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Ballotpedia's Daily Presidential News Briefing - August 14, 2015
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Ballotpedia's Daily Presidential Briefing was sponsored by the Leadership Project for America. | ||||
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Friday's Leading Stories
- Poll: A new poll by CNN and ORC has Hillary Clinton in the lead among likely Democratic Iowa caucus-goers with 50 percent support. Bernie Sanders and Joe Biden follow with 31 percent and 12 percent, respectively. Respondents also considered Clinton the candidate best equipped to handle the economy, healthcare, foreign policy and energy policy. Sanders, however, was considered the most “trustworthy” candidate with 35 percent to Clinton’s 28 percent. (CNN)
- According to a Politico bipartisan survey of insiders in Iowa and New Hampshire, “Forty percent of early-state Republicans and nearly half of early-state Democrats believe Rick Perry will be the first candidate to drop out of the presidential race.” Jim Gilmore came in second. (Politico)
Democrats
- Rumors developed Thursday that Al Gore was exploring the possibility of a presidential run. A spokeswoman for Gore, Betsy McManus said, “There’s no truth to it. He’s laser-focused on solving the climate crisis.” (Politico, CNN)
Joe Biden
- According to Carl Bernstein, Joe Biden may consider running for a one-term presidency. “[O]ne thing that I keep hearing about Biden is that if he were to declare and say because age is such a problem for him if he does, I want to be a one-term president. I want to serve for four years, unite Washington. I’ve dealt with the Republicans in Congress all my public life,” Bernstein said in a CNN interview on Friday. (Politico)
- According to NBC’s Chuck Todd, Biden “doesn’t believe [Clinton’s] been running a good campaign and he believes he could run a better campaign than her.” (Breitbart)
Lincoln Chafee
- Agri-Pulse reported on an interview with Lincoln Chafee on Thursday. He said farmers were “well represented in the Senate. That's the beauty of the Senate, every state gets two senators no matter how small the population so farm industry is well represented and if I'm going to be president I want to have a good relationship with the legislature to get anything done.” On the subject of genetically modified food, Chafee encouraged caution. “We have to be careful with what's happening out there and strike a balance between good production and crossing the line on how we genetically modify some of these crops,” he said. (Agri-Pulse)
Hillary Clinton
- Former U.S. Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) endorsed Hillary Clinton on Thursday. “As Democrats, we’re fortunate to have a slate of candidates that are all fine individuals, but we need a fighter who has a record of getting things done and the vision for the future that will build on the progress we’ve made. For my wife Ruth and I, that candidate is Hillary Clinton,” Harkin wrote in an endorsement letter. (The Washington Post)
- Clinton’s aides, Huma Abedin and Cheryl Mills, have agreed to preserve work-related emails and documents per a federal district court order. (The State)
- The Washington Post reported on Thursday that Clinton would benefit more than Bernie Sanders if Joe Biden did not enter the race. Polls from the Post and Fox News suggest Clinton would see gains of three or seven points without Biden joining the fold. (The Washington Post)
- Clinton has released more information on her campaign website about her higher education reform policy, "New College Compact," and the $25 billion it would earmark for private historically black colleges and universities. (Hillary for America)
Martin O’Malley
- Martin O’Malley introduced his 15 goals for the country on Thursday. These benchmarks include generating 100 percent of electricity with renewable energy by 2050 and instituting comprehensive immigration reform to provide 11 million undocumented immigrants a pathway to citizenship. (The Des Moines Register, Martin O'Malley for President)
- Speaking at the Iowa State Fair on Thursday, O’Malley stated Bernie Sanders’ socialist politics “might be a problem, long term” for the candidate. “I believe that the Democratic Party has a tradition of offering pragmatic solutions to the challenges we face as a country. I am a lifelong Democrat, and I believe very deeply in the principles of our party. That’s why I choose to be a Democrat, not just in presidential years, but in every year of my life,” O’Malley said. (The Huffington Post)
Bernie Sanders
- Bernie Sanders is scheduled to visit South Carolina next week. A recent poll conducted by Gravis Marketing has him at 8 percent support in the state, 70 points behind Hillary Clinton. (The State, RealClearPolitics)
