CNN is a mouthpiece for the Democrats. But even they can’t hide this brutal truth.
And CNN is flabbergasted over a new poll that shows the Democrat Party in deep trouble.
In a stunning twist that’s got the left scratching their heads, CNN’s own data guru Harry Enten dropped some truth bombs on air, admitting that the ongoing government shutdown isn’t tanking Republicans at all—in fact, it’s giving them a boost. Even on a network that’s no friend to conservatives, Enten had to face the facts from the polls, showing GOP strength holding firm while Democrats squirm.
The conversation kicked off with host John Berman floating the idea that “political pain” for one side or the other would force a resolution to the shutdown. But Enten flipped the script, suggesting it’s the Democrats who might end up hurting the most from this standoff.
Berman teed it up by asking about the impact on Republicans: “One thing that might end a shutdown is political pain, if parties start to feel that it’s hurting them. So let’s talk about that, starting with Republicans. How has the shutdown seemed to have affected their political standing?”
Enten’s response was a wake-up call for anyone betting against the GOP. “Yeah, you might think, given that the Republicans are in charge of both the House and the Senate, that a government shutdown might actually hurt the Republican brand. But in fact, it hasn’t!” He pointed out the numbers don’t lie, with Republican popularity ticking up instead of crashing.
Diving deeper into the data, Enten highlighted how the GOP’s overall brand has edged higher. “If anything, it’s been helped a little bit! Take a look here, the shift in net popularity versus pre-shutdown. When we’re looking at the Republican Party overall, that brand, actually up two points. That’s within the margin of error, but clearly it hasn’t dropped.”
He didn’t stop there, zeroing in on Congress specifically. “Come over to this side of the screen, look at the net approval ratings for Republicans in Congress. It’s actually up five points since pre-shutdown! So what we’re seeing here is the Republican brand in Congress has actually improved somewhat compared to where we were pre-shutdown, despite the fact that Republicans control.”
This kind of surge has Republican leaders like John Thune and Mike Johnson grinning from ear to ear. As Enten put it, “And that’s the math that John Thune and Mike Johnson are looking at is, ‘Hey, why should we give in, electorally speaking, when our brand has actually improved a little bit?’” Why cave when you’re winning?
Berman probed further, wondering if this was just the hardcore supporters rallying or something bigger: “Now we say their position is getting better, with whom?”
Enten laid it out clear as day, starting with the base. “It’s rallying the base for sure. Look at this, the net approval rating up 12 points versus pre-shutdown.” But the real kicker? It’s not limited to the faithful—it’s spreading.
The gains are hitting right in the center of the voter pool too. “But it’s not just with the base, it’s also with the middle of the electorate. Look at this among independents, it’s up eight points as well! So we’ve got a situation here where Republicans with the shutdown are actually rallying their base, but it’s also something that’s not hurting them with the folks in the middle.”
Enten drove the point home: “If anything, it’s helping them with folks in the middle, and this is the type of math that if you’re Republicans, you like to see, right? Because something could rally the base, but alienate those in the middle, or something could rally those in the middle, but alienate the base.”
Instead, the shutdown is proving to be a unifier for the right. “But the truth is, we’re not seeing that. What we’re seeing is the Republican brand has actually gotten better among independents and it’s also gotten better among Republicans as well, that Republican brand when it comes to those in Congress.” No wonder the GOP isn’t budging.
Wrapping up the Republican side, Enten questioned the logic of compromise. “So again, what’s the electoral reason that Republicans would give in at this point?” With polls like these, the answer is obvious: there isn’t one.
Shifting gears to the Democrats, Berman brought up their midterm focus: “And Democrats, of course, they have their eyes on the midterm elections. Yeah, we have elections one week from today, but what Democrats in Congress are mostly focused on are one year and one week from today, from the midterms. So how do Democrats, how are they positioned right now?”
Enten delivered the bad news for the blue team, showing their lead shrinking as crunch time approaches. “You look at this point back when Trump was president the first time around, Democrats were up 11 points. Look at where it is now. Democrats are ahead, but they’re actually only up three points.” That’s a far cry from past advantages.
He put it in historical context: “This is, in fact, the worst position Democrats have been on in a generic ballot at this time in a midterm when there was a Republican president in the last 20 years. And this is no different from pre-shutdown.” The shutdown isn’t even denting GOP momentum here.
Berman sought confirmation on the Democrat woes: “This is a concerning number for Democrats, are you saying?”
Entend responded: “This is a concerning number for Democrats, because it’s considerably worse than they traditionally do in midterm elections when there’s a Republican president.” For those cheering on the right, this spells opportunity—a chance to hold the line and watch the opposition falter.
All told, these revelations from CNN’s data desk paint a picture of Republican resilience that’s music to conservative ears. As the shutdown drags on, it’s clear the American people aren’t buying the liberal narrative of GOP doom.
