Katie Couric's Notebook: Midterm Shakeup?

The Oval Office may have been redecoratedthis summer, but it's the Republicans who are measuring for drapes.

In a recent Gallup poll, 51 percent of registered voters say they prefer Republican congressional candidates this year.  That's 10 points higher than those who prefer Democrats.

Historically, the president's party tends to lose seats in a midterm election. That isn't a shocker. But if history repeats itself in November, will it look like 1978 or 1994?

In President Carter's first--and only--term, the Democrats lost just 11 seats. In President Clinton's first term, they lost control of both the House and Senate.

With Labor Day behind us, the congressional races will really heat up now, and 56 days is a lifetime in politics.

It's too early to measure the windows...but with President Obama's approval rating stalled in the mid-forties...a glance or two at fabric swatches probably isn't a bad idea.

That's a page from my notebook.

I'm Katie Couric, CBS News.