Democrats have no hope of taking over the House

Congressional approval ratings hover at historic lows. The Republican Party's brand has tanked. More people than ever think their own congressman should be sent packing. And the most notable act in one of the most unproductive legislative periods on record was shutting down the government for 16 days.

Yet Republicans are forecast to pick up as many as a dozen U.S. House seats this November, strengthening their grip on the House majority. "I'd rather be us than them," crows Rep. Greg Walden, R-Ore., who chairs the House GOP's 2014 campaign...