A new poll by former Clinton pollster Douglas Schoen and his firm's partner, Carly Cooperman, found that Democrats are likely to face 'substantial losses' in this year's midterms, and that the party is 'ineffective and out of touch.'

In a Sunday op-ed for The Hill, Schoen and Cooperman write: "the findings of our survey — which was conducted among likely 2022 midterm election voters — show that the electorate is increasingly pessimistic about the direction in which President Biden and Democrats are steering the country and feel that the party's priorities do not align with their own."

What's the solution?

The pollsters advise that if Democrats want to have "a fighting chance in the midterms - as well as a shot at holding on to the presidency in 2024," that they need to embark on a "broader course correction back to the center," and show voters that they are focused on solving quality-of-life issues.

In short, Democrats need to reject their progressive wing and its embrace of big government spending and identity politics.

Indeed, a majority of voters (54 percent) — including 56 percent of independents — explicitly say that they want Biden and Democrats to move closer to the center and embrace more moderate policies versus embracing more liberal policies (18 percent) or staying where they are politically (13 percent).  

Most voters (61 percent) also agree that Biden and Democrats are "out of touch with hardworking Americans" and "have been so focused on catering to the far-left wing of the party that they're ignoring Americans' day to day concerns" such as "rising prices" and "combatting violent crime."  -The Hill

The top issue for voters is inflation - which sits at its highest level in 40 years - according to 51% of respondents, followed by the economy and job creation (32%). Yet, just 16% of voters believe the economy is Biden's main focus, and trust Republicans over Democrats to manage it (47% vs. 41%) and control inflation (48% vs. 36%).