Despite months of polls suggesting the blue wave is inevitable, doubt has started to settle in. The narrative on mainstream media is less so certain of this reality. CNN admits by their calculation that it is possible Republicans keep both the House and the Senate. Early voting numbers show sizable leads for Republicans in battleground states. GOP Pollster John McLaughlin believes it is entirely plausible that Republicans have a successful midterms.
“GOP pollster John McLaughlin said Sunday that Republicans may be able to fend off Democrats’ efforts to take back control of the House in November’s midterm elections,” The Hill reports.
McLaughlin focuses his analysis on retaining enthusiasm among GOP-leaning voters. The right base got a large dose of inspiration following the Kavanaugh nomination, and McLaughlin thinks it is key that this carries forward through voting day.
Trump has definitely heeded the call for rallying the base. The President has a rally nearly every other day, where thousands of supporters gather to see him speak. This last week before election day, Trump has hammered hard on the key issue that got him elected, immigration.
“You’re seeing Republicans in the areas where Trump did well go up in the polls because the Trump voters are reengaged,” McLaughlin said. If voters stay engaged, “we have a shot at holding the House, but we’ll definitely pick up some U.S. Senate seats.”
McLaughlin concludes that the “The Republicans, they need to play offense.” Many Republican candidates have rallied behind this idea, rather than the stapled defensive conservatism that has defined the party for decades. Candidates are attacking their opponents on their weak points, which often includes immigration.
Slogans such as “Jobs Not Mobs” and calling Democrats “The Party Of Crime” are key expressions of the new Trump oriented attack strategy. Early voting numbers suggest that this nontraditional strategy is paying off for Republicans, as they have surmounted a lead in several battleground states. The big voting day is approaching soon, and time will tell how this new energetic platform stands against a long predicted Democratic victory in the midterms.