this is one of those issues where the GOP stole a tradition from the Dems and snatched defeat out of the jaws of victory.
What do you mean by this?
The Democrats have a history of losing elections and losing on issues that they should be winning.
Here is an article from 2006 calling it a myth. Which it may very well be, but it is an established "thing".
The Democrats didn't do Covid very well, at least according to most Americans. Could have been an easy "win" for the GOP. But, with Trump at the helm, talking 'bout "can we inject light into people?", the anti-vax nonsense and general anti-science conspiracy bull spit was viewed as worse than the (maybe you could call it "low key"...I wouldn't but you might) Nanny State authoritarian most Democrats have been giving us.