Sprint to the Finish as Midterm Elections Loom
Congressional candidates made their final pitches as midterm elections loom. With early voting underway in many states, Republicans appear poised to take control of at least one chamber of congress. It is customary for the president’s party to lose seats in the midterm elections, but Democrats are hoping to reverse the trend.
For weeks, polls showed Democrats overperforming in key senate races, but more recent surveys have shown a shift to the GOP based on negative perceptions of the economy and President Biden’s low approval ratings.
Why has the price of gasoline crept up after weeks of decline?
INSTRUCTORS: click the link below to download this week’s lecture for use in your classroom. The deck contains a writing prompt and a debate question as well as other assessment questions.
Videos:
News Articles:
Biden vows to protect abortion from ‘no platform’ Republicans as GOP advances in key races
Independent
10/21/22
Why I’m Telling My Friends That The Senate Is A Toss-Up
Fivethirtyeight
10/21/22
https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/the-senate-is-a-toss-up/
Midterm Voting Intentions Are Divided, Economic Gloom Persists
Pew Research Center
10/20/22
Biden juggling long list of issues to please Dem coalition
Associated Press
10/22/22
News Articles (Analyses):
Democrats struggle with message on inflation in final midterm push
NBC News
10/22/22
Democrats’ midterm hopes fade: ‘We peaked a little early’
Politico
10/17/22
https://www.politico.com/news/2022/10/17/democrats-worry-they-peaked-too-soon-00062189
Democratic optimism about the midterms is fading
Vox
10/19/22
https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2022/10/19/23408788/midterms-2022-polls-republicans-forecast
Republicans gain steam in Senate battle
Politico
10/22/22
https://www.politico.com/news/2022/10/22/senate-swing-state-polls-2022-00062752
Assessment:
Writing: Explain how Republican Dr. Mehmet Oz has been able to close the gap in polling with his Democratic opponent John Fetterman. How has Fetterman tried to recapture the momentum he had earlier in the summer?
Debate: Will Democrats be able to claim a mandate if they are able to keep control of the U.S. Senate?
Poll: Should the health of political candidates, like Fetterman’s recent stroke, be used as a campaign issue?
Short Answer: Why does the president’s political party tend to do so poorly in congressional midterm elections?
QUIZ:
Why was Dr. Mehmet Oz a controversial selection to be the Republican nominee in Pennsylvania?
- Dr. Oz was facing malpractice charges
- Dr. Oz was had a health scare during the primary election
- Dr. Oz had only recently moved to Pennsylvania
- Dr. Oz was a well-known Democrat who supported President Biden in the last election
How has Senator Mark Kelly sought to fend off a competitive challenge from Blake Masters?
- by campaigning with President Biden
- by demonstrating independence from the Democratic Party
- by declaring his strong allegiance to Senator Kyrsten Sinema
- by endorsing the immigration policies of President Biden
What other important factor, in addition to economic concerns and President Biden’s low approval rating, has contributed to make the Republicans prohibitive favorites in the U.S. House midterm elections?
- Republicans’ promise to forgive college debt
- Republicans’ promise to support the Biden agenda
- gerrymandered districts
- Democrats’ inability to recruit quality candidates
Senator Catherine Cortez Masto is the only Latina in the U.S. Senate. (T/F)
Representative Kevin McCarthy is seen as the likely candidate to assume the speakership if the Republicans win control of the U.S. House. (T/F)
The president’s party has lost congressional seats in every midterm election since the founding of the republic. (T/F)
