Working with the Walter H. Capps Center for the Study of Ethics, Religion and Public Life, and the help of pollster John Zogby, we put a three question, post-election survey into the field on November 5th and 6th:

1.  What one or two qualities do you think the country needs most from the new president?

2.  What one or two actions would you like to see accomplished most by the new president and Congress?

3. What one or two words best describes what you think the new president needs to do to get the country back on track?

More than 3,000 individuals responded from all areas of the country, all levels of income and education, Republicans, Democrats, Independents, men and women, young, old and in the middle.

The complete report will be coming soon. In the meantime, I thought you might like to read just a few of the more than 10,000 write-in responses:

“Authentic character… trustworthiness… listening… a spirit of reconciliation… diplomacy… bring us together..”

“Get us back to the individualism and personal responsibility that this country was founded on.”

“Regular and direct communications with the American people.”

“Help fix the American image.”

“Resign and turn the government over to Sarah Palin.”

“Become Ronald Reagan… Be Abraham Lincoln…”

“Keep the Bush tax cuts… create jobs… fix the economy…

“We never went ‘off-track.’  What track are we speaking of, socialism?”

“New direction and intelligence… tighter regulations on businesses, banks and corporations… fiscally knowledgeable..”

“Reform Wall Street… restore the public trust… ”

“Intelligence… values… brains… hustle… leadership… vision… tenacity… character… experience… strength… bipartisanship… sound reasoning… faith in God… wisdom… transparency… common sense… choose advisors wisely… compassion… patience… humility… not overplay his hand…”

These are just a few expectations of the expectations out there.

More to come, soon.