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Ballotpedia's Daily Presidential News Briefing - December 11, 2015
From Ballotpedia
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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
- The Washington Post reported on Thursday that the Republican National Committee is preparing for a brokered nominating convention in 2016 if no candidate secures a majority of delegates in the primary process. In a meeting of 20 Republican Party officials on Monday, “the groundwork for a floor fight” against Donald Trump was reportedly discussed. Trump has previously responded to the possibility of a brokered convention, saying, “I’ll be disadvantaged. … My disadvantage is that I’d be going up against guys who grew up with each other, who know each other intimately and I don’t know who they are, okay? That’s a big disadvantage.” (The Washington Post)
- Bob Vander Plaats, the president of Family Leader and conservative leader in Iowa, endorsed Ted Cruz on Thursday. With the previous endorsement of U.S. Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) and conservative radio host Steve Deace, Vander Plaats support gives Cruz “a trifecta of important endorsements in Iowa that show that social conservatives are coalescing around the presidential candidate,” reported ABC News. (ABC News)
- Poll: According to a poll of likely New Hampshire Republican voters released on Friday by WBUR, Donald Trump maintains his lead in the state with 27 percent support. Chris Christie, who has doubled his support in the state, comes in second with 12 percent. Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz follow with 11 percent and 10 percent, respectively. (WBUR)
Democrats
Hillary Clinton
- The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), a union representing more than 670,000 members, endorsed Hillary Clinton on Thursday. David Cox, the union’s president, said, “Secretary Clinton shares AFGE’s vision for a strong and vibrant government workforce that has the necessary tools and support needed to deliver vital programs and services to the American public.” (Federal Times)
- In an interview on NBC’s “Late Night with Seth Meyers” on Thursday, Clinton said Donald Trump’s rhetoric had shifted from “funny” to “dangerous.” She said, “I think for weeks you and everybody else were just bringing folks to hysterical laughter, but now he has gone way over the line. And what he is saying now is not only shameful and wrong, it is dangerous." (NBC News)
- Clinton is set to announce her counterterrorism strategy on Tuesday. "The strategy will address the threat of domestic radicalization, and demonstrate her belief that the most effective plan stays true to America's most deeply held values, such as inclusiveness and religious freedom," her campaign said in a statement. (CNN)
- Eleven progressive and Muslim groups have called on Clinton to repudiate comments previously made by her surrogate, Gen. Wesley Clark. Discussing the possible internment of Muslims in an interview in July, Clark said, “If these people are radicalized and they don’t support the United States and they’re disloyal to the United States as a matter of principle, fine. That’s their right and it’s our right and obligation to segregate them from the normal community for the duration of the conflict.” Clark clarified on Thursday, “My comments from last July were not directed at any religion or faith but in response to a question about ISIS recruitment inside the United States. The persecution of Muslim Americans is intolerable. I reject any proposal to inter anyone on account of his or her religion.” Clinton’s campaign also released a statement on Thursday: “Hillary has vocally opposed any discrimination against Muslims, believing that any of policies or comments that discriminate against a religion are wrong and not who we are as a country." (The Huffington Post)
Martin O’Malley
- In a show of solidarity with members of IBEW Local 1228, Martin O’Malley called on Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders to “cease advertising on WMUR Channel 9 and Hearst stations until management begins negotiations with employees.” (Adweek)
- In response to images made public on Thursday of Citadel cadets dressed like Ku Klux Klan members, O’Malley’s campaign director in South Carolina, Tyler Jones, released the following statement: “It’s time for the state legislature to amend the Heritage Act to allow for The Citadel to follow the lead of its Board of Visitors and finally remove the Confederate Naval Jack Flag from the Summerall Chapel. The horrific pictures that surfaced today serve as a reminder that racism and intolerance still exist on college campuses and a public institution of higher learning should not be home to such a divisive and offensive symbol.” (WCBD News 2)
