Washington Free Beacon writer Elizabeth Harrington said Thursday the widespread media talk of a "blue wave" for Democrats in November isn't borne out by the numbers yet, saying they need something more than opposition to President Donald Trump to rally around.
With House Speaker Paul Ryan's (R., Wis.) decision to not seek re-election amid a flood of other GOP retirements, Democrats are bullish about seizing the House for the first time since losing it in the 2010 Tea Party revolution.
However, Fox Business host Neil Cavuto noted conventional wisdom suggested Trump would not be elected president and the "Brexit" vote would not be successful, asking if such a consensus over a "blue wave" being inevitable was dangerous.
Media Research Center Vice President Dan Gainor said the media's fixation on the subject was a way of creating a "self-fulfilling prophecy," and Harrington agreed the proof of one coming wasn't there yet.
She noted the Democrats' shrinking lead in the generic ballot and a new poll showing more voters give credit to Trump than Barack Obama for a strong economy.
"The media have been trying to portray this wave is coming," she said. "The numbers aren't really showing it. Of course, a lot can change, but if there's going to be a wave, there has to be a central issue that motivates voters, whether it was in 2006 with the Iraq War, 2010 with Obamacare. What's the central issue this year?"
"It's not Russia. It's not Stormy Daniels," she added. "Opposition to Trump is not going to cut it, and Democrats need to rally around something else, and I just don't see it yet."