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Alaska Governor Drops out of Campaign

October 19, 2018 at 7:03 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Alaska Gov. Bill Walker (I) announced he is dropping his bid for re-election, and is endorsing Mark Begich (D) against Mike Dunleavy (R), the Anchorage Daily News reports.

Walker made the announcement three days after former Lt. Gov. Byron Mallott (I) stepped down from both his office and the re-election campaign over unspecified “inappropriate comments” he made to a woman.

Said Walker: “In the time remaining, it has become clear we cannot win a three-way race. The decisions was made that at this point, Begich has the better odds. Alaskans deserve a competitive race and Alaskans deserve a choice other than Mike Dunleavey.”

Saudi Arabia Says Fistfight Led to Dissident’s Death

October 19, 2018 at 6:26 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“Saudi Arabia has announced that Jamal Khashoggi, the dissident Saudi journalist who disappeared in Istanbul more than two weeks ago, is dead,” the New York Times reports.

“Eighteen Saudis have been arrested and are being investigated in connection with the case.”

“In the statement, the kingdom’s public prosecutor said that an investigation had found that an argument broke out between Mr. Khashoggi and men who met him inside the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul on Oct. 2, leading to ‘a fistfight that led to his death.'”

Tulsi Gabbard Weighs Presidential Bid

October 19, 2018 at 5:28 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI) is considering running for president in 2020, Politico reports.

“Rania Batrice, an advisor to the progressive congresswoman who served as deputy campaign manager on Bernie Sanders’ 2016 presidential campaign, has been putting out feelers for digital and speech-writing staff for Gabbard. One person approached about the positions say that 2020 wasn’t mentioned explicitly, but it was heavily implied.”


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Pelosi Hints at Short Term as Speaker

October 19, 2018 at 4:33 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“Democrats have yet to win a House majority and Nancy Pelosi’s return as speaker is by no means certain, but already she has one eye on the exits,” the Los Angeles Times reports.

Said Pelosi: “I see myself as a transitional figure. I have things to do. Books to write; places to go; grandchildren, first and foremost, to love.”

“By implicitly limiting her time as speaker, Pelosi could ease the pressure to stand aside by signaling her willingness for a new and younger generation of leaders to take over sooner rather than later.”

Who’s Winning the Social Media Midterms?

October 19, 2018 at 4:00 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“After President Trump’s popularity on social media helped propel him to an upset victory in 2016, Democrats vowed to catch up. Two years later, their efforts appear to be paying off. A New York Times analysis of data from the Facebook and Instagram accounts of hundreds of candidates in next month’s midterm elections reveals that Democrats — and especially Democrats running for House seats — enjoy a sizable national lead in engagement on the two influential platforms.”

Democrats Seem Set to Equal or Exceed GOP Turnout

October 19, 2018 at 2:47 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Nate Cohn: “Democrats have largely erased the turnout deficit that hobbled them during the Obama presidency, according to results from more than 50 New York Times Upshot/Siena College polls of the most competitive House battleground districts. Democrats may even be poised to post higher turnout than Republicans, a rarity, in many relatively white suburban districts on Nov. 6.”

An Upset No One Sees Coming

October 19, 2018 at 2:46 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Nate Silver: “Polls and forecasts are pretty good instruments, but they’re not all that precise. Nor do they necessarily go wrong in the places you expect them to go wrong. Therefore, campaigns should generally be active in a reasonably broad set of plausibly competitive states and districts. They shouldn’t get too cute by either triaging a race too soon or taking one for granted.”

“So as you see reports about Republicans or Democrats giving up on campaigning in certain races for the House, you should ask yourself whether they’re about to replicate Clinton’s mistake. The chance the decisive race in the House will come somewhere you’re not expecting is higher than you might think.”

Houston Chronicle Endorses Beto O’Rourke

October 19, 2018 at 2:39 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

The Houston Chronicle endorsed Beto O’Rourke (D) for U.S. Senate in Texas:

There’s one more reason O’Rourke should represent Texas in the U.S. Senate: He would help to serve as a check on a president who is a danger to the republic. Cruz is unwilling to take on that responsibility. Indeed, the man who delighted in calling the Texas senator “Lyin’ Ted” all through the 2016 presidential campaign, who insulted Cruz’s wife and his father, is bringing his traveling campaign medicine show to Houston next week to buoy the Cruz campaign. The hyperbole, the hypocrisy and the rancorous hot air just might blow the roof off the Toyota Center.

While the bloviations emanate from the arena next week, imagine how refreshing it would be to have a U.S. senator who not only knows the issues but respects the opposition, who takes firm positions but reaches out to those who disagree, who expects to make government work for Texas and the nation. Beto O’Rourke, we believe, is that senator.

Quote of the Day

October 19, 2018 at 2:32 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“Grab your family, grab your friends, grab your neighbors, and get to the polls, because if not, you are going to have another two or another six years of this craziness.”

