Ask any political analyst what midterm elections are about and they will respond, “midterms are almost always referenda on the incumbent president,” and the statistics bear them out. …
But just how challenging a midterm election will be for a president’s party is largely determined by which party does the better job of framing that election. Just as an attorney seeks a favorable venue for a jury trial, parties seek to affect the terms on which voters will make their decisions. CONT.
Charlie Cook