Left, Right & Center The 2026 midterms are closer than they appear
71 snips
Jan 2, 2026 
Moa Lathie, Executive Director at Georgetown's Institute of Politics, and Mike Dupke, veteran GOP strategist, dive into the critical 2026 midterm landscape. They explore the affordability crisis, with Moa emphasizing a unified Democratic message, while Mike discusses Trump's economic impact on voter perceptions. The duo also tackles the rise of online election betting, pondering its influence on political engagement. Listeners hear candid reflections as the panel admits their past predictions missteps, all while navigating the tumultuous political waters ahead.
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Toss-Ups Will Determine Control
- Toss-up congressional races will decide control of the House and Senate in 2026.
- These races will attract most outside spending and shape national messaging.
Affordability United Diverse Democrats
- Democrats found a repeatable affordability message in diverse 2025 winners.
- That practical focus could help them recover from 2024 messaging failures.
Frame Threats As Everyday Harm
- Democrats should frame Trump's actions as harming ordinary people rather than only arguing abstract threats to democracy.
- Connect corruption and retribution to everyday costs to make the message resonate.
