Without a presidential race on the ballot, midterm elections are usually seen as a collection of low-energy challenges. But in this turbulent era, the Nov. 6 elections will be the first real gauge of public opinion of the Trump presidency as he heads into his own re-election cycle for 2020, and the culmination of a high-stakes battle for control of Congress. And with a nation of highly polarized voters heading to the polls, even gubernatorial and state legislative races will help clarify what’s important to a restless electorate.
Ken Walsh, White House and political analyst for U.S. News & World Report, moderates a discussion of the midterms with a panel of leading political analysts: White House editor Jackie Calmes of the Los Angeles Times, Democratic strategist and pollster Geoff Garin, Republican Party political consultant Frank Donatelli, and American University history and communication professor and CBS analyst Leonard Steinhorn.