- Earlier this week, Sanders introduced a bill in the Senate to make election day a public holiday. (The Daily Signal)
Jim Webb
- The Boston Globe reported on Friday that Jim Webb is running a lean and media-shy campaign. Although Webb’s campaign has just hired this week a finance director and social media manager, he has no paid staff or office in New Hampshire. “[A] representative canceled an interview with Webb for this story the night before it was planned. [His communications director] rejected a plea to reschedule it, even via phone, explaining that Webb doesn’t do phone interviews and doesn’t care much for print media,” the Globe noted. (The Boston Globe)
- Speaking at the Iowa State Fair on Thursday, Webb said Ronald Reagan and Franklin D. Roosevelt were his favorite presidents of the 20th century. (The Washington Examiner)
- After saying big money is having a “deleterious effect on our democracy,” Webb highlighted that he didn’t have a super PAC and questioned the hypocrisy of other candidates who did. “You ought to be asking candidates, if you think that's wrong, why are you taking the money? And for all of you others, if you want to change that, then vote for someone who won't do it. Which is me, by the way,” Webb said. (The Des Moines Register)
Republicans
Jeb Bush
- Speaking to Iowa Republicans on Thursday, Jeb Bush said he would not rule out the use of torture. “I don’t want to make a definitive, blanket kind of statement,” Bush said. (The Huffington Post)
- Bush criticized the Obama administration for opening up relations with Cuba. “The accommodation of the Castro regime comes at the expense of the freedom and democracy that all Cubans deserve, but Secretary Kerry’s visit is especially insulting for Cuba’s dissidents. That courageous Cubans whose only crime is to speak out for freedom and democracy will be kept away from the official ceremony opening the U.S. Embassy is yet another concession to the Castros,” Bush said in a statement. (The Miami Herald)
- On Thursday, Bush said the devaluation of China’s currency was "not necessarily" harmful to U.S. workers. “I think we have to wait and see how that plays out. There are significant challenges in the economy right now for China that could be the motivation for this. … It’s not necessarily bad for American workers if it relates to weakness in the Chinese economy and that’s the part that has to be answered,” Bush said. (YouTube)
- Bush defended his brother’s actions in the months following the September 11 terrorist attacks on Thursday. “I'm not saying this because I'm a Bush. I'm proud of what he did to create a secure environment for our country,” Bush said. He added, “In 2009, Iraq was fragile but secure. It was mission accomplished in the way that there was security there and it was because of the heroic efforts of the men and women in the United States military that it was so." (CNN, The Washington Post)
Ben Carson
- On Thursday, Ben Carson said women who are pregnant as a result of rape or incest should have access to an abortifacient, which induces a miscarriage. “I would hope that they would very quickly avail themselves of the emergency room, and in the emergency room, they have the ability to administer RU-486 and other possibilities before you have a developing fetus,” Carson said. (The Hill)
Chris Christie
- Chris Christie defended his meeting with President Obama following Hurricane Sandy in 2012 on Thursday. “[I]t’s a handshake, as you can see, and I think that’s what civilized people do when someone comes to your state to offer help. You shake their hand and you welcome them – which is what I did. And as I told you before, when we discussed this – I wouldn’t do anything differently that I did that day. I acted as a principled leader for the people of my state who had suffered the worst natural disaster in our state’s history and the second worst in American history.” Rand Paul had accused Christie of giving “a big hug” to the Democratic president during the first Republican presidential debate. (Daily Caller, The Wall Street Journal)
- Christie stood by his decision to veto a bill that would have allowed transgender people to change their gender on their birth certificate if they had medical proof they were undergoing transition treatment. “Listen, for people who do not have a sex-change operation, all the bill required was somebody that who would seek a doctor’s treatment and that that doctor would verify they felt like the opposite gender. … I have to tell the truth, Michael, there are certain things that just go beyond the pale, and that’s not what I wanted the law to be in New Jersey. It doesn’t make any sense to me, and that’s why I vetoed it again, and if they send it to me again, I will veto it again,” Christie said. (The Advocate, NJ.com)
