Impolitic with John Heilemann

Dave Wasserman: The Red Undertow is Turning Into a Riptide

October 19, 2026·1h 19m
Episode Description from the Publisher

John welcomes Cook Political Report election guru Dave Wasserman to discuss the outlook for the midterms. Wasserman argues that rising prices, an unpopular war, voters’ increasing focus on government corruption, and Republicans’ failure to distance themselves from Donald Trump have put them in an “impossible position” two weeks out from Election Day; Trump’s record-low approval ratings, coupled with his insistence on making the election a referendum on himself, are making his party’s already dire situation even worse; the GOP’s mid-decade redistricting gambit has ended up yielding next to nothing; and Democrats are all but guaranteed to retake the House (potentially picking up north of 20 seats) and narrow favorites to recapture the Senate, too.

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