Democrats’ national standing, already shaky after years of political headwinds, drew an unflattering comparison this week from CNN’s chief data analyst Harry Enten.
On Monday evening, Enten quipped that Democratic politicians are now as popular nationwide as the much-maligned rebrand of the family restaurant chain Cracker Barrel.
“The Democratic brand right now has about the appeal with the American voter as the Cracker Barrel rebrand has with the American consumers,” Enten said. “Bad, bad, bad! What are you doin’? Oh my goodness gracious.”
Cracker Barrel, long a staple of Southern comfort dining, has come under fire in recent days for rolling out a new, muted corporate logo. The change sparked a wave of backlash on social media and in conservative circles.
President Donald J. Trump, seizing on the cultural flashpoint, declared Tuesday that the company should “admit a mistake” and restore its traditional branding “ASAP.”
Enten’s colorful comparison was not merely a jab at aesthetics but a data-driven warning about Democrats’ electoral vulnerabilities heading into the 2026 midterm elections.
CNN data guru Harry Enten says the Dem party is about as popular as the Cracker Barrel logo rebrand.
"Bad, bad for the Democrats."
Voter registration for the GOP is surging in swing states.
Are Republicans about to turn the midterm jinx for the President's party on its head? pic.twitter.com/x59h3bAit3
— Rusty (@Rusty_Weiss) August 25, 2025
According to his analysis, Republicans are now in their “best position” since 2005 based on voter registration data across four battleground states: Arizona, Nevada, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania.
“In those four states, Republicans have made gains of between 3-8 points compared to the same point during Trump’s first term,” Enten explained.
He noted that the growth is not limited to first-time registrants but includes disaffected Democrats crossing the aisle. “For Republicans, they are converting old, former Democrats to their side of the ledger, as well as picking up new voters,” Enten said.
On screen, CNN drove the point home with an all-caps chyron: “DEMS STRUGGLE TO FIND NEW VOTERS IN FOUR KEY SWING STATES AHEAD OF 2026 MIDTERMS.”
The statistics suggest a realignment that could shape the balance of power in Congress for years. “The bottom line is this, Jessica Dean,” Enten told his CNN colleague, “when it comes to party registration, Republicans have made massive gains compared to eight years ago. They are in their best position in these four key swing states dating back at least 20 years… so Republicans [are] looking pretty gosh darn good, at least when it comes to party registration.”
For Democrats, the silver lining lies in history. Enten acknowledged that the party faced a similar low point in 2005, only to rebound in the following year’s midterms. But he added a note of caution.
While Democrats regained control of Congress in 2006, he suggested the current environment is even more challenging, with registration trends heavily favoring Republicans.
The comparison to Cracker Barrel’s branding woes underscored the scale of the Democrats’ problem: a party once dominant in key swing states now struggling to articulate a message that resonates with voters.
Republicans, meanwhile, appear to be capitalizing not only on disaffection with the opposition but also on their own ability to build a broader coalition across traditional political divides.
Enten stopped short of predicting an outright Republican wave, but his analysis was blunt: the Democratic brand, at least for now, is “bad, bad, bad.”
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