RCP Podcast: Do Republicans Need a Reality Check? Are Polls Wrong? Is Liberal Education Worth Saving? AI vs. the Seminar
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2026/09/28/rcp_podcast_do_republicans_need_a_reality_check.html

Monday on the RealClearPolitics podcast, Carl Cannon, Tom Bevan, and Andrew Walworth discuss the latest polls for the 2026 midterm elections, as things are looking rough for the GOP with just 36 days to go. Are the polls wrong?

Peter Berkowitz, author of Reclaiming Liberal Education in America, (https://amplifypublishinggroup.com/product/nonfiction/industries/education/reclaiming-liberal-education-in-america/) joins the program to advocate for the future of higher education. Is the liberal arts education worth saving?

Plus, the panel considers the legal and political ramifications of the president spending federal money to air new national television ads echoing the Trump campaign's 2024 rhetoric.

Listen live weekdays at 11:00 a.m. Eastern on SiriusXM's Megyn Kelly Channel 111, or on Apple (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/realclearpolitics-podcast/id1509826894), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/show/5FkNemg3aIaPPNBImIcW2l), YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/@realclearpolitics4074), or other platforms.

00:00 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=89xHFmYT384) - Opening:

Walworth, Cannon, and Bevan offer a bleak assessment of the GOP's chances of keeping control of the Senate, pointing to Democratic leads in several competitive states spilling over the margin of error. Is this shaping up to be a blue wave or a "red undertow"?

Watch: Sen. John Cornyn: It's Hard For Republican Candidates To "Outrun All The Baggage" (https://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2026/09/28/cornyn_its_hard_for_republican_candidates_to_outrun_all_the_baggae.html)

"When you're in an environment where people are upset, angry, anxious, whatever, and they look at the world around them, when Republicans hold all the levers of power in Washington, there's only one party to blame. And that's what Democrats are banking on," Bevan said.

Watch: Charlie Cook: "Not A Lot" Republicans Can Do-- This Isn't A Blue Wave, It's a Red Undertow (https://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2026/09/27/charlie_cook_not_a_lot_republicans_can_do_before_election_day_its_as_if_trump_jumped_the_shark_finally.html)

"What's happened is Trump's personality has gotten, if anything, more toxic, but his policies are no longer popular," Cannon said.

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09:18 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=89xHFmYT384&t=558s) - Are the Polls Wrong?

The panel turns to whether current polling may be overstating Democratic strength. Tom Bevan argues that Democratic margins are getting large enough that they no longer have to worry about margins of error.

"Even if you don't believe the polls are exactly accurate, they're getting to the point where they'd have to be wrong by four or five points to give Republicans a chance of holding the Senate," he said.

Axios: "Delusional" Senate Forecast Rattles Sea Island Retreat (https://www.axios.com/2026/09/26/senate-republicans-sea-island-midterms-nrsc)

"According to Axios' report, they said Republicans are 'deluded' and haven't reached the stage of acceptance yet -- they're still in denial," Bevan said. "The Republicans' theory of the case is they have more money, they've gotten an advantage from redistricting, and the Democrats have nominated problematic candidates."

"Best case scenario is they end up with a Senate tie, and JD Vance can break ties," he predicted. "If the price of gas/diesel doesn't go down in the next couple of weeks, Republicans are in for a world of hurt."

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21:38 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=89xHFmYT384&t=984s) - Reclaiming Liberal Education