John Sides: “Donald Trump’s surge to the front of the GOP presidential polls has occasioned not a little media attention and endless speculation as to why. You can disregard most of that speculation. The answer is simple: Trump is surging in the polls because the news media has consistently focused on him since he announced his candidacy on June 16.”
Become a member to get many great benefits -- exclusive analysis, trending news, a private podcast, no ads and more!
Charlie Crist Will Run for Congress
Former Florida Gov. Charlie Crist (D) “all but announced his intentions to run for Congress in a Tampa Bay-area House seat that will likely be redrawn to include his home, have more Democrats and lack an incumbent,” Politico reports.
Said Crist: “If the new congressional map includes my home, I intend on running to serve the people again.”
Bonus Quote of the Day
“We need to hang him on the courthouse square as soon was we get our hands on him.”
— Former Sen. Saxby Chambliss (R-GA), quoted by BuzzFeed, on NSA leaker Edward Snowden.
Walker Opens Up Early Lead in Iowa
A new Monmouth University Poll in Iowa finds Scott Walker leading the GOP field with 22%, followed by Donald Trump at 13%, Ben Carson at 8%, Jeb Bush at 7%, Ted Cruz at 7%, Mike Huckabee at 6%, Marco Rubio at 5% and Rand Paul at 5%.
Quote of the Day
“I thought it was a term of endearment. I meant it as a term of affection, I’ll be honest with you.”
— Sen. John McCain (R-AZ), quoted by The Hill, on calling Donald Trump’s supporters “crazies.”
Walker Signs 20-Week Abortion Ban
Gov. Scott Walker (R) signed a bill banning abortions in Wisconsin after 20 weeks, the Wisconsin State Journal reports.
“Wisconsin becomes the 15th state to ban abortions at 20 weeks or earlier, which breaks from the viability standard set by the U.S. Supreme Court in the 1973 decision Roe v. Wade. Fetuses are generally considered viable at 24 to 28 weeks.”
Jolly Announces U.S. Senate Bid in Florida
Rep. David Jolly (R-FL), “the former congressional aide who surprised much of the political world 15 months ago by winning a special election for a Pinellas County congressional seat, is running for U.S. Senate,” the Tampa Bay Times reports.
“Jolly cracked the door open for a Senate run after Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater announced he would take a pass, but the move became much more logical for him earlier this month after the Florida Supreme Court ruled that state lawmakers must re-draw the boundaries of eight congressional districts including his.”
Is This the Tipping Point for Donald Trump?
First Read: “In a normal world of politics and for a normal political candidate, this would be a tipping point: As the party abandons Trump, so would GOP primary voters. But this isn’t a normal time in American politics, and Donald Trump isn’t your normal political candidate. He’s unpredictable, and that’s the issue. He doesn’t play by conventional rules, so conventional patterns might not apply.”
Rick Klein: “The Trump portion of the 2016 race may be long remembered, though like the birther saga of the last cycle, there will be little of use to reflect upon. In any event, it’s winding down now, or so it would appear, in predictable if not quite painless fashion. What’s undoing Donald Trump’s legitimacy may seem like a typical series of rants. Yet he has shown that even he can go too far: His disparagement of John McCain opened Republican floodgates of criticism – and not because McCain himself remains particularly beloved inside the GOP. This won’t end Trump’s polling strength by itself, if his own history with controversial comments is any guide. But it is all but certain to end a ‘let Trump be Trump’ sentiment among his rivals, borne out of both fear of the Donald and a desire to attract his supporters down the line. Trump will continue to be loud and defiant, but he will cease being relevant long before votes are cast.”
Why Don’t Americans Vote?
Wonk Wire: They’re too busy.
North Korea Claims Near Perfect Turnout
“North Koreans went to the polls on Sunday for tightly controlled local elections that saw a 99.97 per cent turnout, state media reported,” the Telegraph reports.
“Pyongyang’s state news agency reported that voters were ‘singing and dancing’ as they cast their votes in polls to elect new provincial, city and county representatives put forward by the ruling party.”
