GOP Loses Lead In Generic-Ballot Polls As Midterms ApproachCarl DeMarco
Contributor
August 08, 2022 3:53 PM ET
The Republican Party appears to have lost its lead over the Democrats on the generic congressional ballot, according to FiveThirtyEight.
For almost a year, the GOP led the Democrats on the generic ballot in polls, but since late June the Democrats have been steadily gaining steam. Both parties are now virtually tied, according to FiveThirtyEight.
Seven out of the past ten polls conducted that asked voters who they would support found that they seemed to be favoring the Democrats. Generic-ballot polls ask the respondent which party they plan on voting for without naming specific candidates.
Republicans had a 4% lead over the Democrats on the generic ballot, according to a poll conducted by Data for Progress, while a poll sponsored by Reuters gave the Democrats a 2% lead. The two separate polls were published on Aug. 3 and asked voters who they would vote for if the election was held today.
However, one expert is skeptical of this new development, questioning the polls’ accuracy and the political motivation behind them. A late July poll found that Republicans lead on the generic ballot 48% to 43%, Jim McLaughlin, a partner at the McLaughlin & Associates firm that conducted the poll, told the Daily Caller News Foundation.
McLaughlin also argued that the polls and the media are playing the same game they did in 2016 and 2020 by undersampling Republicans and various demographics that lean towards the GOP in order to make it appear that the Democrats are ahead.
McLaughlin pointed out that during their latest national poll, they found that almost 84% of Americans are struggling financially and feel the economy is the biggest issue for them this election. He also noted that undecided voters overwhelmingly disapprove of the Biden administration and its policy agenda, and have been gravitating towards the GOP.
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https://dailycaller.com/2022/08/08/americans-are-unsure-on-who-they-want-to-win-midterms/