- On Thursday, O’Malley visited the Tent City Jail in Arizona, an outdoor jail facility, where he advocated for the “end to immigrant detention and internment camps” in the U.S. According to Latin Times, O’Malley also “implied that unlike him, [Clinton and Sanders] pander to Latinos, only speaking to the issues of immigrant rights in Latino states like Nevada, but not in states not Iowa and and [sic] New Hampshire.” (Latin Times)
- O’Malley is scheduled to visit a mosque on Friday to “stand with the American Muslim community amid a climate of increasing Islamophobia.” The Hill reported that he will be the first presidential candidate to visit a mosque. (The Hill)
Bernie Sanders
- On Thursday, Bernie Sanders introduced the Climate Protection Justice Act “to establish a price on carbon pollution” and “cut total emissions 80 percent below 1990 levels by 2050, fund historic investments in energy efficiency and sustainable energy technologies, return billions of dollars to working families and protect the most vulnerable communities.” (U.S. Senator for Vermont, Bernie Sanders, The Hill)
- Sanders is releasing two new television ads in Iowa and New Hampshire titled “Rock” and “Effective.” They highlight Sanders’ connection to local businesses in Vermont and his “practical” and bipartisan legislative efforts in Congress. (Washington Examiner)
- In response to oral arguments earlier this week in the Supreme Court case, Evenwel v. Abbott, Sanders’ campaign released the following statement: “We need to preserve a fair system of representation in this country that does not disadvantage communities of color and our children. Evenwel tragically makes invisible a large segment of the American people, including young people under 18. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, Latinos are the nation’s youngest ethnic group. As a result, areas with large Latino populations will be adversely impacted when it comes to representation in state legislatures. Evenwel could result in 55 percent of the Latino population nationwide being underrepresented. Once again, we have people trying to rig the electoral system to try to dictate an outcome in favor of the right wing.” (Bernie Sanders for President)
Republicans
- According to a Politico survey of political insiders in Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina and Nevada, an independent run from Donald Trump would make it “impossible” or “very difficult” for a Republican to win the general election. “A run as an independent would be the main news story for six months. The Republican nominee would be forced to constantly respond to the makeup of the race and miss any opportunity to deliver their message to the American people,” said one Republican insider from Nevada. (Politico)
Jeb Bush
- In an op-ed for Town Hall on Thursday, Jeb Bush criticized the “incompetency” of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). “Under my plan, more veterans could choose between receiving care at a VA hospital or using their benefits at another health facility. I believe strongly that giving veterans more choices and control over their health care will create competition that will result in the VA becoming better at providing services and more accountable,” Bush wrote. (Town Hall)
- On Thursday, several state legislators were added to Bush’s steering committee in Tennessee, including state Sens. Rusty Crowe (R) and Richard Briggs (R) and state Rep. Steve McDaniel (R). (The Tennessean)
- Bush said on Thursday night that it was no surprise that Donald Trump has postponed his trip to Israel after he engaged in dog-whistle politics that “created a real problem.” Bush said, “Look — the guy's not serious. He's not a serious person. He can't be commander-in-chief. He doesn't have plans. This is all dog-whistle talk. This is to provoke anger. This is to — with all due respect to the media — this is to generate massive attention to him. It's not about a serious plan. Is that a serious plan in all reality? Of course not." (Yahoo)
Ben Carson
- After meeting with religious leaders in Chicago on Thursday, Ben Carson declined to say if Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel should be forced to resign. He said, “I think that's a decision for the people here in Chicago. He is their mayor. I do not vote in Chicago, and therefore I'm not going to weigh in on that." He condemned, however, the Chicago Police Department for the shooting death of Laquan McDonald, saying, "I felt it was an abominable act. I think we have a very inappropriate action by a police officer, and it's despicable and it disturbs me that it was hidden for such a long period of time.” (The Chicago Tribune)