Ted Cruz
- Ted Cruz has been focusing his campign on states in the Southeastern Conference (SEC), many of which have moved up their primaries to March 1, 2016. “The role of Arkansas and the other states throughout the SEC is to make sure the next Republican nominee for president is a real and genuine conservative,” Cruz said during a stop in Arkansas. (U.S. News & World Report)
- While some candidates are reaching out to Puerto Rico, Cruz has set his eye on another unincorporated territory of the United States: Guam. Cruz sent a staffer there to begin to secure Guam’s nine delegates. (KUAM)
Carly Fiorina
- Although Carly Fiorina said on Thursday that childhood vaccinations should “always be the parent’s choice,” she also said public schools should be permitted to block unvaccinated children from attending. She added, however, “I think when we’re talking about some of these more esoteric immunizations, then I think absolutely a parent should have a choice and a school district shouldn’t be able to say, ‘Sorry, your kid can’t come to school’ for a disease that’s not communicable, that’s not contagious, and where there really isn’t any proof that they’re necessary at this point." (The New York Times, The Washington Post)
- The Washington Post interviewed Fiorina’s 2012 California Senate campaign manager, Marty Wilson. “Carly is the best retail campaigner that I have ever seen. She connects with voters in a way that leaves her opponents scratching their heads. She does well on TV -- witness the debates -- but is particularly good in small groups and one-on-one meetings. She has humor, empathy and intelligence,” Wilson said. (The Washington Post)
Lindsey Graham
- Lindsey Graham released a letter on Thursday addressed to Secretary John Kerry. It details Cruz's plan to withhold contributions to the International Atomic Energy Agency if Congress does not receive copies of the “side agreements” the agency made with Iran. “There is precedent for the IAEA to share side agreements between the Agency and the Iranian government. In 2007, the IAEA made the document, ‘Understandings of Islamic Republic of Iran and the IAEA on the Modalities of Resolution of the Outstanding Issues’ public. … As an indication of how serious I view the provision of copies of these side agreements to our national security, I intend to condition and/or withhold voluntary contributions to the IAEA in fiscal year 2016 should they not be provided prior to the congressional debate next month,” Graham said.( U.S. Senator for South Carolina, Lindsey Graham, Politico)
Mike Huckabee
- In a challenge to Jeb Bush’s plan to see the American economy grow by 4 percent, Mike Huckabee said on Thursday that 6 percent could be the goal under his Fair Tax policy. “I believe we can get it to 6 or higher with a fair tax. I'm convinced. I guarantee you we will goose the economy if you bring $11 trillion of working capital back to this country." (CNN, Forbes)
- Huckabee said tariffs on China is something he is “open” to, adding, “They've cheated on the trade agreement. They've manipulated their currency. They've stolen ideas from us, and violated every law of intellectual property." (The Washington Post)
- Huckabee declined to go on the offensive against Donald Trump in a recent intervew. “Why should I attack him? Donald Trump may be the guy I’m going to look to for support when I get [the] nomination. No way it makes any sense to attack somebody else on the ballot because we need to see ourselves as members of the same team trying out for the same position and I don’t see any value in trying to tell people what is wrong with Donald Trump,” Huckabee said. (Independent Journal Review)
John Kasich
- John Kasich has declined to comment on how he would handle a marijuana referendum set to appear on the Ohio ballot later this year. “Kasich has at times shown a tendency to back down when voters push back against him, as was the case with a referendum against his stripping of collective bargaining rights for public employees. But in a ballot referendum right before primary season starts, Kasich may be split between listening to voters in his home state versus voters in Iowa or New Hampshire,” the National Journal reported on Thursday. (National Journal)
- Kasich became the first candidate to file a declaration to participate in South Carolina’s Republican primary. (The Columbus Dispatch)
Bobby Jindal
- On Thursday, a spokesman for Bobby Jindal said the governor was trying to preserve four Confederate monuments in New Orleans. "Governor Jindal opposes the tearing down of these historical statues and he has instructed his staff to look into the Heritage Act to determine the legal authority he has as Governor to stop it,” the spokesman said. (The Times-Picayune)
