"The Super Bowl is more than a football game, it's America culture. ESPN doesn’t have to convince viewers why they should watch, as it has worked to do with the College Football Playoff National Championship."
This same strategy can apply to a story that may pre-date your time in the market where you’re hosting your show. Study up, but lean on those who know.
"My fear all along going into this for the last few years was at some point, someone’s going to walk up to a microphone in front of a bunch of cameras and say, ‘We did everything that we could,’ and I have a feeling we’re going to hear that."
This shouldn’t take much time and, in fact, might add to the on-air conversation. The host can give real reasons why some of the polls about your market’s midterms are good or bogus, beyond “How can Candidate X be ahead?” or “You can’t believe any of the polls.”