- CNN reported on Friday that tensions are growing between Carson’s business manager, Armstrong Williams, and Carson’s official campaign leadership, as the candidate’s poll numbers decline. “Williams has hit Carson's campaign team for putting the candidate in situations that have embarrassed him, such as with the recent Republican Jewish Coalition speech where Carson repeatedly mispronounced the name of Palestinian group Hamas,” CNN’s Nia-Malika Henderson wrote. (CNN)
Chris Christie
- Rutgers University released a poll on Thursday finding that Chris Christie’s approval rating in New Jersey has reached a record low of 33 percent. “Ever since Christie announced his official 2016 run, he has received his lowest ratings as governor — even lower than in the year post-Bridgegate,” said Ashley Koning, assistant director of the Eagleton Center for Public Interest Polling at Rutgers University, in a statement. (Politico)
Ted Cruz
- On Thursday, Ted Cruz criticized other presidential candidates’ focus on deploying ground forces to Syria. “Some in the course of a political campaign have focused on the question of boots on the ground – American boots on the ground – as a talismanic demonstration of strength. That is getting the deployment of military force precisely backwards,” Cruz said. He added that the U.S. does “not have a side in the Syrian civil war” and it would not be in the country’s best interests to intervene. (U.S. News & World Report)
- In a speech at the Heritage Foundation on Thursday, Cruz opposed “resurrecting the government’s bulk data collection that existed under the PATRIOT Act.” He said, “More data from millions of law-abiding Americans is not always better data. Hoarding tens of billions of records of ordinary citizens, it didn’t stop Fort Hood, it didn’t stop Boston, it didn’t stop Chattanooga, it didn’t stop Garland, and it failed to detect the San Bernardino plot.” (Politico)
- U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) said in an interview released on Thursday that members of the U.S. Senate do not respect Cruz. “It worries me a little bit because you don’t have to be popular with other senators, but you need to be respected by other senators if you have what it takes to be President of the United States. I mean, Barack Obama wasn’t popular with all the other senators, but he was respected. Marco [Rubio] is respected. I don’t think Ted has the respect of his fellow senators,” said McCaskill. (The Huffington Post)
- The New York Times reported on Thursday that Cruz questioned if Donald Trump and Ben Carson had the right “judgment” to be commander-in-chief. He said during a private fundraiser, “You look at Paris, you look at San Bernardino, it’s given a seriousness to this race, that people are looking for: Who is prepared to be a commander in chief? Who understands the threats we face? Who am I comfortable having their finger on the button? Now that’s a question of strength, but it’s also a question of judgment. And I think that is a question that is a challenging question for both of them.” (The New York Times)
Carly Fiorina
- Carly Fiorina received endorsements from 17 Republican leaders in Utah on Thursday, including state Senate President Wayne Niederhauser (R) and five other state legislators. (The Salt Lake Tribune)
- Rob Johnson, who previously worked on Rick Perry’s 2016 presidential campaign and Newt Gingrich’s 2012 presidential campaign, joined Fiorina’s staff this week as a senior adviser. “I think Carly has a blueprint to take back our country and address serious challenges facing our nation. She’s a credible outsider with the experience to be president,” Johnson said. (National Review)
Lindsey Graham
- In an interview on Thursday, Lindsey Graham said Donald Trump was “declaring war on the Muslim faith” with his proposal to stop Muslims from entering the U.S. Graham continued, “What I’m trying to do is partner with Muslims. I would go to the capitals of the Arab world and enlist their support to destroy ISIL. They want to destroy ISIL as much as we do. It’s destroying their societies, corrupting their faith. And ISIL will chop their heads off. So when you say no Muslim can come to the United States, you’re helping ISIL. What I want to do is partner with people in the faith, which is 99 percent of them, to destroy a radical strain of Islam that threatens us all.” (Breitbart)
Mike Huckabee
- Asked to comment on Donald Trump’s plan to prohibit Muslims from entering the U.S., Mike Huckabee said on Wednesday, “Trump can get enough publicity without me talking about him. Besides, you can’t bar people from America for holding any particular religion. That would plainly violate the First Amendment, so it’s never gonna happen.” (BuzzFeed)
- Huckabee wrote an op-ed in The Reno Gazette-Journal on Thursday to advocate for states’ rights. “Why does the federal government still own and manage 84 percent of Nevada, 66 percent of Utah, and 53 percent of Oregon? When we deprive states and citizens the power to control their destiny, we undermine the essence of our Constitution,” Huckabee wrote. (Reno Gazette-Journal)