— Former Trump personal lawyer Michael Cohen, in an interview with CNN.

Russian Charged In Attempt to Interfere in Midterms

October 19, 2018 at 2:29 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“The Justice Department on Friday charged a Russian woman for her role in a conspiracy to interfere with the 2018 U.S. election, marking the first criminal case prosecutors have brought against a foreign national for meddling in the upcoming Midterms,” the Washington Post reports.

“The charges against Elena Khusyaynova came just as the Office of the Director of National Intelligence warned that it was concerned about ‘ongoing campaigns’ by Russia, China and Iran to interfere with the upcoming Midterm elections and even the 2020 race — an ominous warning that comes just weeks before voters head to the polls.”

Republicans Predict a Bigger Majority in the Senate

October 19, 2018 at 1:35 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“Senate Republicans are feeling increasingly bullish about expanding their majority next month,” Politico reports.

“Sen. Cory Gardner of Colorado, who chairs the GOP’s campaign arm, told national donors on a conference call this week that believes his party will win the vast majority of competitive Senate races according to a person who was on the call. Gardner’s sunny outlook envisions a Republican majority as brawny as 55 seats, a number that could put the GOP in the majority for years to come. Republicans currently control 51 seats.”

The FiveThirtyEight Senate forecast suggests the most likely outcome is that Republicans keep their 51 to 49 majority.

Democracy Is On the Ballot

October 19, 2018 at 12:34 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Richard Clarke, national security analyst and host of the Future State podcast, joins Chris Riback for a discussion on the future of our country.

Sign up for Chris’s free newsletter and subscribe via iTunes or Google Play to get new episodes automatically downloaded to your phone.

Thanks, as always, to the Cook Political Report for sponsoring this episode. Use the code “politicalwire” and you’ll get 18% off of a subscription.

And don’t miss our live show at Harvard’s Kennedy School on October 26.

Record-Setting White House Staff Turnover Continues

October 19, 2018 at 12:21 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Brookings: “With the recent departure of White House Counsel, Don McGahn (and premature announcement of his successor, Pat Cipollone), turnover within the most senior level of White House staff members bumped up to 83 percent. Ten of the twelve Tier One staff members have departed, leaving only Cabinet Secretary, Bill McGinley, and Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers, Kevin Hassett.”

“Of the ten departures, seven have resigned under pressure (Priebus, Walsh, Spicer, Sifakis, Porter, Flynn and McFarland), one was promoted (Clark) and two (Short and McGahn) resigned on their own volition (though not without enduring some amount of criticism and controversy over the course of their tenure).”

There’s a Chance Clinton Could Run Again

October 19, 2018 at 12:18 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Former Clinton aide Philippe Reines told Politico that he thinks it is “unlikely” that Hillary Clinton would mount a 2020 bid, but cautioned that it was not an impossibility.

Said Reines: “It’s somewhere between highly unlikely and zero, but it’s not zero.”

Flake and Sasse Blasted for Never Standing Up to Trump

October 19, 2018 at 12:12 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Jeffrey Toobin called out Sens. Jeff Flake (R-AZ) and Ben Sasse (R-NE) on CNN, saying they talk about standing up to President Trump but actually “do nothing.”

Said Toobin: “They never vote against the president. They never actually take a stand.”

Lewis Once Mocked Women Over Unwanted Touching

October 19, 2018 at 11:54 am EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Rep. Jason Lewis (R-MN) “once mocked women who were traumatized by unwanted sexual advances, including those inappropriately kissed or who had their thighs touched,” CNN reports.

The Minnesota congressman made his comment during a radio broadcast before he was elected to the House in 2016.

Said Lewis: “I don’t want to be callous here, but how traumatizing was it? How many women at some point in their life have a man come on to them, place their hand on their shoulder or maybe even their thigh, kiss them, and they would rather not have it happen, but is that really something that’s going to be seared in your memory that you’ll need therapy for?”

Health Care Dominates Midterm Election Ads

October 19, 2018 at 11:15 am EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Wesleyan Media Project: “In the period between September 18 and October 15, nearly half (45.9%) of airings in federal races mentioned the topic while nearly a third (30.2%) of gubernatorial airings did the same. Although both parties are mentioning health care, the topic is most prominent in ads supporting Democrats, appearing in 54.5% of pro-Democratic airings.”

Rihanna Turns Down Super Bowl Appearance

October 19, 2018 at 11:00 am EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Rihanna turned down performing at the Super Bowl Halftime Show out of support for Colin Kaepernick, Us Weekly reports.

Said one source: “The NFL and CBS really wanted Rihanna to be next year’s performer in Atlanta. They offered it to her, but she said no because of the kneeling controversy. She doesn’t agree with the NFL’s stance.”

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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.

Goddard is the owner of Goddard Media LLC.

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