From “Polls Show 5 Democratic Socialist Positions Have Traction With Republicans” by Dan Gooding at Newsweek: “As Republicans and some moderate Democrats increasingly portray democratic socialists as out of step with mainstream America, polling suggests a more complicated reality—a majority of Republican voters support several of the economic policies championed by the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) and prominent figures on the party’s left flank…The disconnect highlights a recurring feature of American politics. While “socialism” remains a negative label for many conservatives, specific policy proposals often perform far better when voters are asked about them directly…Recent polling has found notable Republican support for ideas including paid family leave, raising the minimum wage, taxing billionaires, expanding government health coverage and slowing the rapid expansion of AI data centers…The findings come as the rise of democratic socialist-backed candidates such as New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Michigan Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed has fueled renewed debate inside both parties about how far left Democrats should move ahead of this year’s midterms…Republicans have frequently sought to tie Democrats to the DSA, arguing the organization’s agenda is outside the political mainstream.” More here.

In “US-Canada trade war could make these everyday items pricier,” Elizabeth Buchwald writes at CNN Politics: “The United States and Canada are barreling toward a deeper trade war after last-ditch efforts to strike a deal collapsed Friday…The failed efforts resulted in President Donald Trump enacting 50% tariffs on roughly $20 billion worth of Canadian goods early Saturday morning. Canada is preparing to retaliate with “dollar-for-dollar” tariffs starting September 8, Prime Minister Mark Carney announced over the weekend…American businesses have a few options: stop importing the impacted goods altogether until they run through their inventory, pay the exorbitant tariff or switch suppliers…However, Canada may have been selected in the first place because it offered a cost or logistical advantage that isn’t easily replicated elsewhere. Companies that move their purchases, when possible, could therefore end up paying more anyway…And with the war in Iran already driving up energy and transportation costs, businesses have less room to absorb another hit. That increases the chances that at least some of the tariff costs ultimately land on consumers…If Ottawa proceeds with its retaliatory duties, Trump is all but certain to fire back, making the trade war with America’s second-top trading partner even more painful for both sides…For now, though, here are three areas where Americans could start to see goods get more expensive: (More here).

Ali Bianco’s “Why Mikie Sherrill thinks vets can build back power for Democrats” puts a fresh take on Democratic strategy at Politico. As Bianco explains, “If Democrats are searching for a figurehead to lead the party back from the brink, they may start looking more toward someone like New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill…The former Navy helicopter pilot has enlisted for a new mission: to establish herself as an influential operator for the midterms, with an eye toward putting Democrats back on the right footing with voters as the 2028 presidential election looms. Just seven months into her tenure, she’s kicking off a fall of cross-country travel with a slate of endorsements in some of this cycle’s most competitive districts…Following a summer primary season that’s pitted the insurgents against the establishment, Sherrill’s betting that a group of veterans with backgrounds rooted in public service like her, eschewing ideological identities or factions, could be the path back to power come November — and beyond…“The fight isn’t moderates versus DSA candidates,” Sherrill told POLITICO on the road this week. “The fight is if we are going to have strong people in the Democratic Party that are going to actually make change to make people’s lives better, or people who you can just expect more of the same.”…Sherrill’s fixation on veterans as the way to rebuild power for the Democratic Party comes down to a universal truth she’s identified among voters across the political spectrum right now: a desperate desire for change.” More here.

Many political commentators will find “‘I Was Surprised!’ CNN Data Guru Reveals ‘Most Likely’ Midterm Election Outcome” by David Gilmour at Mediaite via AOL a revealing read. As Gilmour writes,  “CNN chief data analyst Harry Enten found a Democratic sweep of Congress is now the single “most likely” midterm outcome after crunching thousands of polls, a result he admitted surprised him…Enten laid out four possible scenarios for control of Washington in a video uploaded to YouTube on Monday, assigning a 52% chance to Democrats winning both the House and Senate…“I was surprised by this before we started cracking the numbers, but that is why we do it,” Enten said. “It’s the numbers. Don’t blame me. The numbers are the numbers.”…The projection rests partly on Senate polling that Enten said shows Democrats competitive even across states that have recently leaned Republican. He pointed to Democratic leads of 9 points in North Carolina and 3 points in both Maine and Ohio, along with a 2-point advantage in Texas and a competitive race in Iowa…Under the map Enten presented, Democrats could emerge with a 52-48 Senate majority. Even if Republicans captured Michigan, he said, Democrats could still finish with 51 seats…Enten also pointed to President Donald Trump’s political standing as a major factor facing Republicans. He showed polling showing just 24% of Americans believe Republican policies have “helped” their cost of living, compared with 55% who say they have “hurt” their financial position…“That is very, very bad news,” he warned, pointing out the issue as one that got Trump elected in 2024…Additionally, the president’s net approval rating, Enten added, is 20 points underwater and the analyst said he’d gone back through the “history books” to find “there were only two other presidents who had a sub-20 net approval besides Trump at this point of midterm cycle.” More here.