Back in January, Democrats confidently predicted a "blue wave" would wipe out Republican control of Congress in this year's midterms -- as polls showed a massive lead for the party in the so-called generic ballot.
This forecast is looking less certain as that lead shrinks by the week, with one poll even showing Republicans on top.
The "generic" ballot asks voters which party they plan to support, without getting into specific candidates. As recently as April, a Reuters poll showed Democrats with a 13-point lead. Some Democrats cited various surveys, including a CNN poll in December that showed an 18-point lead, as proof that they'd at least claim the House in November.
“#Megatsunami next November,” predicted an excited Rep. Ted Lieu, D-Calif.
I learned a new word today: Megatsunami. As in, the 18 point lead Dems have in the generic ballot point to a Democratic #Megatsunami next November.
https://t.co/gl5xSigoz4
— Ted Lieu (@tedlieu) December 20, 2017
But that lead has all but disappeared, with Reuters' latest poll showing a slight Republican edge of less than 2 percent. The trend is reflected in other polls. A CNN poll this month showed the Democratic lead at just 3 percent, down from 16 percent in February.