“Crises in Gaza, Iraq, Syria and Ukraine have dominated the news this summer and even grabbed the attention of many Americans who are usually indifferent to international affairs. Yet the events might as well be in a parallel universe for all the notice they are getting in this year’s congressional campaigns,” the New York Times reports.

“Candidates are not raising such subjects in appearances or television ads, except for some Republicans who are broadly blaming President Obama, strategists in both parties say. Nor are local reporters or voters asking about them.”

The Upshot has a nice chart showing how their daily election forecasts have changed over the last four months.

“When Mitch McConnell (R) and Alison Lundergan Grimes (D) get up to speak Saturday at Fancy Farm, organizer Mark Wilson doesn’t want the constant chanting and noisemaking that has made the event more a test of will than a political speaking contest,” the Louisville Courier Journal reports.

Said Wilson: “We want to get some more civility to the program. The last few years, it got a little bit worse than it had been.”

“There’s a long tradition of showmanship and heckling at Fancy Farm, but it wasn’t always like it is today — where politicians have to strain to be heard over a screaming crowd.”

First Read: “Another stunning legislative embarrassment for House Republicans has handed Democrats a mighty big talking point over the next three months until the midterm elections: The GOP is incapable — if not unwilling — to govern, they will argue…”

“In other words, Democrats now have something fresh to run against. And you couldn’t necessarily say that on July 1. Yes, there was the government shutdown last fall. But that was a year ago — and it got immediately overshadowed by the months-long story about HealthCare.Gov’s failure (an example of the Obama’s administration own difficulty in governing). But what’s significant about yesterday’s legislative embarrassment for Republicans is that 1) it comes just three months before the midterm elections, and 2) it came a day after the House, in a partisan vote, moved to sue the president. That’s why Democrats have a chance to exploit this — that is, of course, until we see the next Democratic misstep or national/international crisis.”

“My answer is no.”

— Georgia U.S. Senate candidate David Perdue (R), quoted by the Atlanta Journal Constitution in May, when asked if he would support Mitch McConnell (R) as Senate Majority Leader.

“I don’t want to put words in his mouth… but he was very clear with the Leader that he’s going to be a team player.”

— Sen. Saxby Chambliss (R-GA), quoted by the Atlanta Journal Constitution, on Perdue’s apparent change of heart after talking to McConnell this week.

Des Moines Register: “Members of the military could participate in the 2016 Democratic caucuses by phone, under a set of proposals the Iowa Democratic Party is rolling out for national party members today. Democrats have been mulling ideas for expanding participation in the caucuses and removing some of the barriers for certain voters who can’t attend a precinct meeting in person.”

Smart Politics notes that if Scott Brown (R) “wins the New Hampshire GOP primary, he would become just the fourth major party politician in U.S. history to face three female major party U.S. Senate nominees, and, if he loses to” Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), “would become the first to lose to two of them.”

Washington Post: “At least 222 donors have signed up as co-chairs of Ready for Hillary’s national finance council — a commitment that requires donating or raising $25,000 each, or at least $5.6 million between them… More than 600 other donors are considered members of the finance council, required to give or raise $5,000 each. The Ready for Hillary fundraising team includes scores of President Obama’s biggest campaign bundlers.”