Kerry Not Interested in Running Again
Secretary of State John Kerry told CNN he has no interest in running for president again.
Said Kerry: “None. Zero. Absolutely none whatsoever. I have a great job, we have a lot of work to do in the next year and a half and I’m looking forward to it.”
Trump Quote of the Day
“A number of my competitors for the Republican nomination have no business running for president. I do not need to be lectured by any of them.”
— Donald Trump, in a USA Today op-ed.
Kasich Works to Control His Anger
“John Kasich has a resume seemingly tailor-made for a serious run for the Republican nomination: blue-collar upbringing, congressional budget hawk, Fox News commentator, investment banker, successful two-term governor of Ohio,” Politico reports.
“But there’s just one problem, according to interviews with dozens of those who’ve worked in politics alongside him at various points over the last several decades: his short fuse.”
Scott Walker Stays Relentlessly on Message
Politico: “In his first days as a presidential candidate in the state where he’s leading in the polls, Walker showed the consistency and attention to detail that propelled him to 12 victories back home — including three statewide wins. He sported the same campaign trail uniform (a blue-and-white checked, collared shirt, jeans and belt), and used the same prop (a rumpled dollar bill pulled from his pocket). He told the same anecdote about his thriftiness that’s become his signature (his shopping habits at retailer Kohl’s) and quoted whole paragraphs of his announcement speech from last Monday, almost word for word.”
Campaigns Just Got Very Expensive
Wall Street Journal: “Some Republican presidential candidates could be in for sticker shock… The expanding roles of super PACs and a condensed nominating calendar are fundamentally transforming the way the 2016 primary campaign will be conducted. Gone are the days when campaigns could just scrape together enough money to advertise in Iowa and New Hampshire, counting on an early victory to spur an infusion of fresh contributions.”
Pope’s Visit May Be Uncomfortable for Republicans
New York Times: “When Pope Francis comes to Capitol Hill in September, he will be the first pontiff to address a joint meeting of Congress, where more than 30 percent of the members are Catholic. The visit will fulfill a long-held dream of Mr. Boehner, who says only his working-class roots as a bar owner’s son are more essential to his core than his Catholic upbringing. He has extended offers to popes for the last 20 years, and Francis, after taking nearly a year to consider, was the first to accept.”
“The pope’s visit comes with inherent tension for many Republicans, including those who are Catholic. While he has made no changes in church doctrine, Francis has forcefully staked out ideological ground opposite that of Mr. Boehner and his party. He has excoriated the excesses of capitalism as the “dung of the devil,” pleaded for action to stop global warming and enthusiastically supported the new nuclear accord with Iran.”
Trump Is Running a Unique Campaign
The New York Times looks at possible fallout from Donald Trump’s comments over the weekend about why Sen. John McCain is considered a war hero.
“It was an improvised fit of pique, roundly and vigorously denounced by his rivals all weekend, that exposed the biggest vulnerability of Mr. Trump’s campaign for president: It is built entirely around the instincts and grievances of its unpredictable candidate — and does not rely on a conventional political operation that protects presidential hopefuls from themselves.”
“It remains to be seen whether Mr. Trump’s standing in public opinion surveys will suffer from the episode with Mr. McCain. But recent national and early-primary state polls put Mr. Trump in the top tier of candidates. If nothing else, the weekend reaffirmed that Mr. Trump is running a presidential campaign on his own unique terms.”
Dan Balz: “Trump has benefited from being cast as a not-quite-serious presidential candidate, which has allowed him to carry on as he has.”
Editorial Calls Mark Kirk Unhinged
The Southern Illinoisan eviscerates Sen. Mark Kirk (R-IL) in an editorial:
“Mark Kirk suddenly has more in common with your unhinged uncle than a deliberative member of the U.S. Senate… Illinoisans thought they elected a center-right fiscal conservative. They instead got the love child of Michele Bachmann and Ted Cruz, a man more concerned with making a name within his party’s fringe than representing his constituents.”
