Democrats are stronger running as underdogs in this environment ?
I think that may be true .
There is simply nothing very appealing about McConnell, Trump, or the Republican Party .
The strongest incentive for Republicans to go to the polls is if they think the "liberals" are ahead. Otherwise, they are not very enthused about their Party.
For example, McConnell is very unpopular in his home state. Nothing will get Republicans to the polls quicker than to hear that he is behind in the polls. The best way to win these types of races is to run as the underdog and to publicly dispute and discredit any poll that shows otherwise.
It is the psychology of Republican voters that Democrats must defeat.
It would be a mistake to think that all Republicans are crazy about their Party.
Democrats will be much more effective in the next election if they can maintain an underdog status. Many Republicans will be looking for a reason not to vote, in my opinion.