A new CNBC survey finds the Republican Party has the greatest advantage over Democrats in the history of the news outlet’s polling on the matter.
The CNBC All American Economic Survey determined congressional Democrats are in a very precarious place less than a year away from the 2022 midterms.
Republicans now hold a 10-point advantage over Democrats on the generic ballot, 44 to 34 percent.
CNBC noted that’s up from a 2-point advantage the GOP held in October.
In the 20 years that CNBC and NBC have been asking the congressional preference question, the largest previous advantage Republicans have ever held over Democrats is 4 points.
Per CNBC, voters give Republicans a 10-point edge going into 2022 – the largest lead for Republicans in the survey’s 20-year history!
— Ronna McDaniel (@GOPChairwoman) December 10, 2021
“If the election were tomorrow, it would be an absolute unmitigated disaster for the Democrats,″ said Jay Campbell, partner at Hart Research Associates, the Democratic pollster for the survey.
Inflation, which hit a 40-year high of 6.8 percent last month, is the top concern among voters.
“Americans’ views on the state of the economy look to have helped drag down both [President Joe] Biden’s and the Democrats’ numbers,” according to CNBC.
Biden is solidly underwater on the issue.
Only 37 percent approve of his handling of the economy, and 56 percent disapprove, which is down from 40 percent approval and 54 percent disapproval in the second quarter of this year.
CNBC findings are consistent with the Real Clear Politics average of polls concerning the economy, which has Biden at 38.5 percent approve, 55.8 percent disapprove.
In other words, he’s underwater by over 17 points.
Biden’s overall approval in the CNBC poll is at 41 percent, with 50 percent disapproving.
Historically when the president’s approval rating has dropped below 50 percent, his party has consistently, going back decades, faced a blowout in the House of Representatives in the midterms, which included a loss of control of the chamber.
For example, Democrats lost 54 seats in 1994 when then-President Bill Clinton’s approval was at 48 percent.
Republicans gave up 30 seats in 2006, when then-President George W. Bush’s approval rating fell to 37 percent.
Four years later, in the 2010 midterms, then-President Barack Obama’s approval stood at 45 percent, and the GOP picked up 63 seats.
Most recently, in 2018, when 40 percent of Americans approved of then-President Donald Trump’s handling of the job, Republicans lost 40 seats in the House.
The GOP only needs to flip five seats to take back the majority in the House.
The Senate is split evenly between the parties, 50 to 50.
Eleven months is a long time in politics, but as things stand now, a red wave is coming in November.