The "Red Tsunami" was downgraded to a "Red Wave" on election night before ending up as a "Red Ripple." So, why did so many in politics and the media get it wrong? A lot are blaming "the polls" but we're explaining why that is simply not true. As we've said on Poll Hub for years, quality polls are entirely different from aggregators that average surveys from everyone -- including organizations with no track record and no transparency about their methods or funding. So...we have some advice.

Then, looking at the main issues of concern to voters in the midterms, the opioid crisis barely registered, despite killing over 100,000 Americans last year. Freelance journalist and recovering addict Zachary Siegel (@ZachWritesStuff), who also hosts Narcotica Podcast (@Narcocast) about mental health and addiction and co-writes Substance, a Substack about drugs and crime, is here to help us understand the disconnect. Zach takes us on a deep dive into why such a huge problem, that's impacting so many American families, isn't more important to voters.

We end the show with some food for thought, and everyone's got a different opinion on Lee's yummy Fun Fact this week.