Fox News is out with a new national poll, and it contains a few morsels that each political party will enjoy.  In terms of toplines, Democrats hold a seven-point advantage on the generic Congressional ballot -- unchanged from the last survey in this series.  That number points to a blue tinted year, but not necessarily an overwhelming wave.  But cutting in the other direction is a clear uptickin the president's overall approval rating:

That (47/51) split (47/52 among likelies) isn't spectacular by any stretch, but it's a net gain of four points and it's pretty strong compared to Trump's typical baseline.  Also, if he's sitting in the mid-to-high 40's nationally, he's definitely above water in some of the red states that are playing host to critical Senate races this cycle.  Some analysts are wondering whether the Fox number is an outlier, but the last four entries in the RCP average have Trump at 45 percent or better, with his average ticking up to a hair over 44 percent.  Roughly a month ago, he was drifting perilously close to dropping out of the 40's altogether.  Looking at Gallup's tracker, an upward trend is undeniable: Trump is currently seven points underwater in the latest data set.  Their previous four polls, starting in early September and pushing into October, had the president at (-18), then (-16), then (-11), then (-10).  That's a net gain of 11 points in one month.  What might explain Trump's improved image?  For one answer, let's again consult the Fox News poll:

Things are improving, and nobody can seriously dismiss that reality.  The latest: 

Meahwhile, Fox's survey finds public sentiment over Justice Kavanaugh's confirmation divided right down the middle, but the ugly fight that preceded that outcome (I discussed this subject with Sen. Mitch McConnell on the radio last night) indisputably roused Republican voters' passion and increased their engagement: