CNN Polling Expert Puts the ‘Ow’ in ‘Ouch’ for Democrats by Explaining Just How Bad It Is

Normally on CNN, you get their usual tiresome pablum about how the Capitol riot is supposedly on par with 9/11, how Republicans are a “danger” to America, how in reality Americans have it better right now than they think they do, how Joe Biden has allegedly put us “back” on the right track, etc.

But every once in a while, reality intrudes on the struggling cable news network, and such was the case on Wednesday when CNN senior data reporter Harry Enten, who is no stranger to delivering bad news to Democrats, explained just how current polling trends that show Democrats in dire straits are likely underestimating the anticipated November red wave for Republicans based on how things have shaped up for the GOP historically in midterm elections where we had a Democratic president.

During a segment on Jake Tapper’s “The Lead” program, a very sour-looking Tapper fretted about polling showing a red wave was coming and asked Enten if there was any way the data could actually be underestimating the outlook for one party or the other.

In what we know was a disappointing answer for Tapper, Enten explained that if in fact any underestimating was going on that it would likely be for Republicans:

“So, if we were in fact to say, OK, we think it’s under estimating one side, I would think it would be underestimating Republicans. Here’s why. Take a look at the July 27 House polling versus the November national vote, in midterm cycles where there’s a Democratic president, we’ll go back since 1994, right? And what we see generally we see some blue here, some Democratic leads in 2014 1994, a tie back in 1998, Republicans plus three.

Then look at the November result, in each of these years, the Republicans outperformed their July polling in the November result, and the average shift from the July polling to the November result, an average shift of six points to Republicans. Why might that be? Take a look here, the shift in party identification margin, because remember, it’s not all registered voters were interested in, its actual midterm voters. And if we look at every single election since 1978, with a Democratic president, there has been a shift in the party margin, party ID margin, more Republicans turnout on election day compared to what the actual registered voters are in midterm elections when there’s a Democratic president.”

“So Democrats should be looking at November in sheer terror?” a dejected Tapper wondered.

Enten broke it to him as gently as he could.

“I would not be a big fan of what’s going to happen in November if I were a Democrat, and I had a crystal ball,” Enten answered. “And we can just look at straight history, right, the White House Party loses four or more seats in House midterms since 1870. Thirty-five out of 38 times, that has been the case, the White House Party has lost four or more seats.”

The only time it hasn’t happened, Enten noted, was when the president had a high approval rating going into the midterms.

“And the only times in polling history in which they didn’t, in fact, lose four or more seats, 1998 and 2002, look at the president’s approval rating 64 percent, 66 percent,” Enten said. “Joe Biden’s approval rating at this point, Jake, is just 38 percent. It doesn’t look anything like those years.”

That is putting the “ow” in “ouch” for Democrats, y’all. Watch:

Back in June, Enten also analyzed the primary turnout numbers for Republicans versus Democrats for this election cycle versus the one in 2018 and found that Republicans were way up (by double digits) in comparison to the Democratic turnout, which was down. “You know something’s cooking,” he observed about Republican turnout:

CNN’s Harry Enten: Republican primary turnout is up by 29% compared to 2018 — while Democrat turnout is down.

“Whenever you see a rise like that, you know something’s cooking.” pic.twitter.com/4yFvPpI4jG

— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) June 23, 2022

Between news of the recession, the continued rise in inflation along with rising interest rates, it’s hard to envision any scenario where Democrats come out of this barely breaking even (though some media outlets are trying really, really hard to spin it otherwise).

The forecast is not just stormy for Democrats; it appears as though an outright political tsunami is about to hit them in a few months – and they only have themselves to blame.