# Opinion: Pollsters Say Voters Want to Punish the GOP, Not Hand Democrats a 'Blank Check'

Doug Schoen and Carly Cooperman argue the midterms look like a Republican retreat, not an endorsement of Democratic policies. They point to Trump's 38% approval and warn Democrats against moving left.

- Section: [Opinion](https://rightnewsrightnow.com/opinion/)
- Published: 2026-11-01
- By: RightNewsRightNow Staff
- Canonical page: https://rightnewsrightnow.com/articles/opinion-schoen-cooperman-red-retreat-not-blue-wave-democrats-move-to-center-fox-news/

This is an opinion column from Fox News by pollsters Doug Schoen and Carly Cooperman. The views belong to the authors, not to RightNewsRightNow.

The thesis. With less than a week to go, they say the "blue wave" label is wrong. What they see is "a red retreat, a red collapse and a potential red defeat," not an overwhelming victory for Democrats or their policies.

Their read of the race. They write that Democrats are almost certain to take the House and have nearly a two-thirds chance of taking the Senate, citing Kalshi odds. They say Democrats lead or are tied in battleground Senate races in North Carolina, Michigan and Maine, with signs of Republican weakness in Kansas, Texas and possibly Alaska.

The numbers they cite. Democrats lead the generic ballot by almost 9 points. Trump's approval averages about 38%. In RealClearPolling's measure, 32% say the country is headed in the right direction and 63% say wrong track. In 22 states with competitive primaries, they say 17 saw higher Democratic turnout, and in Texas the vote swing since 2022 was about 1.5 million.

Not a mandate. The pair say Democrats' favorability sits just under 40%, statistically tied with Trump and the Republican Party. They cite an ABC survey putting democratic socialism at 37% favorable and 59% unfavorable, and New York Times polling where 48% of Democrats and 72% of independents want the party to move to the center.

Their advice. Democrats, they write, should lower costs, restore stability and check executive overreach rather than "relitigating ideological fights." They conclude: "A red retreat may deliver Democrats power. But if they mistake backlash for ideological conversion, they will squander the opening."

Note for readers: this is advocacy written by pollsters, and the polling figures are theirs and from sources they cite. We did not check them. Our earlier coverage of their blue-wave column is on the site.

## Source

Original reporting: [Fox News (opinion)](https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/schoen-cooperman-red-retreat-republicans-not-same-blue-wave-2026)