Obama is expected to address the election results Wednesday in a news conference.

"Everywhere we went, we're losing," Trippi said of the races where Obama personally, and heavily, campaigned. "I hope there's a concillatory tone tomorrow in terms of how to move forward."