A new Monmouth University poll finds Donald Trump continues to lead the GOP pack at 28%, followed by Ben Carson at 18%, Ted Cruz at 10%, Carly Fiorina at 6%, Marco Rubio at 6%, Jeb Bush at 5%, Mike Huckabee at 4%, Rand Paul at 4%, and Chris Christie at 3%.
None of the other six candidates garners more than one percent support
Donald Trump told the Boston Herald that he turned down an offer to be featured in Playboy, noting that “its not the same Playboy.”
Earlier this month, the iconic men’s magazine announced it will no longer feature nude models.
Trump bragged that in 1990 he was “one of the few men ever on the cover of Playboy,” calling it “somewhat of an honor.”
A new Public Policy Polling survey in New Hampshire finds Hillary Clinton has moved back into the lead of the Democratic presidential race with 41%, followed by Bernie Sanders at 33% and Joe Biden at 11%.
Key finding: Clinton’s support has jumped six points while Sanders has dropped nine point over the last month.
On the Republican side Donald Trump continues to lead with 28%, followed by Marco Rubio at 12%, Ben Carson at 11%, John Kasich at 10%, Jeb Bush at 9%, Ted Cruz at 8% and Carly Fiorina at 7%.
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Hallie Biden, the widow of Vice President Joe Biden’s son Beau, recently told the vice president that she would support a campaign “100 percent” should he decide to run, the Wilmington News Journal reports.
Leonard Steinhorn: “It’s now routine for the scribbling pens and chattering class to pose the beer question or a variation thereof, and, based on a candidate’s perceived likability and relatability, they create a self-fulfilling narrative of electability. If a candidate is warm and likable, these pundits say, Americans will be more inclined to vote for him or her. But woe to any politician who seems unable to kiss babies with ease, feel someone’s pain, look relaxed on television or down a beer comfortably.”
“For the candidate deemed ‘unlikable’ by the press, it’s an uphill battle to reverse the narrative. It gets compounded by polls that reflect the dominant media storyline, which then lead to new stories about the candidate’s likability deficit. That then creates a vicious cycle of negative framing, making it increasingly difficult for the candidate to gain traction.”
“The problem is that likability is, and should be, irrelevant in electing a president. How a candidate makes us feel is insignificant compared to what he or she does as president.”
Rick Hasen: “We already know that Americans’ access to abortion services, healthcare and firearms varies according to where they live. In California, it’s relatively simple for women to obtain an abortion, and in Texas, it’s quite hard; the reverse is true for guns. Some states accepted Medicaid expansion as part of the Affordable Care Act, helping the poor obtain health coverage, and others did not.”
“Increasingly, location also affects how difficult it is to cast a vote. When it comes to election law, red America and blue America are not at all alike. Since 2000, and especially in the last few years, states dominated by Democrats have tended to pass laws that make it easier to register and vote, while states dominated by Republicans have done the opposite.”
Rep. Mo Brooks (R-AL) says Republicans should impeach Hillary Clinton immediately should she win the presidency, MSNBC reports.
Said Brooks: “In my judgment, with respect to Hillary Clinton, she will be a unique president if she is elected by the public next November, because the day she’s sworn in is the day that she’s subject to impeachment because she has committed high crimes and misdemeanors.”
Jim Webb will announce that he is dropping out of the Democratic presidential race, Fox News reports.
“Webb is said to be disillusioned with the Democratic Party — as well as the Republican Party — and how the political parties are being pulled to allegedly extreme positions by the huge amounts of loosely regulated money fueling the campaigns. While Webb is thought to be weighing a possible independent bid, he is not expected to launch an independent campaign for president Tuesday. Rather, he’s expected to take some time after his announcement to talk with people from across the political spectrum before making a decision.”
“I don’t remember a time when people weren’t attacking my parents. So in some ways, I think as I grew up I developed a thick skin.”
— Chelsea Clinton, quoted by Politico.
Here’s what’s trending on Wonk Wire today:
Just published: Jack Kemp: The Bleeding-Heart Conservative Who Changed America by Morton Kondracke and Fred Barnes.
First Read notes that Donald Trump and Ben Carson are only getting stronger in the polls as we head into next week’s third GOP debate.
“But here is what should frighten Jeb Bush, Marco Rubio, or even Ted Cruz: GOP voters who aren’t comfortable with Trump are going with Carson — not the more establishment candidates. Indeed, Carson is the top second choice in the NBC/WSJ poll.”
Rick Klein: “Say this about Joe Biden: He’s not staying out of the race this long for political reasons – or, at least, not for very good ones. The new ABC News/Washington Post shows Hillary Clinton in command of the Democratic field… Clinton still has her political and policy vulnerabilities, with concerns that can and will register inside Democratic primaries. Yet 38 percent of all Americans – not just Democrats – say they expect her to the be the next president, in the new poll; Donald Trump, at 20, is the only other candidate in double digits on that question.”
“The only true path for Biden is if voters judge Clinton to be unelectable. As of now, though, voters assume she’s going to win. Without Biden making the case otherwise, Clinton is headed toward solidifying her grip on the Democratic field.”
First Read makes three good points on Jim Webb possibly running for president as an independent candidate.
“One, if Webb runs as an independent, it will be an incredibly expensive enterprise to gain ballot access in the 50 states, plus DC (especially for a candidate who has raised less than $1 million so far). Two, if Webb was disappointed in the lack of exposure he received at last week’s Dem debate, he’ll get even less debate exposure as an independent. And three, running as an independent now would make him look like a sore loser.”
Speaker John Boehner “has his work cut out for him in passing a bill to raise the $18.1 trillion debt ceiling,” The Hill reports.
“The lame-duck Speaker needs to win 30 Republican votes to lift the government’s borrowing limit, even if the entire House Democratic Caucus votes with him. Boehner was only able to pull 28 votes the last time the House approved a clean debt-ceiling increase — and one-third of those lawmakers have since left Congress.”
Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) “is more open than ever to becoming the next House speaker, following a contemplative week at home with his family. But before he makes a final decision, friends say, he will seek assurance from Republican hard-liners that he will have their full support should he win the gavel,” the Washington Post reports.
“Those discussions will begin Tuesday evening at the Capitol when House Republicans gather for a closed meeting. It is unclear when Ryan, the 45-year-old chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee and 2012 vice-presidential nominee, will openly discuss his intentions.”
Rep. James Clyburn (D-SC) told the Huffington Post that Joe Biden should say he is “available” to head the 2016 ticket if circumstances warrant it — that is, if Hillary Clinton implodes.
Said Clyburn: “If I were advising him, I would not advise him to get in. In my opinion, he would not do himself any favors by getting in.”
Bobby Jindal “might withdraw from the undercard debate next week in Colorado,” the Washington Examiner reports.
“The Louisiana governor is lobbying the Republican National Committee and cable television network host CNBC to alter the eligibility criteria for the prime time debate. Jindal wants early state primary polling to count, versus just an average of national surveys. Jindal barely registers with voters nationally but is in the top 10 and rising in Iowa, and he could forgo the GOP’s third televised debate in favor of campaigning there if changes aren’t made.”
Taegan 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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