As the polls seem to be showing a fairly large shift back in the Republicans’ direction, Democrats appear to be in a bizarre state of disbelief.
During an interview with The New York Times, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) expressed disbelief at the idea Republicans could actually win.
“Part of it is, I cannot believe anybody would vote for these people,” she told the paper.
Pelosi also claimed their campaign strategy is one of “endless lying and endless money.”
Since assuming the party’s House leadership in 2002, Speaker Nancy Pelosi has brought in $1.25 billion for Democrats, according to a party tally, including $42.7 million in the third quarter of this year alone. https://t.co/AM0By4Urko
— The New York Times (@nytimes) October 25, 2022
Her comments come as polls are showing Republican candidates gaining on their Democratic opponents.
One of the more dramatic examples is the Pennsylvania Senate race, where the state’s Lt. Gov. John Fetterman led Republican Mehmet Oz by 12 points in August. As of Tuesday, FiveThirtyEight’s average of the polls shows Fetterman holds a mere two-point lead over Oz.
The Republican Senate candidates are either tied or leading in the key races of Nevada, Ohio, North Carolina, and Wisconsin, according to FiveThirtyEight as well. Meanwhile, the Georgia Senate race is within three points, and Arizona is within four points.
In September, FiveThirtyEight gave Democrats a 7-in-10 chance of keeping the Senate. It now gives Democrats less than a 6-in-10 chance of keeping the chamber.
The shift in the polls has not only occurred among Senate races.
In Oregon, it appears Christine Drazan could become the first Republican governor since the 1980s. Meanwhile, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s (D) 34-point lead over Tudor Dixon (R) has been whittled down to just over five points. And New York Gov. Kathy Hochul’s (D) lead over Rep. Lee Zeldin (R) has decreased from a double-digit lead to just over seven points.
The shift in Republicans’ favor comes as voters list the economy and inflation among their top concerns. And an ABC News poll released on Sunday found that respondents give Republicans the advantage when asked which party they trust to tackle those key issues.
There are now just two weeks until the election, and with early voting starting in several states, the clock is ticking for Democrats to shift the momentum. President Joe Biden also insisted the momentum would shift back toward his party.
Voters may be concerned about abortion and the state of American democracy. But when inflation is hovering around 8%, and they have to figure out how to make ends meet, and they feel their cities aren’t safe, those social issues are going to be put on the back burner.
When Americans’ pocketbooks are hurting, they’re going to blame the party in power — which, in this case, obviously is the Democrats.
Biden is not responsible for inflation and all of our country’s economic woes. But his policy and his administration have certainly not helped matters. And when it comes to inflation, his policies helped fuel it. And the rollback of tough-on-crime policies with the rise of progressive prosecutors corresponded with a rise in crime.
So Pelosi and members of her party shouldn’t be surprised voters would vote for Republicans. It actually is not that odd for a midterm. But they seem to be high on their own supply when it comes to their messaging about Republicans.