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Ballotpedia's Daily Presidential News Briefing - December 4, 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
- Speaking at the Republican Jewish Coalition’s forum on Thursday, Donald Trump said that his audience “as businesspeople” would approve of his limited campaign costs. He added, “You’re not going to support me because I don’t want your money. Isn’t it crazy?” Several media outlets accused Trump of using “offensive stereotypes” in his speech. Anti-Defamation League CEO Jonathan Greenblatt defended Trump, saying, "After having carefully reviewed the speech, we do not believe that it was Donald Trump’s intention to evoke anti-Semitic stereotypes. … Mr. Trump’s presentation was completely supportive of Israel and the Jewish community, even if one might disagree with him on some of the other issues he raised.” (The New York Times, The Times of Israel, The Hill)
- Poll: In a national poll from CNN/ORC released on Friday, Donald Trump dominates the Republican field with 36 percent support from Republicans and Republican-leaning independents. Ted Cruz, Ben Carson and Marco Rubio form a distant second tier with 16 percent, 14 percent and 12 percent, respectively. (CNN)
- Poll: In a Public Policy Polling (PPP) survey of New Hampshire voters released on Thursday, Donald Trump retains his sizeable lead with 27 percent to Ted Cruz’s 13 percent. Marco Rubio comes in third with 11 percent. Chris Christie has become the “clear momentum candidate” in the state, rising from ninth place in October to fourth place in December with 10 percent. “Chris Christie’s rise in New Hampshire is good news not just for him but possibly for the other candidates struggling to gain traction right now. It shows that there’s still plenty of time for people to turn their campaigns around,” said PPP President Dean Debnam. (Public Policy Polling)
- Poll: Hillary Clinton narrowly leads Bernie Sanders in New Hampshire, with 44 percent to Sanders’ 42 percent, according to PPP. “It's the open nature of New Hampshire's primary that's making it so competitive. Clinton leads Sanders 48/39 among actual Democrats. But independents are a third of the electorate, and Sanders leads Clinton by an identical 48/39 spread with them to make it so close overall,” PPP reported. (Public Policy Polling)
Democrats
Hillary Clinton
- The North America’s Building Trades endorsed Hillary Clinton on Thursday. Sean McGarvey, the union coalition’s president, said in a statement, “Her infrastructure plan is further proof that she understands that the state of our nation's infrastructure is a bellwether for the health of the American economy and for the economic prospects of American workers. We commend Secretary Clinton for putting forth a robust, yet entirely practical plan. She acknowledges, in stark contrast to the other candidates in this presidential race, that this is a national problem which requires a bold, national, and realistic solution, not a pie-in-the-sky dream or a piecemeal approach." (North America's Building Trades, The Huffington Post)
- The U.S. Women’s Chamber of Commerce also endorsed Clinton Thursday. The organization claims more than 500,0000 members committed to women’s economic opportunity. (The Wall Street Journal)
- Clinton expressed support for a federal lawsuit by the NAACP and Greater Birmingham Ministries alleging Alabama is violated the Voting Rights Act of 1965 by requiring photo ID to vote. Her campaign released the following statement: “The right to vote is essential to our democracy, and so Hillary Clinton strongly supports the NAACP’s efforts to right the wrongs of Gov. [Robert] Bentley and the Alabama Legislature. Voting rights are an illusion if the state requires people to have voter IDs and then makes it much harder for people to get them. This misguided law could disenfranchise over a quarter of a million voters in Alabama and result in suppressing the voices of African American and Latino voters, depriving them of their basic civil rights.” (AL.com)
- The New York Times reported that Clinton’s campaign has increased its fundraising efforts on behalf of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) in recent weeks. This investment in helping the DNC rebuild its finances comes as “campaign aides have started to scrutinize what have historically been core functions of the party committee, some of which atrophied under President Obama.” Unlike super PACs, national party committees can coordinate with campaigns, although they must stay neutral until the primaries have ended. (The New York Times)
Martin O’Malley
- Martin O’Malley’s senior adviser on immigration, Gabriela Domenzain, said on Thursday that O’Malley supported the hunger strike of more than 150 asylum-seekers demonstrating to bring attention to the immigrant detention system. "This is a symptom of the larger problem, which is that we are inhumanely detaining, without due process, thousands of immigrants that should not be in those conditions,” Domenzain said. (The Huffington Post)
