GOP Likely to Capture Control of House
Republicans continue to hold a solid lead in preferences for Tuesday’s midterm elections among likely voters — enough so as to suggest they will win control of the House. The GOP owes its lead to strong backing from independents and record-levels of engagement among its partisans.
Media Ride Electoral Wave
The midterms accounted for 38% of the total newshole, up substantially from 28% the previous week, and registering as the No. 1 story in all five media sectors.
Democrats Stirring but Fail to Match GOP Support, Engagement
As the 2010 midterm elections near, Republican engagement and enthusiasm continue at record levels, outpacing even improved Democratic showings on these indicators. The growing popularity of early voting — about a quarter of voters nationally say they plan to vote before Election Day — gives Democrats less time to make up ground and there is no indication that their voter mobilization efforts are outmatching Republican efforts.
Midterms Coverage Doubles Economy Coverage
The midterm elections have registered as the top news story for four consecutive weeks, and have accounted for fully a quarter of the overall newshole in that time, easily outdistancing the No. 2 story in that period, the economy, at 12%.
Lagging Youth Enthusiasm Could Hurt Democrats in 2010
Millennials continue to be among the strongest backers of Democratic candidates this fall, though their support for the Democratic Party has slipped since 2008. But young voters have given far less thought to the coming elections than have older voters, and this gap is larger than in previous midterms.
Possible Negatives for Candidates: Vote for Bank Bailout, Palin Support
Two factors have emerged as major potential negatives for congressional candidates: TARP and Sarah Palin. Americans are split over whether they are more likely to vote for candidates who supported the health care law.
For the Media, it’s the Elections, Stupid
The midterms were a quarter of the newshole last week, and have been the third most covered story of the year, behind only the economy and the Gulf oil spill.
Democrats Struggle to Avoid Wipeout from Electoral Wave
Less than two years ago, Democrats basked in the glow of an impressive political triumph. Today, they are contemplating the very real prospect of losing their House majority. What happened?
Latinos and the 2010 Elections
In a year when support for Democratic candidates has eroded, the party’s standing among Latinos appears as strong as ever. However, Hispanic voters appear to be less motivated than others to go to the polls.
Midterms Already Edging Out the Economy on Media Agenda
The midterms dominated the news agenda for the second week in a row. The elections have been the top story for the last two months (edging out the economy), and attention will only grow as November nears.
