KQED61%
The Roadblocks on Democrats’ Path to Retaking the House in 2026 75%
By Marisa Lagos88% Guy Marzorati71%
7/23/2026, 11:05:00 PM
BS Summary: This article contains 6 faulty reasoning types, including Confirmation Bias, Framing Effect, and Representativeness Heuristic, with Negativity Bias as the most egregious example at 39.8% saturation with 43 hits. Analysis detected 129 faulty-reasoning hits from 108 analyzed words, generating a BS Score of 66.7% and a BS Rank of 75% (5,449 of 21,197 articles). This article is worse (more manipulative) than 74.30% of the article peer group.
The party in power in Washington, D.C. typically heads into a midterm election at a disadvantage.
Democrats are favored to retake the House this fall, but the Democratic party brand is still deeply unpopular with voters.
Plus, a national redistricting battle and recent Supreme Court case changing how party committees can spend money chip away at the party’s advantage.
Marisa sits down with Guy and CalMatters politics reporter Maya C.
Miller to check in on the state of play for congressional races nationally and in California.
Check out Political Breakdown’s weekly newsletter, delivered straight to your inbox.
Confirmation Bias
21.3%Confirmation Bias
OverallThis article
21.3%AuthorMarisa Lagos
5%PublicationCalMatters
1.9%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Anchoring Bias
0%Anchoring Bias
OverallThis article
0%AuthorMarisa Lagos
0.9%PublicationCalMatters
0.9%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Availability Heuristic
0%Availability Heuristic
OverallThis article
0%AuthorMarisa Lagos
4.3%PublicationCalMatters
3%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Representativeness Heuristic
14.8%Representativeness Heuristic
OverallThis article
14.8%AuthorMarisa Lagos
1.8%PublicationCalMatters
1%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Hindsight Bias
0%Hindsight Bias
OverallThis article
0%AuthorMarisa Lagos
1.1%PublicationCalMatters
0.5%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Overconfidence Bias
0%Overconfidence Bias
OverallThis article
0%AuthorMarisa Lagos
1.9%PublicationCalMatters
1.2%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Framing Effect
18.5%Framing Effect
OverallThis article
18.5%AuthorMarisa Lagos
14.6%PublicationCalMatters
6.3%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Loss Aversion
0%Loss Aversion
OverallThis article
0%AuthorMarisa Lagos
0.4%PublicationCalMatters
1%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Status Quo Bias
14.8%Status Quo Bias
OverallThis article
14.8%AuthorMarisa Lagos
1.6%PublicationCalMatters
0.7%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Sunk Cost Effect
0%Sunk Cost Effect
OverallThis article
0%AuthorMarisa Lagos
0%PublicationCalMatters
0.2%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Optimism Bias
0%Optimism Bias
OverallThis article
0%AuthorMarisa Lagos
3.5%PublicationCalMatters
3.5%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Pessimism Bias
0%Pessimism Bias
OverallThis article
0%AuthorMarisa Lagos
0.7%PublicationCalMatters
1.4%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Negativity Bias
39.8%Negativity Bias
OverallThis article
39.8%AuthorMarisa Lagos
11.5%PublicationCalMatters
6.4%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Self-Serving Bias
0%Self-Serving Bias
OverallThis article
0%AuthorMarisa Lagos
2.8%PublicationCalMatters
1.7%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Fundamental Attribution Error
0%Fundamental Attribution Error
OverallThis article
0%AuthorMarisa Lagos
2.1%PublicationCalMatters
0.7%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Actor-Observer Bias
0%Actor-Observer Bias
OverallThis article
0%AuthorMarisa Lagos
0.5%PublicationCalMatters
0.2%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
In-Group Bias
0%In-Group Bias
OverallThis article
0%AuthorMarisa Lagos
2.9%PublicationCalMatters
1.7%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Out-Group Homogeneity Bias
0%Out-Group Homogeneity Bias
OverallThis article
0%AuthorMarisa Lagos
1.1%PublicationCalMatters
0.4%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Halo Effect
0%Halo Effect
OverallThis article
0%AuthorMarisa Lagos
2.8%PublicationCalMatters
2.7%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Horn Effect
0%Horn Effect
OverallThis article
0%AuthorMarisa Lagos
0.3%PublicationCalMatters
0.1%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Dunning-Kruger Effect
0%Dunning-Kruger Effect
OverallThis article
0%AuthorMarisa Lagos
0%PublicationCalMatters
0%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Recency Bias
0%Recency Bias
OverallThis article
0%AuthorMarisa Lagos
2.5%PublicationCalMatters
0.9%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Primacy Effect
0%Primacy Effect
OverallThis article
0%AuthorMarisa Lagos
1%PublicationCalMatters
0.3%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Blind-Spot Bias
0%Blind-Spot Bias
OverallThis article
0%AuthorMarisa Lagos
0.1%PublicationCalMatters
0%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Ad Hominem
0%Ad Hominem
OverallThis article
