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You are here: Home / 2015 / Archives for July 2015

Archives for July 2015

Koch Brothers Work to Build ‘Permanent Ground Force’

July 29, 2015 at 5:12 pm EST By Taegan Goddard 48 Comments

Washington Post: “The summer canvassing is part of a mission that consumes the political network backed by the billionaire industrialists Charles and David Koch that plans to spend $889 million in the run-up to the 2016 elections. The network’s resources are financing a host of activities… But one of the prime objectives could have a direct impact on Election Day 2016: to create a permanent ground force powered by a vast trove of data, replicating the kind of infrastructure that helped President Obama win reelection.”

“Already, roughly 1,000 full-time staffers are working for Koch network organizations such as AFP, Concerned Veterans for America and the Libre Initiative — more than double the number four years ago, according to officials.”

Filed Under: 2016 Campaign Tagged With: Koch brothers

Gilmore Is Running for President

July 29, 2015 at 5:08 pm EST By Taegan Goddard 37 Comments

Former Virginia Gov. Jim Gilmore (R) has filed paperwork with the Federal Election Commission to run for president of the United States, NBC News reports.

His entry into the 2016 race makes him the 17th major Republican candidate for president.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Jim Gilmore

Trump Leads the Polls But Isn’t Very Popular

July 29, 2015 at 4:59 pm EST By Taegan Goddard 42 Comments

Nate Silver: “Despite what you may have read elsewhere — or heard from the man himself — Donald Trump is not all that popular with Republican voters. Sure, he’s in first place in many polls. But Trump is near the back of the pack by another important measure… Trump’s favorability ratings among Republicans are barely better than break-even: 47 percent favorable and 43 percent unfavorable. Among the 17 Republican candidates, Trump’s net favorable rating, +4, ranks 13th, ahead of only Chris Christie, Jim Gilmore, Lindsey Graham and George Pataki.”

“And yet, in these same polls, Trump is the first choice of an average of 20 percent of Republican voters — the highest in the field, ahead of Scott Walker (14 percent) and Jeb Bush (12 percent).”

Filed Under: 2016 Campaign Tagged With: Donald Trump

Trump Leads GOP Field in Florida

July 29, 2015 at 4:56 pm EST By Taegan Goddard 44 Comments

A new St. Pete Polls survey in Florida finds Donald Trump leading the GOP poll with 26%, followed by Jeb Bush at 20%, Scott Walker at 12%, Marco Rubio at 10% and Ben Carson at 5%.

Filed Under: 2016 Campaign Tagged With: Florida

Extra Bonus Quote of the Day

July 29, 2015 at 4:52 pm EST By Taegan Goddard 9 Comments

“I’m confident as we get into this fall, we’re gonna have pretty smooth sailing.”

— Speaker John Boehner (R-OH), quoted by The Hill, on the packed schedule facing lawmakers when they return from August recess.

Filed Under: House of Representatives Tagged With: John Boehner

Boehner Annoyed with Challenge to His Leadership

July 29, 2015 at 4:47 pm EST By Taegan Goddard 7 Comments

Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) “brushed off a challenge to his leadership from Rep. Mark Meadows (R-NC), but not without showing some irritation,” the Wall Street Journal reports.

Said Boehner: “We’ve got a member here, a member there, who are off the reservation. No big deal.”

“But Mr. Boehner displayed flashes of annoyance when asked if the House should vote on the Meadows resolution. The provision must go through the House Rules Committee, where the members are chosen by Mr. Boehner and aren’t obligated to advance it.”

Filed Under: House of Representatives Tagged With: John Boehner

Top GOP Fundraiser Urges Kirk to Abandon Race

July 29, 2015 at 12:45 pm EST By Taegan Goddard 40 Comments

“One of the Illinois GOP’s premiere fundraisers has called on U.S. Sen. Mark Kirk, R-Ill., to abandon his re-election race, saying it likely is unwinnable. The statement is spurring a flurry of phone calls and activity among worried Republicans,” according to Crain’s Chicago Business.

