Keeping Trump Quiet May Be Key to Closing Gap
“Republicans have may finally hit on the one easy trick to making their presidential nominee palatable: Minimize the words emerging from Donald Trump’s mouth that aren’t written ahead of time by somebody else,” the Huffington Post reports.
“Since his most recent campaign shakeup last month, Trump has not held a news conference, has cut back on in-depth Sunday show appearances and has almost completely eliminated speeches that aren’t scripted and displayed on his teleprompter screens.”
“Nevertheless, if recent polls are accurate, the plan does seem to be working: Voters are responding better to Trump talking more like a generic Republican than they did to Trump talking like Trump.”
Clinton Has Huge Swing State Lead with Latinos
A new Univision poll of Latino voters in Arizona, Colorado, Florida and Nevada shows Hillary Clinton trouncing Donald Trump among this critical voting bloc.
In Florida, Trump trails Clinton by 24 percentage points — the closest margin out of the four states. Clinton leads Trump 68% to 18% in Arizona, 65% to 19% in Nevada and 62% to 17% in Colorado.
Florida, Colorado and Nevada are three battleground states where Latinos are likely to make up more than 10% of the electorate this year.
Tweet of the Day
“‘The iPhone doesn’t have a headphone jack but the Galaxy literally explodes’ is a perfect metaphor for this election.”
— Josh Marvine, on Twitter.
Johnson Will Be On Ballot In Every State
Gary Johnson’s campaign said “that he will be on the ballot in all 50 states plus the District of Columbia, marking the first time in two decades a third-party presidential ticket has appeared on every state ballot,” the Wall Street Journal reports.
Trump Won’t Release Health Info on Dr. Oz Show
“If viewers of Donald Trump’s appearance on ‘The Dr. Oz Show’ are expecting a big reveal about Trump’s physical fitness, they are going to be disappointed. Oz will not be reviewing the results of Trump’s recent physical,” campaign spokeswoman Hope Hicks told CNN.
“That contradicts a claim made on Fox News Tuesday. The Trump campaign now says it will likely release later this week information based on a physical exam Trump underwent last week.”
Washington Post: “Trump’s appearance on Oz’s TV show now sounds like a pure PR stunt designed to hype the candidate’s fitness, regardless of what his physician might have found. It sounds like a total joke.”
Pressure Grows on Trump to Release His Taxes
First Read: “With less than eight until Election Day, it looks like Donald Trump will be successful in not releasing his tax returns, becoming the first presidential nominee we can remember not doing so. But it’s becoming harder and harder for him to avoid releasing them.”
“First is the news that New York’s Democratic attorney general has launched an inquiry into the Trump Foundation… Second was the Washington Post’s investigative piece noting that most of the Trump Foundation money comes from other people’s money; that Trump passes the money to other charities and takes credit for it; and that he has used that money to buy himself a gift. (“One candidate’s family foundation has saved countless lives around the world,” President Obama said on the campaign trail yesterday. “The other candidate’s foundation took money other people gave to his charity and then bought a six-foot-tall painting of himself.”) And third is a new Newsweek article detailing how Trump’s international business ties could become a significant conflict of interest if he becomes president.”
“Any conventional politician would be feeling the heat here; of course, Trump isn’t your conventional politician. But every day that goes by with Trump not releasing his taxes suggests that these is something to all of these stories.”
If Clinton Loses, This Is Probably Why
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Powell Called Trump a ‘National Disgrace’
Former Secretary of State Colin Powell blasted Donald Trump as a “national disgrace” and “international pariah” in a personal email exchange that was leaked online by hackers, NBC News reports.
Powell, a retired 4-star general and a Republican, confirmed the authenticity of the emails and said, “The hackers have a lot more.”
Clinton Hits ‘Corrupt’ Trump Foundation
“So, when you hear Donald Trump talk about corrupt politics, remember which candidate actually practices it.”
How Trump’s Business Could Undermine National Security
“A close examination by Newsweek of the Trump Organization, including confidential interviews with business executives and some of its international partners, reveals an enterprise with deep ties to global financiers, foreign politicians and even criminals, although there is no evidence the Trump Organization has engaged in any illegal activities. It also reveals a web of contractual entanglements that could not be just canceled. If Trump moves into the White House and his family continues to receive any benefit from the company, during or even after his presidency, almost every foreign policy decision he makes will raise serious conflicts of interest and ethical quagmires.”
