The most unpopular qualities for a presidential candidate from the new NBC/WSJ poll:
- Socialist: 67%
- Heart attack in the past year: 57%
- Older than 75 years old: 53%
- Self-funder: 41%
- Under 40 years old: 40%
- Gay or lesbian: 27%
- Woman: 14%
Bloomberg Breaks Ad Spending Record
Mike Bloomberg has already spent more money on political campaign advertising than any presidential candidate in history, according to Advertising Analytics.
“According to our data, he has spent $338.7 million on traditional media, surpassing Barack Obama’s 2012 record of $338.3 million.”
Trump’s Approval Hits New High
President Trump’s approval reached a new high in the FiveThirtyEight tracker: 45.9% approve, 50.1% disapprove.
Nate Cohn: “It’s not hard to see why Trump would be gaining. It’s fairly typical for the president to see their ratings increase at this point, as they begin to benefit from a contrast with their opposition and the economy has often provided a boost around now as well, as it is here.”
“Then you have some Trump-specific factors, like impeachment and acquittal. Add Trump’s advantage with likely voterss and in the Electoral College, and Trump’s approval could be very close to the place where he needs to be, if he isn’t there already.“
Andrew Yang Joins CNN as Analyst
Andrew Yang is joining CNN as a political commentator, CNN reports.
Sanders Catches Biden In South Carolina
A new Change Research poll in South Carolina finds Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders tied at 23% support each, followed by Tom Steyer at 20% and Pete Buttigieg at 15%.
Health Care Costs Are Top Priority of Voters
A new Politico/Harvard survey finds the vast majority of Americans rank cutting health care and prescription drug costs as their top priorities heading into election season, regardless of party affiliation.
Roughly 80% of those surveyed ranked “taking steps to lower the cost of health care” as “extremely” or “very” important, including 89% of Democrats and 76% of Republicans. Reducing prescription-drug costs saw similar support at 75%, with majorities in both parties ranking it as extremely or very important.
Bloomberg Campaign Says Sanders Soon Unstoppable
“Mike Bloomberg’s campaign is sounding the alarm that Bernie Sanders will soon amass an unsurmountable delegate lead if the Democratic field stays split — and took the extraordinary step of suggesting laggards should drop out,” Axios reports.
Kevin Sheekey, Bloomberg’s top strategist, in a memo: “The fact is if the state of this race remains status quo — with Biden, Pete and Amy in the race on Super Tuesday — Bernie is likely to open up a delegate lead that seems nearly impossible to overcome… I don’t think many people understand the dire circumstances here.”
Related for members: Three Really Big Questions for Democrats
Trump Keeps Pardoning Himself
Aaron Blake: “By this point, it’s no secret that President Trump’s pardons have been significantly more self-serving than those of other presidents. While his predecessors have lodged controversial pardons — no question — Trump is simply on another level. Not only has he pardoned his allies, but he has often pardoned people who cozy up to the powerful people around him, whether via Fox News or some other method.”
“But there’s another key aspect of Trump’s pardons that shouldn’t get lost: In many cases, there are significant similarities between the pardon recipient and Trump — or at least Trump’s depiction of himself.”
Barr Not Resigning
Department of Justice spokesperson Kerri Kupec addresses last night’s rumors: “The Attorney General has no plans to resign.”
Increased Turnout Won’t Necessarily Help Democrats
Politico: “Report after report has shown that nonvoters nationwide prefer Democrats over Republicans. But new data from the Knight Foundation suggests that if every eligible adult voted in 2020, Democrats would likely increase their popular vote lead from the 2016 presidential election—but still lose the electoral college.
“In the closest battleground states, more nonvoters say they’re likely to support Trump, if they vote, than support the Democratic Party’s nominee. And that could have serious implications on the two major parties’ traditional approaches to getting people to the polls on Election Day.”
Top Pentagon Official Pushed Out
“The Pentagon’s top policy official is expected to depart his post soon,” CNN reports.
“John Rood, Under Secretary of Defense for Policy at the Pentagon, lost support among senior national security leadership and has been asked for his resignation… Rood is the Pentagon’s top policy official and oversees aspects of the Pentagon’s relationship with US allies and partners.”
“Rood was involved in certifying to Congress that Ukraine had embarked on significant reforms to justify its receipt of $250 million in security assistance. That certification undermined one of the justifications — concerns about corruption in Kiev — that some members of the Trump administration made to defend blocking aid to Ukraine.”
Trump Hires Cambridge Analytica Alum
“President Trump’s campaign is bringing on an alum of the controversial data firm Cambridge Analytica, a move likely to raise alarms among Trump critics and data privacy advocates who worry the president will push the technological envelope to get reelected in 2020,” Politico reports.
Quote of the Day
“I’m profoundly grateful to President Trump and it’s a profound and everlasting gratitude. He didn’t have to do this, he’s a Republican president and I was a Democratic governor. I’ll have a lot more to say tomorrow.”
— Former Gov. Rod Blagojevich, quoted by the AP, after being released from prison.
Bloomberg Hits the Debate Stage
“After a mass introduction to the Democratic electorate on his terms, powered by hundreds of millions of dollars of his own money, Mr. Bloomberg is submitting for the first time to an uncontrolled setting on a national scale. This does not necessarily play to his strengths… Perhaps most conspicuously, the debate on Wednesday will temporarily separate Mr. Bloomberg from the most powerful asset of his campaign: his campaign,” the New York Times reports.
“Mr. Bloomberg himself has been holed up in debate preparations, joining advisers for mock sessions in a rented warehouse-style space outside Manhattan, snacking on matzo with peanut butter during breaks from his aides’ play-acted swipes at his record.”
“Given the scope of Mr. Bloomberg’s resources, a merely serviceable debate performance would probably be treated as a victory. Some candidates rely on the debates for media oxygen and fund-raising, seeking breakthroughs like Ms. Klobuchar managed in New Hampshire, where an energetic performance helped vault her to a surprise third-place finish.”
Axios: “Bloomberg knows it’s coming, has rehearsed his retorts, readied ads and policy plans to deflect, and will unleash $1.5 billion more on ads and staff to clean up any damage.”
A ‘Blue Wave’ Is Rising In the Cities
“As President Trump seeks a second term in November, Americans’ interest in voting is growing faster in large cities dominated by Democrats than in conservative rural areas,” according to an analysis of Reuters/Ipsos national opinion polls.
“If the trend lasts until Election Day on Nov. 3, it would be a reversal from the 2016 election when rural turnout outpaced voting in urban areas, helping Trump narrowly win the White House.”
Utah Moves to Decriminalize Polygamy
“A bill that would effectively decriminalize polygamy and dispel fears of prosecution for plural marriage among consenting adults sailed through the Utah Senate on Tuesday,” the Salt Lake Tribune reports.
Another Poll Shows Sanders Way Ahead
A new ABC News/Washington Post poll finds Bernie Sanders leading the Democratic race nationally with 32%, followed by Joe Biden at 17%, Mike Bloomberg at 14%, Elizabeth Warren at 11%, Pete Buttigieg at 7% and Amy Klobuchar at 6%.
Manchin Visits Bloomberg Headquarters
Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) visited Michael Bloomberg’s 2020 campaign headquarters in New York City over the holiday weekend, the Washington Post reports.
“The visit — on which the Bloomberg campaign and Manchin’s office did not respond to requests for comment — highlights the tricky political position for some centrist Democrats as liberal Sen. Bernie Sanders plows ahead as the top-polling candidate in a crowded race for the party’s nomination.”
