“Republicans have had to defer many of their legislative dreams, hoping the post-election release of political pressure could set up a productive ‘lame duck’ session before a new Congress is seated,” Politico reports.

”Fat chance, many GOP lawmakers now say.”

“Beyond the uncertainties surrounding the midterms and a potential transition of power on Capitol Hill, members will return to Washington facing a considerable list of must-pass bipartisan bills but also potentially messy internal leadership fights, a foul national mood and a mere 24 legislative days to get anything done.”

“The Republican Party’s midterm campaign has turned into a triage operation just three weeks out from November, as officials race to avert losses in a string of once-safe seats that they increasingly fear could cost them total control of Congress,” CNN reports.

“The worsening landscape has alarmed GOP operatives across several battleground states, forcing the party to pour resources into traditionally red districts and states at the expense of their once-expansive ambitions in Democratic areas.”

“And after months of pressing President Donald Trump to ramp up his travel on behalf of key candidates, some Republicans now worry he’s grown so unpopular that his presence on the campaign trail may in some cases be doing more harm than good.”

Ron Brownstein: “Of all the dynamics threatening the GOP this year, the most menacing may be the unusually direct connection voters are drawing between their economic frustrations and the policies that President Donald Trump and congressional Republicans have implemented.”

“Presidents always suffer from proximity when Americans are discontented about the economy. But this year, Trump faces an additional level of vulnerability. A significant majority of voters consistently say in polls that they believe his policies — particularly surrounding tariffs and the Iran war — are exacerbating the problem that most concerns them: the high cost of living.”

“Three is a trend, and the leaks about Texas Senate nominee Ken Paxton’s campaign have more than hit that threshold,” Semafor reports.

“On Thursday the Texas Tribune published audio of Paxton saying the U.S. needs to ‘suck it up’ and cut federal programs, more drips from the same fundraiser that elicited Paxton’s complaints about gas prices, lack of control over his own campaign, and the Republican midterm convention depressing his numbers.”

Said Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX): “Got to be more careful when you run with the big dogs.”

“If Republicans hope to limit the damage in the midterm elections, they need their most die-hard voters to cast ballots,” MS NOW reports.

“The problem: President Donald Trump has spent years persuading them to distrust one of the best ways to make sure that happens — voting by mail…”

“Banking votes cannot solve an enthusiasm gap on its own. But it gives a campaign more time to narrow one. Once the most reliable supporters have cast a ballot, field operatives can focus their dwindling resources on the less certain voters.”

“If your top political advisors are not paying attention to the midterms and instead are paying attention to taking money off the table in a foreign country, that seems to indicate to me that they’ve moved on from Donald Trump as their top priority, and I think you’re going to see a lot of that.”

— Former Gov. Chris Christie (R), quoted by Politico.

“If President Trump’s earlier political rallies felt like standing-room-only rock concerts, the latest ones are starting to feel like the first stops of a farewell tour,” the New York Times reports.

“The events are a ritual. He will attack Democrats. His words will probably stop making actual, logical sense for a moment, or for many moments. (It’s ‘the weave,’ you see.) He will accuse Democrats of rigging the 2020 election (they didn’t). He will attack the news media. Then he will dance to a Village People song.”

“At a time when embattled Republican candidates could use concentrated attention — and money — to elevate a prospective new crop of leaders, Mr. Trump is clinging to an old strategy that has served him for years: talking mostly about himself. With a month until the midterms, he is again rallying, talking up his record, offering cash prizes and asking supporters to play pretend.”

The Guardian: Trump sets off on midterm blitz – are his trademark rallies a liability for Republicans?

“State Rep. Jennifer Balkcom, the Republican nominee for North Carolina’s 11th Congressional District, struggled to answer a series of questions during a recent interview, repeatedly pausing and admitting she was ‘not sure’ where she stood on key issues,” Mediaite reports.