Kudlow Rejects Polls’ Predictions Ahead of Midterms
With the midterm elections one day away, Larry Kudlow dismissed polling that points to Democratic gains, arguing on his Fox Business show that surveys do not cast ballots. He disputed figures showing Democrats leading in Senate races in Michigan, Texas and Maine, as well as Ohio and Kansas, and said he expected Republicans to retain both chambers of Congress or come close in the House.
Kudlow focused on Michigan, where a poll put Democrat Abdul El-Sayed 11 points ahead of Republican Mike Rogers. He argued that Haley Stevens, a Democratic congresswoman who endorsed Rogers after losing the primary to El-Sayed, could draw Democratic support away from him. Kudlow also cited a former Michigan Democratic Party chair’s call for people to stay home. He rejected the poll’s reported Democratic leads of seven points in Texas and six in Maine, saying Sen. Susan Collins would win.
He also pointed to polling that showed Republicans gaining support among late deciders in seven battleground states and said white liberals were more likely than registered white Republicans to take one survey. Kudlow argued that a strong economy, support for free enterprise and opposition to publicly funded health care for undocumented immigrants favored Republicans. He acknowledged that gasoline prices remained high.
Republicans hold a 53-47 Senate majority, and Democrats need a net gain of four seats to take control. The other account described Republicans as widely expected to lose their narrow House majority and noted that a Fox News forecast projected Democratic control of both chambers. President Donald Trump has campaigned prominently for Republicans; Kudlow said voters would determine the result on November 3.
Kudlow’s Poll Dismissal Won’t Change the Midterm Stakes
As voters prepared to head to the polls, Larry Kudlow used his Fox Business show to wave away surveys pointing to Democratic gains. His insistence that the polls are wrong does not erase the stakes: Republicans hold only a narrow House majority, and Democrats are competing to take control of both chambers.
Kudlow challenged figures showing Democrats ahead by 11 points in Michigan, seven in Texas and six in Maine, as well as leads in Ohio and Kansas. In Michigan, he argued that Haley Stevens’ endorsement of Republican Mike Rogers could pull support from Democrat Abdul El-Sayed. He also cited a former state Democratic Party chair’s call for people to stay home. Those are Kudlow’s reasons for doubting the numbers, not election results.
The Senate math is consequential: Democrats need a net gain of four seats to overcome the Republican 53-47 edge. A Fox News forecast projected Democrats would win both chambers, while Republicans were widely expected to lose their House majority. President Donald Trump has made himself central to the Republican campaign, and Kudlow pointed to the economy and voters’ views on free enterprise as reasons Republicans could hold on.
Kudlow’s dismissal of unfavorable polling shifts attention from the possibility of a major Democratic victory to his own predictions. The election on November 3 will determine whether voters validate his confidence or the forecasts he rejects.
Kudlow Is Right: Polls Don’t Cast Ballots
Larry Kudlow pushed back against a familiar pre-election narrative on November 2: that polls have already decided the outcome. On his Fox Business show, he argued that surveys do not vote and rejected reported Democratic leads in several Senate contests, making the case that Republicans still have a path to hold Congress.
Kudlow questioned polling that put Abdul El-Sayed 11 points ahead of Mike Rogers in Michigan, noting that Haley Stevens had endorsed Rogers after losing to El-Sayed in the primary. He also cited a former Michigan Democratic Party chair’s call for people to stay home. Kudlow rejected reported Democratic leads in Texas and Maine and said Sen. Susan Collins would win. He pointed as well to polling that showed Republicans gaining among late deciders in seven battleground states.
His argument rests on voters, not survey snapshots. Kudlow said the economy was booming and that most Americans preferred free enterprise to big government, while opposing publicly funded health care for undocumented immigrants. He acknowledged that gasoline prices were uncomfortably high, but said Trump’s campaigning and the economy could help Republicans retain both chambers or keep the House race close.
Republicans currently hold a 53-47 Senate advantage, and Democrats need four net seats to flip it. Forecasts cited in the coverage pointed to possible Democratic control of both chambers and a likely Republican loss in the House. Kudlow’s central point is that those predictions are not results: voters decide on November 3.
Reported by Fox Business, The Daily Beast.
