Worst Midterm Defeat in last 50 years

[Bandit3 the Worker]

I can't believe 2002 hasn't been mentioned.

Anyone else remember the media cover-up of the exit polls?

[Mr.Phips]

I can't believe 2002 hasn't been mentioned.

Anyone else remember the media cover-up of the exit polls?

2002 was basically just the mirror image of 1998 with a bit more of a GOP tilt than 1998 had of a Dem tilt(1998 had a tiny Dem tilt). 

The 2002 election was maddening though.  Democrats should have never allowed an Iraq War vote right before the election and should have went ahead with the 9/11 intelligence failure probe in the Senate before the election.  It's not like that election could have gone any worse for Dems anyway. 

[OSR stands with Israel]

I can't believe 2002 hasn't been mentioned.

Anyone else remember the media cover-up of the exit polls?

2002 and 1998 were not mentioned since they were Victories for the Party in the White House while the rest are defeats

[OSR stands with Israel]

Well I'm pretty sure this thread was started because the OP wanted to gloat over the Dems' loss in 2014, but I'd say:
1994: I mean c'mon, Democrats lost the House for the first time in a couple generations
2006: This is the only other election besides '94 in which both houses flipped
2010: A huge defeat for the Democrats, as it basically stopped them from passing more leg.
2014: This victory gives Republicans a chance to hold both houses of Congress for a long, long time
1974: No chambers flipped, but the number of Democrats who won is stunning
1986: Dems won big in the Senate, but already had the House
1982: Something of a repudiation, but without any chambers flipping it's hard to see this as that big of a deal

Well no it wasnt started because of that . Just becuse I think 2014 was worse then 2010 doesnt mean anything. 2006 and 1982 were also worse then 2010.

Are you serious?

An average of 30 seats were lost by the GOP in 1982 and 2006.


While the democrats lost 62 seats in 2010!!!!

In 2006 Both the Senete and House were now in the hands of the opposition party and in 2010 only the House was in the opposition party. In 2014 the Senete and House is now in the opposition party hands and so is the State Lesislators and Governers by a huge margin so the White House cant even rely on states to pass legislation which they cant pass in congress. I was wrong about 1982

[TheElectoralBoobyPrize]

People keep mentioning 1982, but considering the GOP successfully defended a Senate majority for the first time since the Depression (and in the midst of the worst recession since that Depression), I'd say it wasn't that bad. The House losses were significant, but didn't completely erase the '80 gains.

I can't believe 2002 hasn't been mentioned.

Anyone else remember the media cover-up of the exit polls?

2002 was basically just the mirror image of 1998 with a bit more of a GOP tilt than 1998 had of a Dem tilt(1998 had a tiny Dem tilt). 

The 2002 election was maddening though.  Democrats should have never allowed an Iraq War vote right before the election and should have went ahead with the 9/11 intelligence failure probe in the Senate before the election.  It's not like that election could have gone any worse for Dems anyway. 

I think those two elections were just more pro-incumbent than anything (except in the governor's races in 2002, but that may have been due to so many open seats). One was just slightly more-Dem and one slightly more-GOP.

[kcguy]

I like 2006 because no one expected the Dems to take back the Senate, plus I think no Democrat running for federal office that year anywhere in the country lost.

Correct, assuming you;re referring to Democratic incumbents, and I believe that's the only time in recent history where this has happened for either party.

Not quite right.

2006 was unique because no Democratic seat went to the Republicans, not even open seats, marking the first such swing since 1938.

No Republican incumbent lost in 1994.  However, four House open seats went to the Democrats.  (I believe three of those lost seats had been held by people who turned around and gained Senate seats.)  If I'm not mistaken, 1994 was also unique because there were no Democratic freshman senators that year.

[Mr.Phips]

People keep mentioning 1982, but considering the GOP successfully defended a Senate majority for the first time since the Depression (and in the midst of the worst recession since that Depression), I'd say it wasn't that bad. The House losses were significant, but didn't completely erase the '80 gains.

I can't believe 2002 hasn't been mentioned.

Anyone else remember the media cover-up of the exit polls?

2002 was basically just the mirror image of 1998 with a bit more of a GOP tilt than 1998 had of a Dem tilt(1998 had a tiny Dem tilt). 

The 2002 election was maddening though.  Democrats should have never allowed an Iraq War vote right before the election and should have went ahead with the 9/11 intelligence failure probe in the Senate before the election.  It's not like that election could have gone any worse for Dems anyway. 