- National Journal highlighted on Friday how Jindal has changed his stump speech to include more pop culture quips and references to Donald Trump. “Donald Trump. Martha Stewart. ‘Prison time’ for Hillary Clinton. Orange Is the New Black. In the past week on the campaign trail, Bobby Jindal has mentioned them all. … [H]e's a presidential candidate who's polling at around 1 percent. So as he fights for attention in a Republican presidential field that's 17 members strong, he's doing whatever he can to grab some sunlight—including giving red meat to the party's base and making forays into pop culture,” the Journal reported. (National Journal)
Rand Paul
- Ron Paul has made his first pitch to donors on behalf of his son, Rand Paul, according to The Washington Post on Friday. “I know the media likes to play this little game where they pit us, or certain views, against each other. Don't fall for it. They're trying to manufacture story lines at liberty's expense. You've spent years seeing how the media treated me. They aren't my friends and they aren't yours. … There is not one candidate who has run for president in my lifetime who can say they fully share my commitment to liberty, Austrian economics, small government, and following the Constitution, than my son, Rand Paul,” Ron Paul wrote in an email to supporters. (The Washington Post)
Rick Perry
- Rick Perry made his first public comments on his campaign finance issues on Thursday, saying he was “in it to win it.” “There are a lot of challenges out there, from the standpoint of being able to raise money right now — but I feel confident we're going to get back on track and raise the money we need to keep the doors open,” Perry added while speaking with reporters in South Carolina. (NBC News)
Marco Rubio
- As the American embassy in Cuba marked the thawing of U.S.-Cuba relations on Friday morning in a flag- raising ceremony, Marco Rubio attacked President Obama for legitimizing “a state sponsor of terror.” “The deal with Cuba threatens America's moral standing in our hemisphere and around the world, brings legitimacy to a state sponsor of terror, and further empowers an ally of China and Russia that sits just 90 miles from our shore,” Rubio said while speaking at the Foreign Policy Initiative in New York City. (The Tampa Bay Times, CBS News)
- In addition to adding stops to his tour of central Iowa next week, Rubio is set to open his Iowa headquarters on Wednesday. (The Des Moines Register)
Rick Santorum
- Appearing on CNN on Friday morning, Rick Santorum said he did not support the use of fetal tissue in medical research. “I wouldn’t, because one of the things that you saw in the Planned Parenthood tapes, was that a lot of women are told, ‘Hey, look, this — if you have an abortion, good things are going come from it, we’re going to be able to use this tissue for a lot of reasons.’ And so it is used in some cases to, I won’t say coerce, but certainly make women feel more comfortable about having [an] abortion. And I think that’s something that I would not want to participate in,” Santorum said. (Breitbart, CNN)
Donald Trump
- A recent New York Times profile of Donald Trump called the business mogul a “post-policy candidate” and “moderate Republican.” (The New York Times)
- Breitbart reported on Friday that Trump believed Clinton's campaign would collapse and Joe Biden would receive the Democratic nomination, instead. (Breitbart)
- A video was posted to Trump’s Instagram account on Thursday juxtaposing a clip from the execution of Steven Sotloff with Bill and Hillary Clinton dancing. “Politicians are having fun on our dime while the world is burning,” the video concludes. (ABC News)
- After praising U.S. Sen. Kelly Ayotte (R-N.H.) on Friday, Trump said, “I think the concept of a woman as vice president is absolutely great.” (Politico)
Scott Walker
- Scott Walker spoke about government transparency in an interview with Breitbart on Thursday. “We’ve made huge strides in Wisconsin in creating open and transparent government. For the first time in state history, voters have real time access through our Open Book website to state spending and contracts all the way down to expenditures of $100. We’ve been rated as one of the most transparent state governments, in part because of our Open Book initiative. As governor I also signed into law an earmark transparency requirement, so that every budget earmark must be listed, with the beneficiary of the pork, before the budget is signed. In addition, we’ve created Offices of Inspector General in our state agencies to search out fraudulent activity,” Walker said. (Breitbart)
See also
- Presidential election, 2016
- Presidential candidates, 2016
- Presidential debates (2015-2016)
- Important dates in the 2016 presidential race
- Polls and Straw polls
- 2016 presidential candidate ratings and scorecards
