Republicans concerned about Donald Trump’s chronically underwater job-approval ratings have sometimes reassured themselves by pointing at chronically low favorability ratings for the Democratic Party. Perhaps by focusing swing-voter attention away from the Trump-GOP record and toward weak spots in the Democratic Party’s philosophy or agenda (real or contrived), they might head off what sure looks like a 2026 midterm election that will flip control of one or perhaps even both congressional chambers along with governorships and state legislatures.

This is hardly the first time a party controlling the White House (and in this case Congress as well) has tried to make a midterm election comparative instead of serving as a referendum on the president, almost always without much success. But it’s true the current electorate has a sour, I-hate-everybody undertone that might be exploited to keep unhappy voters at home if not grudgingly resigned to GOP rule. Still, new data from CNN on so-called “double haters” — people who dislike both major parties — shows that the presidential-referendum effect is hard to overcome. Whether it’s because they hate Republicans a bit more than Democrats or, more likely, because they........

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