What an extraordinary election. No matter how you felt about winners and losers, and I'm one of those who felt very strongly, it's hard not to be fascinated by how voters voted. Nationally, voters were clearly conflicted. Not only the Presidency, but key Senate and House races were decided by a few thousand votes.

Neither the new President nor the new Congress has a mandate to act on a particular ideology. Congress is so evenly divided that it must discard partisanship to function. If it doesn't, the voters are likely to show their wrath in two years. Our nation's political leaders must now act like leaders, not special interest advocates.

Colorado, itself, is a fascinating example of voters' thinking. For 40 years, Republicans have controlled the State Senate and, except for 2 years, the State House as well. Tuesday night, Colorado, a heavily Republican state, gave Democrats control of the State Senate. Why is this so important? One word-redistricting. The 2001 Legislature will redraw Colorado's 6, and perhaps 7, Congressional Districts. With split control of the Legislature, redistricting will have to be a bipartisan compromise, not a unilateral plan.

It's also a clear message to Colorado's elected officials that we are a moderate state. Voters want balance. They want problems solved, not shoved under the table by ideological rhetoric. They also want civility. In electing new members of the State Senate, they rejected unusually nasty attacks by the winners' opponents.

The mood carried over to the initiatives. Medical marijuana passed, probably because Coloradans cared more about relieving suffering than they feared encouraging drug use. This is consistent with demands for a more responsive health care system.

After the Columbine High School tragedy, the Legislature had a chance to act on moderate gun control measures. The partisan leadership refused to do so. In typical form, Coloradans took control of the issue themselves, placing an initiative on the ballot to require background checks for gun purchases at gun shows. Voters overwhelming agreed that this was a reasonable approach to gun safety. When our elected officials refuse to lead on issues of grave importance, citizens fill that void.

For years, the Colorado Legislature has refused to put adequate funds behind its promises of improving public education. In lean years, schools have been cut severely. In good years, those funds have been only partially restored. Colorado plummeted nationally in its support of public schools. Again, a group of citizens had had enough. Through a remarkable grassroots organizing effort, they persuaded voters to put money back into public schools, to make public education a priority once more in Colorado.

Although Coloradans list growth as one of their top concerns, they turned down the growth control initiative overwhelmingly. They believed what a large coalition of opponents said, that it was too extreme for Colorado. Nonetheless, both sides acknowledge that the Legislature needs to act on growth problems, an opportunity it has spurned in the past. If our elected officials refuse to provide leadership, we can bet that citizens will once again take the lead themselves. And, they'll probably win next time.

Voters were not fooled by the rhetoric of the anti-choice advocates. They did not buy the argument that women can only make informed decisions about abortion if the state dictates what they must know. They did understand that the "woman's right to know" initiative was really an effort to eliminate a woman's right to choose to have an abortion. And, they voted once again to support choice.

Finally, on taxes, voters turned down Doug Bruce's latest attempt to cripple state and local governments. Coloradans know what they want in government services and are willing to pay for those. They know they already have the right to make their own decisions about taxes. They voted for balance.

In the 2000 election, Colorado voters turned down anything they considered extreme and supported what they considered reasonable. They returned balance to state government for the first time in decades. They have said, "We want moderation; we want fairness; we want a voice. Or-we'll take charge." Politicians, take note.