Nearly nine out of 10 voters (88%) are glad the presidential election is over, but voters are evenly divided over whether politics in Washington will become more cooperative despite Barack Obama’s call for change from business as usual.

Forty-five percent (45%) expect politics to be more partisan, while 44% say things will be more cooperative, according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey.

Seventy-five percent (75%) of Republicans expect politics to be more partisan, as do 18% of Democrats. Seventy-two percent (72%) of Democrats and 16% of Republicans look for politics in Washington to become more cooperative.

Unaffiliated voters by a 50% to 37% margin tilt toward the political debate becoming more partisan.

A plurality of men (49%) say politics will be more partisan, but female voters by six points expect just the opposite.

Obama defeated Republican John McCain 52% to 46%, and the Democrats grew their majority control of both the Senate and the House in Tuesday’s elections.

Two-thirds (67%) of voters say McCain set the right tone with his concession speech in Phoenix Election Night. By comparison, only 56% say Obama set the right tone with his victory speech in Chicago’s Grant Park Tuesday night.

Forty percent (40%) of U.S. voters Strongly Approve of the way that Obama is handling his new role as president-elect. Thirty-two percent (32%) Strongly Disapprove, giving Obama a net rating of eight on the Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Approval Index.

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Fifty-one percent (51%) of U.S. voters say they are not comfortable with the Democrats running both the White House and Congress after Tuesday’s elections. Thirty-five percent (35%) say they are Not at all comfortable.

Forty-six percent (46%) are comfortable with the new political arrangement. Thirty percent (30%) are Very comfortable with Democratic control of the White House and Congress.

Not surprisingly, 57% of Democrats are Very comfortable with their party’s gains, while 60% of Republicans are not. Forty-four percent (44%) of unaffiliated voters say they are Not at all comfortable with one party running both the White House and Congress versus 22% who are Very comfortable with that arrangement.

Women are closely divided on the question, while men by a double-digit margin don’t like the Democrats running the White House and Congress.

In a survey at the end of October, just 34% said rule by one political party is better for the country. Forty-five percent (45%) said it’s better if the White House and Congress are each run by a different political party.

Two-thirds (67%) of Republicans, Democrats and unaffiliated voters agree that McCain set the right tone in his concession speech. Sixteen percent (16%) say McCain did not set the right tone, and 17% are undecided.

Eighty-three percent (83%) of Democrats liked the tone of Obama’s speech compared to 28% of Republicans – and 50% of unaffiliated voters. Thirty percent (30%) of voters say Obama did not set the right tone. Again, a partisan split is evident: While only 13% of Democrats and one-third (32%) of unaffiliateds didn’t like the president-elect’s tone, 50% of Republicans felt that way.

In their speeches, both men reached out to each other, promising to work together. But Obama’s naming of hyperpartisan congressman Rahm Emmanuel as his chief of staff have many wondering how long cooperation between Democrats and Republicans will last. The election also has produced a smaller but more conservative group of House Republicans who are sure to balk at liberal efforts by the Democratic leadership.

Only nine percent (9%) of voters are not glad the presidential election is over. Three percent (3%) are undecided.

Even though they lost, 85% of Republicans are glad the presidential campaign is over, as are 89% of the victorious party and 90% of unaffiliated voters.

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