Less than 30 days ahead of the 2026 midterms and almost nobody I talk to in Philadelphia is excited. Not my neighbors. Not my students or colleagues at Temple University, where I research and teach political communication and public opinion. Not even my politically engaged friends.
This mirrors the national mood in recent years: In a Pew Research Center survey, just 4% of Americans said they feel excited about politics; 65% said they feel exhausted.