Republicans confident about midterm elections

WASHINGTON -- One week until election day and Republicans are cautiously optimistic they'll have a big night.

They need to pick up six seats to take control of the Senate and right now numbers guru Nate Silver puts their chances at 63 percent.

A new poll from ABC News and the Washington Post explains why the midterm landscape is so bleak for Democrats.

More than two thirds of Americans say the nation is seriously off on the wrong track. 60 percent say they have little or no trust in the federal government to do what's right!

And in a bad sign for Democrats, 63 percent of Americans say they believe the ability of the federal government to deal with people's problems has worsened since President Obama took office.

Despite all that, the White House tried to project confidence.

"The vast majority of Democratic Senate candidates are carrying about how important it is for Congress to be advancing policies that benefit middle-class families," said Josh Earnest, White House Press Secretary.

President Obama's approval rating is just 43 percent. That's a big reason why the Democratic candidates in key Senate races are keeping him at a distance.

Instead he's sticking to the states that he won in 2012 and appearing mostly with gubernatorial candidates.

"These are not the kind of races that will determine whether President Obama's agenda goes forward or not," said Rick Klein, ABC News Political Director.

Republicans may have the edge but there are still enough wildcard Senate races to keep things interesting and keep the Democrats chances alive.