#380 The Elections of 1946 (Midterm Elections Series #3)

About this episode

In 1946, the Democrats had held the majority in both houses of Congress and the Presidency for fourteen years, in which time they had led the country through both the Great Depression and World War II. So why, in the first election after the end of the war, did American voters go to the polls in a midterm election and hand both the House and the Senate to the Republicans?   In this episode, Bob takes the lead as we break down the reasons that American voters soured so quickly on the Democrats in 1946, the impact that the election had on American politics, and why voters returned to the polls just two years later and handed Congress back to the Democrats. (For those looking for parallels with 2026, it turns out that a wildly unpopular President can be detrimental to his entire party, even when he isn't up for reelection.)   If you'd like to help Ben's fundraising effort to help The Store fight food insecurity in Tennessee, just go to RTNpod.me/thestore.     This is part 3 of our midterm election series, in which we look at some of the most consequential congressional elections in American history. With the midterms of 2026 just around the corner, we hope these episodes w