(DCWatchdog.com) – Six months remain until November’s midterms, and Democrats face a nightmare scenario: immigration, the Russia-Ukraine crisis, and the lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic are all stacked against the President’s party. But the final nail will likely come from inflation.
President Joe Biden’s weak approval rating isn’t doing Democrats any favors. Neither is the pattern that the incumbent President’s party usually loses seats in the first midterms of his Presidency.
But even in the face of these insurmountable challenges, Democrats remain hopeful. Some still believe a turnaround is possible; others think they can soften the blow by keeping losses to a minimum.
Yet those speaking on condition of anonymity are far more alarmed.
According to a report by The Hill, one such anonymous Democratic strategist revealed a belief that the midterms would be a “biblical disaster,” adding, “This is the reality we are in as Democrats, and no one wants to face it.”
When the last two Democratic Presidents held office, Democrats took a beating during the midterms. In former President Clinton’s first midterm in 1994, Dems lost 54 seats. In 2010, during former President Obama’s first midterm, that figure increased to 63.
However, those kinds of losses are hard to fathom because of gerrymandering.
But whether they lose 63, or a handful, nearly everyone around Washington doesn’t expect Democrats to retain their majority.
1982 Is an excellent comparison. President Ronald Reagan was in the White House, and inflation was skyrocketing. Republicans lost a net of 26 House seats.
Data now backs up the vulnerabilities.
New inflation data, released Tuesday, showed inflation was now at 8.5 percent, the highest it’s been since 1981.
