Nearly 30 years ago, Ronald Reagan famously asked Americans, "Are you better off now than you were four years ago?" More than 60 NYCity News Service reporters fanned out through the city in the days before the historic Nov. 4 election to ask New Yorkers:

"Where do you want this country to be four years from now?"

Brooklyn CD12

Joseph Lawler

Age: 79
Neighborhood: Midwood/Ocean Parkway
Occupation: Retired
First Time Voter: No
Political Affiliation: Independent

“I hope the war will end in Iraq, honorably for us, and I just feel that was a terrible tragedy because I’ve been in Iraq and it was a beautiful country, beautiful people, and I think it’s terrible what happened to them.”

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Dan Malloy

Age: 26
Neighborhood: Kensington
Occupation: Audio Engineer
First Time Voter: No
Political Affiliation: Democrat

“Nothing gets done, and when nothing gets done, eventually, people throw out the government. And I think we’re kind of at that point now.”

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Yisrael Shenkman

Age: 26
Neighborhood: Midwood, Brooklyn
Occupation: Self-Employed
First Time Voter: No
Political Affiliation: Independent

“I actually think the economy has flourished in the last four years a lot more than it has over the last 20 years, and I think one of the reasons for that is because the markets were deregulated and people were allowed to go out and make as much as they’d like to without having to worry about being taxed up the wazoo.”

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2008 Election