What’s Fueling the GOP Momentum

Nate Cohn: “In such a polarized country, understanding how one party can gain an advantage so quickly can sometimes be hard. In this case, the explanation appears straightforward: It’s about the issues on the minds of voters.”

“Over the summer, the dominant headlines and resulting public debate were focused on issues that helped Democrats, like abortion, gun violence and threats to democracy. These issues helped Democrats stay highly competitive, despite President Biden’s low approval ratings and a tendency for the sitting president’s party to get drubbed in midterm elections.”

“But the spotlight on those matters is fading. Voters are less frequently citing them as top concerns while expressing worries about the economy, crime and immigration — issues that tend to favor Republicans and that are being emphasized in Republican campaign ads.”