GOP Lawmakers Steer Clear of Pence
“Gov. Mike Pence came to Capitol Hill on a mission to promote Republican unity, attacking Hillary Clinton for describing many supporters of the GOP ticket as bigoted “deplorables” and urging Republicans to rally behind their nominee, Donald Trump,” the New York Times reports.
“But Mr. Pence struggled to press the attack: In separate news conferences, House and Senate Republican leaders declined to join Mr. Pence, the Indiana governor and vice-presidential nominee, in rebuking Mrs. Clinton over her remark.”
Politico: “Pence quickly tried to douse one political fire from Monday: his refusal to call white supremacist David Duke ‘deplorable’ during a CNN interview.”
Republicans Pounce on Vulnerable Bayh In Indiana
“When Evan Bayh made his late leap into Indiana’s Senate race in July, he looked like a lock to take back his old seat. Now, no one is so sure,” Politico reports.
“Democrats hoped to scare Republicans out of competing for Indiana altogether with an early show of force this summer, essentially locking up a third Senate pick-up from Republicans’ 54-seat majority before the fall campaign even got started. But the GOP has instead poured millions into bashing Bayh and is now redoubling its efforts, as multiple independent surveys now show a much closer campaign than Democratic polls released this summer — and with that, less margin for error in Democrats’ drive to retake the majority, which recently expanded into new vulnerable GOP-held states but has also been set back by developments in Florida and Ohio.”
Clinton to Enlist Obama In Swing State Blitz
Politico: “Obama will focus on four states: here in Pennsylvania, plus Ohio, North Carolina and Florida, with the possible addition of Iowa, depending on how much opportunity the Clinton campaign sees there as they finalize their map.”
“That could put Obama on the road as much as two days per week, in addition to a heavy schedule he’s going to keep up making appearances on African-American radio and other non-traditionally political programs — he did two during the day Tuesday, one that airs here in Philadelphia and Detroit and the other that airs in Miami. The heavy media exposure would boost the Clinton campaign’s effort to pump up enthusiasm among all voters, and particularly the African-Americans, young people and the rest of the Obama coalition who so identify with him and remain wary of her.”
Clinton Resumes Campaigning on Thursday
“Hillary Clinton is returning to the campaign trail Thursday after scrapping her West Coast travel for Monday through Wednesday as she recovers from a case of pneumonia at home in Chappaqua, New York,” Politico reports.
Lawmaker Expelled for Sexual Misconduct
“For the first time in Tennessee history, a state representative has been expelled from the legislature for alleged sexual misconduct,” the Tennessean reports.
“In an historic move by state lawmakers, Jeremy Durham (R) was ousted Tuesday as a member the Tennessee House of Representatives during a special legislative session.”
“The attorney general found 22 women who said Durham had acted sexually inappropriate with them. The report includes an array of allegations, from lewd comments and inappropriate hugs to giving beer to and having sex with a 20-year-old “college student/political worker” in his legislative office and home.”
New Trump Team Tries to Recast Image
“Newly installed campaign chief executive Stephen Bannon and campaign manager Kellyanne Conway are steering Donald Trump away from a preoccupation with rallies and wall-to-wall TV interviews toward ‘moments,’ in the new managers’ parlance, that show him as presidential, with a caring side,” the Wall Street Journal reports.
“Mr. Trump said efforts by previous campaign leaders to remake him into a politician were ‘dishonest.’ … The Republican nominee said he was more comfortable with his new team, which has succeeded in some of the same changes sought by former campaign chairman Paul Manafort: Mr. Trump is sticking closer to a teleprompter, giving more policy details in speeches–and making fewer off-the-cuff remarks, which hurt his campaign after the GOP convention this summer.”
Begich Won’t Rule Out Write-In Bid
Former Sen. Mark Begich (D-AK) says he’s being asked to join the crowded race for the seat currently held by Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), the Alaska Dispatch News reports.
“Murkowski is seeking re-election and facing opponents including Democrat Ray Metcalfe, independent Margaret Stock, and Joe Miller, who last week announced he would drop his Republican registration and seek Murkowski’s seat as a Libertarian Party member.”
