S15 EP178: Hour 1 - The Midterm Debacle

Erick, broadcasting from a hotel on assignment, tells listeners the midterm polling is bad but not as bad as the headlines, breaking down Steve Kornacki's NBC News poll on Hispanic voters (a 24-point Democratic lead on the generic ballot versus 22 points in 2022) and the cost of living and corruption problems dragging down Republicans. He then reports that James Talarico is now favored over Ken Paxton in the Texas Senate race and that Paxton's campaign is being run from Washington, and he explains the fight between President Trump and Senator Tom Cotton over permanent daylight saving time.

• Steve Kornacki and Meet the Press: the NBC News poll of Latino voters, the 24-point generic ballot lead for Democrats versus 22 points in 2022, Trump approval with Hispanic voters, and why Erick says the GOP has held a 10- to 15-point gain
• Midterm issues: cost of living, jobs and the economy, and corruption as the number two issue, plus a CBS News Battleground Tracker poll showing Democrats winning the House if the election were held today
• Texas Senate race: James Talarico leads Ken Paxton, leaked audio of Paxton complaining his campaign is run from Washington, billionaire donors who say they were never called, and Angela Paxton's vote Republican ad
• Trump, Tom Cotton, and permanent daylight saving time: the president posts Cotton's personal cell number on Truth Social, Cotton's school bus and standard time arguments, and Erick's text exchange with the senator
• Senate map and Erick's contrarian take: Republicans keep the Senate while losing the House, with Michigan, Maine, North Carolina, Ohio, and Texas in play, plus the Not Safe for Radio Show at Gas South Theater this Saturday and an aborted takeoff story