Democrats Prepare for “Shockingly Bad” and “Painful” Midterms

Democrats in the White House and in Congress are increasingly panicked that they will lose control of one or both chambers of Congress in November. Recent polls show that voters are dissatisfied with the Biden-Harris administration and that Republicans have a four-point edge over Democrats in battleground congressional districts.

Politico: “The mood is just shockingly bad inside and outside the White House,” said Steven Rattner, an investment banker and former Obama administration official who speaks to senior Biden aides.

“If somehow inflation comes down and the electorate’s mood improves, they can compete,” Rattner said. “If these things don’t happen, the midterms could get scarily painful very quickly for Democrats.”

Rising costs for energy, housing, food and other necessities has led Joe Biden’s approval rating on the economy to crater. A strong majority — 66 percent — say that the country is on the wrong track. Voters also say Biden hasn’t been tough enough in punishing Russia for its invasion of Ukraine. 

Politico: Democrats once expected a thriving post-Covid economy to be their big strength heading into the midterms. Instead, the path to Election Day is littered with land mines for a party struggling to avoid annihilation at the ballot box. President Joe Biden and Democratic lawmakers face the threat of spiraling inflation, driven by soaring food, energy and lodging costs. . .

Polls show some two-thirds of Americans view the country as being on the wrong track. Biden’s disapproval rating on the economy stands at 58 percent, while Republicans have a 54-35 percent lead on the issue. And the widely watched University of Michigan consumer sentiment survey recently fell to its lowest level in more than a decade.

Bottom Line: Democrats are desperate to “avoid annihilation” in November, but voters seem prepared to give Republicans control of one or both chambers of Congress.