I think those two elections were just more pro-incumbent than anything (except in the governor's races in 2002, but that may have been due to so many open seats). One was just slightly more-Dem and one slightly more-GOP.

Well, Republicans were lucky in 1982 that at the Senate class in which they had the least exposure in was up(this was the class that had been heavily Den since the 1958 election and kept coming up only in good Dem years).  Had either of the other two Senate classes  been up in 1982, Republicans would have surely lost control.

[Ebowed]

I like 2006 because no one expected the Dems to take back the Senate, plus I think no Democrat running for federal office that year anywhere in the country lost.

Correct, assuming you;re referring to Democratic incumbents, and I believe that's the only time in recent history where this has happened for either party.

Not quite right.

2006 was unique because no Democratic seat went to the Republicans, not even open seats, marking the first such swing since 1938.

Ah, yes, right you are.  Thanks for the clarification.

[OSR stands with Israel]

I still would go with those 3

[OSR stands with Israel]

My ranking would be


1. 1994
2. 1974

3. 2014
4. 2006

5. 2010
6. 1986
7.  2018

8.  1982
9.  1990
10. 1970

11. 1998
12. 2002

[Orser67]

Levels of defeat:

Once-in-a-generation, politics redefining trouncing:
1994

Very bad:
1974, 2010

Bad:
1986, 2006, 2014, 2018

Moderately bad:
1982

Meh:
1970, 1990

Midterm victory:
1998, 2002

[lfromnj]

The house flipped in 1994 2010 2006 and 1982(conservative coalition is republican IMO)

[SN2903]

Levels of defeat:

Once-in-a-generation, politics redefining trouncing:
1994

Very bad:
1974, 2010

Bad:
1986, 2006, 2014, 2018

Moderately bad:
1982

Meh:
1970, 1990

Midterm victory:
1998, 2002

Putting 2018 in the same category as 2014 is a joke. GOP was +1 in the senate and the house districts they won were in selective areas.

[Kyle Rittenhouse is a Political Prisoner]

Levels of defeat:

Once-in-a-generation, politics redefining trouncing:
1994

Very bad:
1974, 2010

Bad:
1986, 2006, 2014, 2018

Moderately bad:
1982

Meh:
1970, 1990

Midterm victory:
1998, 2002

Putting 2018 in the same category as 2014 is a joke. GOP was +1 in the senate and the house districts they won were in selective areas.

An election with a 40 house seat swing is obviously less of a wave than one with a 13 seat swing.

[Brittain33]

So much of this depends on the Senate map. 1986 and 2014 were so bad *only* because incumbent party was hugely overexposed from a landslide win 6 years before. Conversely 2018 was the equivalent of 2010 in the House (smaller losses because 2016 wasn’t as good for R as 2008 was for D) but the Senate map largely determined the outcomes in the Senate.

[OSR stands with Israel]

Levels of defeat:

Once-in-a-generation, politics redefining trouncing:
1994

Very bad:
1974, 2010

Bad:
1986, 2006, 2014, 2018

Moderately bad:
1982

Meh:
1970, 1990

Midterm victory:
1998, 2002

Putting 2018 in the same category as 2014 is a joke. GOP was +1 in the senate and the house districts they won were in selective areas.

An election with a 40 house seat swing is obviously less of a wave than one with a 13 seat swing.

Republicans gained 9 seats in 2014 , and actually won 2 seats the Dems were favored in (CO and NC).


The Dems lost a seat they were favored in (FL)

[bagelman]

I like 2006 because no one expected the Dems to take back the Senate, plus I think no Democrat running for federal office that year anywhere in the country lost. While it didn't form a permanent realignment, that win was necessary for Obama to enact the legislation he did in 2009-2010. 

huh? Jack Carter, Dale Groutage, Jim Pederson, Barbara Ann Radnofsky, Harold Ford, Jr. Erik R. Fleming, and Jean Hay Bright all lost.

[USO2019PB]

Levels of defeat:

Once-in-a-generation, politics redefining trouncing:
1994

Very bad:
1974, 2010

Bad:
1986, 2006, 2014, 2018

Moderately bad:
1982

Meh:
1970, 1990

Midterm victory:
1998, 2002

Putting 2018 in the same category as 2014 is a joke. GOP was +1 in the senate and the house districts they won were in selective areas.

An election with a 40 house seat swing is obviously less of a wave than one with a 13 seat swing.

Republicans gained 9 seats in 2014 , and actually won 2 seats the Dems were favored in (CO and NC).