John Kasich
- John Kasich reiterated his support for the creation of a no-fly zone in Syria in a radio interview on Wednesday. He added that he would shoot down Russian planes if they violated the no-fly zone, saying, “If they flew in once, maybe I'd let them fly out, but they wouldn't fly out a second time.” (CBS News)
- New Day for America, a super PAC backing Kasich, has shifted its tactics in attacking Donald Trump by creating a website that mocks his promotion of Trump Steaks. The website notes, “The stakes are too high for a reality TV star to be a commander in chief.” It also features a mock news report of Trump in the White House and a Pac-Man-style video game. (The Columbus Dispatch)
George Pataki
- The Virginia Department of Elections announced that George Pataki was the only Republican candidate who failed to file to appear on the state’s ballot with 5,000 signatures prior to Thursday’s deadline. (The Hill)
Rand Paul
- Rand Paul said on Thursday that his poor performance in polls can be attributed to the media attention devoted to Donald Trump. He said in a radio interview, “You know, I think it has very little to do with my campaign, or me, or what I’m talking about. And one of the reasons I say that is there was chyron on the TV this morning and it said in the last three days Trump has had a [sic] 105 hours of discussion of him. The president had three hours of discussion. … So is it any kind of surprise that he leads in the polls?” (BuzzFeed)
- Since Paul is polling at less than 3 percent nationally and less than 4 percent in Iowa and New Hampshire, it is unlikely he will qualify for the primetime Republican debate next Tuesday. (Politico)
Marco Rubio
- On Thursday, U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) criticized Marco Rubio for abandoning the Gang of Eight immigration bill in 2013. "I hate to speak ill of my colleagues. I think Marco is smart. I think he is capable. I watched him find that sweet spot of compromise on immigration reform, but then he broke down like a cheap shotgun the minute the right started chewing on his rear end. … That’s not what presidents are made of. Yes, you’ve got to be sensitive to where the country is, but you also have to lead. You have to lead. You can’t be led. You’ve got to lead,” she said. (The Huffington Post)
- According to Tim Alberta and Eliana Johnson of National Review, Republican activists in Iowa and New Hampshire are becoming increasingly critical of Rubio’s light footprint in those states. “If I were Senator Rubio, I would immediately hire a dozen people full-time in Iowa,” Jamie Johnson, an Iowa Republican leader who worked on Rick Perry’s 2016 presidential campaign, said. “Rubio’s team believes exactly the opposite — that is, that a sprawling operation weighs down a campaign and wastes precious resources that could be spent on TV ads that reach more voters. The senator’s lieutenants have pointed to Bush and Walker — two candidates with beefy operations whose support nevertheless faded quickly — as proof positive that organizational heft is overrated,” Alberta and Johnson wrote. (National Review)
Donald Trump
- After it was announced Donald Trump would meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the end of December, Trump tweeted on Thursday that his plans have changed. He wrote, “I have decided to postpone my trip to Israel and to schedule my meeting with @Netanyahu at a later date after I become President of the U.S.” Trump explained his decision on Fox News, saying, “I didn’t want to put him under pressure. I also did it because I’m in the midst of a very powerful campaign, that’s going very well, and it was not that easy to do.” (The New York Times)
- The New England Police Benevolent Association, a union of police and corrections officers, endorsed Trump on Thursday. Jerry Flynn, the executive director of the union, said prior to a vote on the endorsement, “Listen, our message very clear: It’s what is the next president of the United States going to do to unite this country in an effort to save police officers? Because it’s open season on police officers.” (Boston.com)
Third Party Candidates
2015
Jill Stein (Green Party)
- After traveling to Paris to participate in events related to the United Nations Climate Change Conference, Jill Stein said in a statement on Friday, “The voluntary, unenforceable pledges being produced by COP21 are entirely insufficient to prevent catastrophic climate change. Scientific analysis shows that these pledges will lead us to 3 degrees Celsius global temperature rise - and that will be catastrophic." She added that the spread of the hydrofracking industry in the U.S. “is leading to a spreading cancer of polluted groundwater and fracked gas pipelines.” (Green Party)
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
