Voters Look for Another Round of "Change We Can Believe In"

Experience could doom long-time Democratic incumbents, Bob Cusack, managing editor of The Hill, told CBS News Political Analyst John Dickerson on Wednesday's "Washington Unplugged." Voters are ready for change, he said -- yet again.

Over the last four weeks, The Hill has been polling 42 battleground districts in the House to try and determine which party will be in charge next year.

"What we've found in the 42 is that Democrats are only winning in seven of them," Cusack said. "Four are tied and 31 are up by Republicans. We're looking at long-term incumbents like John Spratt, the Chairman of the Budget Committee. He is in trouble. He's down double digits. Allen Boyd from Florida is down 12. Chet Edwards in Texas, long time appropriator, he is also down."

Cusack added, "Usually safe incumbents are sweating it out now because voters are starting to look at their tenure in Washington as a negative."

With so many House races to watch, Cusack points to the battle in Virginia's 11th congressional district as a telling look at why Republicans are poised to make big gains.

"Gerry Connolly, someone elected a few years ago in the Democratic wave, he's facing Keith Fimian who he easily defeated in 2008," Cusack said. "If he loses to Keith Fimian, without a doubt, Republicans are going to win the House. That's basically a district that's right down the middle, that's a district that Congressman Tom Davis, a Republican from Virginia represented. So if Connolly loses that seat, it's a big night for Republicans."

If Republicans ride the anti-incumbent wave to victory, Cusack said they're ready to roll back several Obama administration policies.

"I think the first thing they're going to attack is health care. Whether you're a tea party candidate or a moderate Republican, you support repealing health care. All of the Republicans in the House do, all the candidates do," said Cusack.

Watch Wednesday's "Washington Unplugged" above also featuring the National Journal's Michael Hirsh on his new book, "Capital Offense: How Washington's Wise Men Turned America's Future Over to Wall Street" and Real Clear Politics' Erin McPike with an inside look at the races to watch in California.