How the 2022 Midterms Became a Squeaker

… How the midterms turned out so improbably was, in many ways, a function of forces beyond Democrats’ control. A Supreme Court decision that stripped away a half-century of abortion rights galvanized their base. A polarizing, unpopular and ever-present former president, Donald J. Trump, provided the type of ready-made foil […] Read more »

The 2022 Ad Wars

Key Points• To get a flavor of the 2022 ad messages from both sides, we watched nearly 350 campaign ads that came out in the second half of September.• Abortion dominates Democratic messaging, while Republicans are much less likely to mention it. Crime has become a huge focus for Republicans, […] Read more »

Mitch McConnell is right. Senate Republicans have a candidate problem.

We’ve become used to displays of braggadocio by politicians (see former President Donald Trump). That’s why it’s notable when a politician admits that the political winds might not be going their way. Such was the case when Senate GOP leader Mitch McConnell said this week that Republicans had a better […] Read more »

CNN Poll: Most voters say neither Republican nor Democratic congressional candidates have the right priorities

Neither Republican nor Democratic candidates for Congress are seen by most voters as having the right priorities, according to a new CNN poll conducted by SSRS. The survey finds voters closely divided in their preference for this year’s midterm elections and on the potential consequences of a Republican victory. … […] Read more »

Biden’s Job Rating Slumps as Public’s View of Economy Turns More Negative

With public views of the nation’s economy at their most negative in years, Joe Biden’s political standing is at the lowest point of his presidency. Yet Biden is hardly the only focal point of the country’s political discontent: Americans express unfavorable views of both major parties and a range of […] Read more »

McConnell wants to win the suburbs by defusing cultural hot buttons. Trump and his own party have other ideas.

When Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell voted for the most significant gun violence prevention bill in nearly three decades, he offered a candid explanation for his turnaround after decades of opposing firearm restrictions. “It’s no secret that we’ve lost ground in suburban areas. We pretty much own rural and small-town […] Read more »