Said Ron Gidwidz: “His misstatements put him and the Illinois Republican Party in too much of a defensive position. I do not believe he will be a U.S. senator in 2017 and, as top of the ticket, he could cause collateral damage (to other Republican candidates). I call on him to step aside and allow other Republicans to seek his seat.”

Filed Under: 2016 Campaign Tagged With: IL-Sen, Mark Kirk

Things are About to Get Crazy in Congress

July 29, 2015 at 12:40 pm EST By Taegan Goddard 38 Comments

Greg Sargent: “Hillary Clinton has signaled that she hopes to run for president in part by painting the GOP-controlled Congress — and, by extension, the Republican Party — as a divisive, destructive, hidebound, reactionary force… And it looks as if the GOP Congress is set to hand Clinton a lot more material.”

“The recent period of calm (relative, of course) in Congress has perhaps led people to forget just how crazy things are going to get this fall.”

Politico: “Lawmakers have teed up a hellish final few months of 2015, as a series of high-stakes deadlines looms on everything from keeping the government open to doling out money for roads and then, for good measure, raising the federal government’s borrowing limit. It promises to be a major test of the Republican Party’s ability to govern as the GOP prepares to ask voters to continue one-party control of Congress…”

Filed Under: House of Representatives

Republicans Brace for Trump in Debate

July 29, 2015 at 12:38 pm EST By Taegan Goddard 43 Comments

“Next week’s Republican presidential debate in Cleveland marks not only the inaugural formal gathering of the expansive GOP field but the start of a new and unpredictable chapter in an already raucous 2016 race,” the Washington Post reports.

“Under the bright studio lights on the shores of Lake Erie on Aug. 6, ambitions will be showcased, positions staked, and Donald Trump, who has consumed the summer’s political headlines, will finally be confronted, face to face, by his rivals.”

Filed Under: 2016 Campaign Tagged With: Donald Trump

Duckworth Holds Early Lead for Illinois Senate

July 29, 2015 at 11:40 am EST By Taegan Goddard 61 Comments

A new Public Policy Polling survey in Illinois finds Rep. Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) leading Sen. Mark Kirk (R-IL) in the U.S. Senate race, 42% to 36%.

“There’s more bad news for Kirk: His approval rating has dropped to 25%.”

Filed Under: 2016 Campaign Tagged With: IL-Sen

Chaka Fattah Indicted on Corruption Charges

July 29, 2015 at 11:37 am EST By Taegan Goddard 5 Comments

Rep. Chaka Fattah (D-PA) and four associates were indicted Wednesday on racketeering charges “involving several schemes that were intended to further the political and financial interests” of them all, the Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

Filed Under: Corruption Tagged With: Chaka Fattah

How Gerrymandering Has Hurt Democrats

July 29, 2015 at 11:24 am EST By Taegan Goddard 28 Comments

A Smart Politics analysis finds there are 16 U.S. Senators who currently serve states with a majority of its U.S. House seats held by the opposing political party; only one of these 16 is a Republican – Mark Kirk of Illinois.

Over the last eight cycles dating back to 2000, only 14 Republicans have been elected to the U.S. Senate from states in which the opposing party won a majority of U.S. House seats that cycle.

Filed Under: Democrats, Redistricting

The Latest on Wonk Wire

July 29, 2015 at 11:23 am EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Here’s what’s trending on Wonk Wire today:

  • Wealth Bubble Distorts Views of the Poor
  • Obamacare Has Improved Access to Health Care
  • Which is More Lethal: Alcohol or Pot?
  • Clinton Refuses to Take a Position on Keystone XL
  • Health Costs Projected to Increase
  • Economic Confidence Slides to New Low

Filed Under: Wonk Wire

Koch Brothers Freeze Out Donald Trump

July 29, 2015 at 11:07 am EST By Taegan Goddard 30 Comments

“The Koch brothers are freezing out Donald Trump from their influential political operation — denying him access to their state-of-the-art data and refusing to let him speak to their gatherings of grass-roots activists or major donors,” Politico reports.

