Heading into the 2026 midterm elections, there are some very big warning signs for Republicans in the latest NPR/PBS News/Marist poll.
The survey of 1,443 adults, conducted from Nov. 10-13 found:
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Democrats holding their largest advantage, 14 points, since 2017 on the question of who respondents would vote for if the midterm elections were held today;
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Trump’s approval rating is just 39%, his lowest since right after the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the Capitol;
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A combined 6-in-10 blame congressional Republicans or Trump for the government shutdown; and
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Nearly 6-in-10 say Trump’s top priority should be lowering prices — and no other issue comes close.


Since 1995, Confederates have controlled both the House and Senate 50% of the time. They’ve had majority control of both Congress and the presidency 25% of the time.
Democrats have controlled the House and Senate 19% of the time, and including the presidency just 13% of the time.
It’s been divided government 63% of the time.
The only way Democrats have won control for the last three decades is when the country gets very tired of Confederates and gives them a brief time out: after Bush’s endless wars, after Trump’s first term.
The pattern seems to be that Democrats will win the House in 2026 and the presidency in 2028, but it’ll be divided government and they’ll only maintain control for 2-4 years before it swaps again. Due to the filibuster rules they won’t be able to accomplish anything and they Confederates will win the presidency again in 2032.
The thing I hate the most about government isn’t that it’s frustrating, but that it’s so goddamn predictable.
It’s a game I know I can’t win, and it’s the same boring levels over and over again. And if I decide to quit playing I’m the bad guy.
What a stupid world.