0%AuthorMarisa Lagos
1.9%PublicationCalMatters
0.6%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Straw Man
0%Straw Man
OverallThis article
0%AuthorMarisa Lagos
0.2%PublicationCalMatters
0.2%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Appeal to Authority
0%Appeal to Authority
OverallThis article
0%AuthorMarisa Lagos
4.5%PublicationCalMatters
3.1%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
False Dilemma
0%False Dilemma
OverallThis article
0%AuthorMarisa Lagos
2.5%PublicationCalMatters
1.1%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Slippery Slope
0%Slippery Slope
OverallThis article
0%AuthorMarisa Lagos
1.1%PublicationCalMatters
0.8%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Circular Reasoning
0%Circular Reasoning
OverallThis article
0%AuthorMarisa Lagos
0.1%PublicationCalMatters
0.1%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Hasty Generalization
0%Hasty Generalization
OverallThis article
0%AuthorMarisa Lagos
4.7%PublicationCalMatters
3.6%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Red Herring
0%Red Herring
OverallThis article
0%AuthorMarisa Lagos
1.1%PublicationCalMatters
0.2%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Bandwagon
0%Bandwagon
OverallThis article
0%AuthorMarisa Lagos
1.5%PublicationCalMatters
0.7%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Appeal to Emotion
0%Appeal to Emotion
OverallThis article
0%AuthorMarisa Lagos
6.5%PublicationCalMatters
5.3%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Begging the Question
0%Begging the Question
OverallThis article
0%AuthorMarisa Lagos
1.5%PublicationCalMatters
0.6%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Post Hoc (False Cause)
0%Post Hoc (False Cause)
OverallThis article
0%AuthorMarisa Lagos
3.6%PublicationCalMatters
2%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Tu Quoque
0%Tu Quoque
OverallThis article
0%AuthorMarisa Lagos
0.2%PublicationCalMatters
0.1%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Burden of Proof
0%Burden of Proof
OverallThis article
0%AuthorMarisa Lagos
1.1%PublicationCalMatters
0.3%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Appeal to Nature
0%Appeal to Nature
OverallThis article
0%AuthorMarisa Lagos
0.1%PublicationCalMatters
0.2%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Composition/Division
0%Composition/Division
OverallThis article
0%AuthorMarisa Lagos
0.3%PublicationCalMatters
0.2%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Anecdotal
0%Anecdotal
OverallThis article
0%AuthorMarisa Lagos
1.2%PublicationCalMatters
3.1%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
No True Scotsman
0%No True Scotsman
OverallThis article
0%AuthorMarisa Lagos
0%PublicationCalMatters
0%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Ambiguity (Equivocation)
0%Ambiguity (Equivocation)
OverallThis article
0%AuthorMarisa Lagos
1.5%PublicationCalMatters
1.2%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Gambler’s Fallacy
0%Gambler’s Fallacy
OverallThis article
0%AuthorMarisa Lagos
0%PublicationCalMatters
0%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Middle Ground
0%Middle Ground
OverallThis article
0%AuthorMarisa Lagos
0.3%PublicationCalMatters
0.1%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Personal Incredulity
0%Personal Incredulity
OverallThis article
0%AuthorMarisa Lagos
0.2%PublicationCalMatters
0.1%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Special Pleading
0%Special Pleading
OverallThis article
0%AuthorMarisa Lagos
0.8%PublicationCalMatters
0.1%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Genetic Fallacy
0%Genetic Fallacy
OverallThis article
0%AuthorMarisa Lagos
0.7%PublicationCalMatters
0.1%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Unattributed Quote
0%Unattributed Quote
OverallThis article
0%AuthorMarisa Lagos
0.9%PublicationCalMatters
0.8%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Quote-first Misdirection
0%Quote-first Misdirection
OverallThis article
0%AuthorMarisa Lagos
0.8%PublicationCalMatters
0.6%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Biased Writer Voice
0%Biased Writer Voice
OverallThis article
0%AuthorMarisa Lagos
7.1%PublicationCalMatters
3.1%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Indoctrination
0%Indoctrination
OverallThis article
0%AuthorMarisa Lagos
1%PublicationCalMatters
1.9%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Politically Left Leaning Bias
0%Politically Left Leaning Bias
OverallThis article
0%AuthorMarisa Lagos
6.2%PublicationCalMatters
1.1%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Politically Right Leaning Bias
0%Politically Right Leaning Bias
OverallThis article
0%AuthorMarisa Lagos
1.1%PublicationCalMatters
0.1%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Attempt to Sell a Product or Service
10.2%Attempt to Sell a Product or Service
OverallThis article
10.2%AuthorMarisa Lagos
3.5%PublicationCalMatters
1.2%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
108 words analyzed.
Analysis
Hover over highlighted words in the article to view the associated bias or fallacy analysis.