“Despite a long and cordial relationship between the real estate showman and David Koch, as well as a raft of former Koch operatives who are now running Trump’s presidential campaign, the Koch political operation appears to have concluded that Trump is the wrong standard-bearer for the GOP.”

Filed Under: 2016 Campaign Tagged With: Donald Trump, Koch brothers

Bonus Quote of the Day

July 29, 2015 at 11:06 am EST By Taegan Goddard 59 Comments

“If you’re getting high in Colorado today, enjoy it. As of January 2017, I will enforce the federal laws.”

— Gov. Chris Christie (R), quoted by Politico.

Filed Under: 2016 Campaign Tagged With: Chris Christie, marijuana

Trump Hides Divisions in Republican Party

July 29, 2015 at 10:54 am EST By Taegan Goddard 20 Comments

Rick Klein: “You can thank Donald Trump for taking away the attention from the clashes that could leave the GOP with more battle scars than anything the Donald has to offer. On Capitol Hill, talk of Reagan’s 11th Commandment is well past over, amid some of the worst intraparty fighting in this current era of Republican control of Congress. Sen. Ted Cruz is accusing Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of lying to his colleagues. McConnell is accusing Sen. Mike Lee of secret alliances with outside groups aimed at pressuring fellow GOPers. And in the House, a surprise move by Rep. Mark Meadows (R-NC) leaves a rare formal motion to oust House Speaker John Boehner lingering through the August recess.”

“At a minimum, the breakdowns mean that we can pretty much close the books on meaningful accomplishments by the current Congress, with about three-quarters of the term still to go. It’s worth remembering that these divisions – the establishment wing’s continued never-ending struggles with tea party-aligned and a growing network of outside groups – are likely to impact the presidential primaries more than any damage Trump might do to his Republican rivals.”

Filed Under: Republicans

Trump’s Lead Widens in GOP Presidential Race

July 29, 2015 at 10:53 am EST By Taegan Goddard 40 Comments

A new Morning Consult poll finds Donald Trump has extended his lead over the Republican presidential field with 24%, followed by Jeb Bush at 13%, Scott Walker at 9%, Ben Carson at 8%. No other candidate tops 5 percent of the vote.

Filed Under: 2016 Campaign

Facebook Seeks to Play Big Role in 2016

July 29, 2015 at 10:30 am EST By Taegan Goddard 2 Comments

New York Times: “While it is no surprise that campaigns are devoting a greater share of their budget and energy on digital initiatives, Facebook, already a major player in past cycles, has been working to expand its digital dominance in the political realm.”

“Facebook — which has 189 million monthly users in the United States — has pitched its tools and services to every presidential campaign in the 2016 race, not to mention down-ballot races, to showcase new features as candidates seek to reach and recruit new supporters and potential donors. Some estimate that 2016 will usher in roughly $1 billion in online political advertising, and Facebook says it is on track to increase its revenue from previous cycles.”

Filed Under: 2016 Campaign, Technology

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About Political Wire

goddard-bw-snapshotTaegan Goddard is the founder of Political Wire, one of the earliest and most influential political web sites. He also runs Political Job Hunt, Electoral Vote Map and the Political Dictionary.

Goddard spent more than a decade as managing director and chief operating officer of a prominent investment firm in New York City. Previously, he was a policy adviser to a U.S. Senator and Governor.

Goddard is also co-author of You Won - Now What? (Scribner, 1998), a political management book hailed by prominent journalists and politicians from both parties. In addition, Goddard's essays on politics and public policy have appeared in dozens of newspapers across the country.

Goddard earned degrees from Vassar College and Harvard University. He lives in New York with his wife and three sons.

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