The Dems lost a seat they were favored in (FL)

I think any reasonable observer would conclude that 2018 was a worse Midterm for the presidents party then 2014 considering that, Republicans started the 2018 cycle with a massive House majority secured by gerrymandering, urban clustering, and the incumbency advantage, along with a Senate map with 10 Democratic senators in Trump states that could be targeted. However, with all these structural advantages they managed to lose almost 40 House seats and only gain a paltry 2 Senate seats. In 2014 Democrats had none of these advantages, and knew they were going to lose badly in 2014, which they did. It’s actualy quite pathetic how bad Republicans lost this Midterm when you think about it, LMAO.

[OSR stands with Israel]

Levels of defeat:

Once-in-a-generation, politics redefining trouncing:
1994

Very bad:
1974, 2010

Bad:
1986, 2006, 2014, 2018

Moderately bad:
1982

Meh:
1970, 1990

Midterm victory:
1998, 2002

Putting 2018 in the same category as 2014 is a joke. GOP was +1 in the senate and the house districts they won were in selective areas.

An election with a 40 house seat swing is obviously less of a wave than one with a 13 seat swing.

Republicans gained 9 seats in 2014 , and actually won 2 seats the Dems were favored in (CO and NC).


The Dems lost a seat they were favored in (FL)

I think any reasonable observer would conclude that 2018 was a worse Midterm for the presidents party then 2014 considering that, Republicans started the 2018 cycle with a massive House majority secured by gerrymandering, urban clustering, and the incumbency advantage, along with a Senate map with 10 Democratic senators in Trump states that could be targeted. However, with all these structural advantages they managed to lose almost 40 House seats and only gain a paltry 2 Senate seats. In 2014 Democrats had none of these advantages, and knew they were going to lose badly in 2014, which they did. It’s actualy quite pathetic how bad Republicans lost this Midterm when you think about it, LMAO.

I think 2014 was not only worse than 2018 but worse than 2010 as well.


The Senate Gains were stunning and Republicans had more house seats after that election than any time since 1928

[lfromnj]

Levels of defeat:

Once-in-a-generation, politics redefining trouncing:
1994

Very bad:
1974, 2010

Bad:
1986, 2006, 2014, 2018

Moderately bad:
1982

Meh:
1970, 1990

Midterm victory:
1998, 2002

Putting 2018 in the same category as 2014 is a joke. GOP was +1 in the senate and the house districts they won were in selective areas.

An election with a 40 house seat swing is obviously less of a wave than one with a 13 seat swing.

Republicans gained 9 seats in 2014 , and actually won 2 seats the Dems were favored in (CO and NC).


The Dems lost a seat they were favored in (FL)

I think any reasonable observer would conclude that 2018 was a worse Midterm for the presidents party then 2014 considering that, Republicans started the 2018 cycle with a massive House majority secured by gerrymandering, urban clustering, and the incumbency advantage, along with a Senate map with 10 Democratic senators in Trump states that could be targeted. However, with all these structural advantages they managed to lose almost 40 House seats and only gain a paltry 2 Senate seats. In 2014 Democrats had none of these advantages, and knew they were going to lose badly in 2014, which they did. It’s actualy quite pathetic how bad Republicans lost this Midterm when you think about it, LMAO.

gerrymandering was overrated in 2018. In many scenarios it backfired or just didn't work or it was fixed. Texas and Nj  are 2 examples of backfired gerrymanders.

[Brittain33]

I like 2006 because no one expected the Dems to take back the Senate, plus I think no Democrat running for federal office that year anywhere in the country lost. While it didn't form a permanent realignment, that win was necessary for Obama to enact the legislation he did in 2009-2010. 

huh? Jack Carter, Dale Groutage, Jim Pederson, Barbara Ann Radnofsky, Harold Ford, Jr. Erik R. Fleming, and Jean Hay Bright all lost.

I didn't properly express what I meant. What I meant was that no Democratic seat or incumbent flipped to R anywhere in the country.

[Person Man]

This is the greatest annihilation of Rs in the House since 1974 and with 3.7% unemployment. Fun!

[YE]

1994 hands down.

[Sir Mohamed]

1994 and 2010, because of the long term impact. Political tribalism (1994) and gerrymandering/gridlock (2010).

[OSR stands with Israel]

This is the greatest annihilation of Rs in the House since 1974 and with 3.7% unemployment. Fun!

Only if you go by number of seats and that is mainly due to the GOP having more seats this decade than they have had in a very long time.


2008 IMO was a far greater annihilation of Republicans in the House than this