- In an interview on Thursday, O’Malley compared Donald Trump’s rhetoric on the campaign trail to political speech that give way to fascism. He said, “These are the sort of appeals that history has taught us often times precede fascism. Or worse, or just as bad, the plunging of a republic into a security state. We all need to push back on Donald Trump’s hateful language and racist language.” (Fusion)
- On Thursday, O’Malley said he supported an independent inquiry into how the Chicago Police Department handled the shooting death of Laquan McDonald. "One of the most important things that we have in any society is the relationship and trust that must exist between people and their government, between people and especially their police departments, and so I think that given the questions that have arisen, that yes, indeed, an independent investigation is called for,” O’Malley said. (Progress Illinois)
Bernie Sanders
- On Thursday, Bernie Sanders expressed support for more than 150 asylum-seekers protesting conditions in the immigrant detention system by holding a hunger strike. “These aspiring Americans should not be criminalized, subjected to dehumanizing solitary confinement or indefinitely detained. "The United States must meet our international responsibilities to families seeking refuge,” Arturo Carmona, Sanders’ Latino outreach director, said. (The Huffington Post)
- Sanders called for funding a study on the causes and effects of gun violence by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Thursday. As a member of the House of Representatives in 1996, Sanders voted against an amendment to authorize such research funding. (Reuters)
Republicans
- Zignal Labs prepared word clouds for The Washington Post showing the words most commonly connected with Ben Carson and Donald Trump in November on social media. “Never applied”, “West Point,” and “claimed” were frequently used in discussions of Carson. Trump’s word cloud featured “legal,” “plans,” “circumvent,” “process,” “ready,” and “Obama.” (The Washington Post)
- U.S. Sens. Ted Cruz, Lindsey Graham, Marco Rubio and Rand Paul voted in favor of a bill to repeal large portions of the Affordable Care Act on Thursday. (CBS News)
Jeb Bush
- During a speech before the Republican Jewish Coalition on Thursday, Jeb Bush said he would “whoop” Hillary Clinton if he were to win the Republican nomination. Referencing Clinton’s time as secretary of state, he said his presidency would not involve “red lines” or “reset buttons” in foreign relations and national security. He added that "the person I rely on most as it relates to U.S.-Israeli policy is my brother [George W. Bush].” (The Hill)
- In an interview with Christianity Today published on Wednesday, Bush admitted it was a “struggle” to balance his Catholic faith and position on capital punishment. “I’ve tried to explain it but sometimes in life it’s not an either/or—it’s not so simple. We’re always confronted with challenges where one’s values come into conflict and this was a perfect case of that. I was very uncomfortable signing death warrants, but I think it was because it was the law, number one. Number two, I think because I met families that, in their minds, justice was being denied by the delays. They could not get closure in their lives until the death penalty was complete and was executed.” (Christianity Today)
Ben Carson
- Ben Carson, who normally improvises his public remarks, read from a prepared text while giving a speech to the Republican Jewish Coalition on Thursday. He discussed the history of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, but declined to advocate for a one-state or two-state solution. According to TIME, “Carson was greeted with only a smattering of applause, and was the only candidate not to take questions from either RJC Executive Director Matt Brooks or from reporters during the first half of the day-long event.” (TIME, The Wall Street Journal)
- ABC News reported that Carson claimed a Star of David can be found on the $1 bill during his speech to the Republican Jewish Coalition. His campaign responded, “What should be noted is that American history is chock-full of legends and lore, many true, and many more apocryphal. Dr. Carson repeated one of these common myths about the six-point star on the reverse of the dollar bill. He was careful to note, however, that the story was unconfirmed, saying only that some believe this, though 'no one knows for sure.' We may never know why the origin of the six-point star on the bill, but it should not distract from Dr. Carson’s greater message, which is that we should always remember and honor the important role the American Jewish community has played in forging this great nation." (ABC News)
Chris Christie
- Chris Christie said on Thursday that he was “convinced [the San Bernardino mass shooting] was a terrorist attack. … The president continues to wring his hands and say, ‘We’ll see.’ But those folks, dressed in tactical gear with semi-automatic weapons, came there to do something.” He added, “We need to come to grips with the idea that we are in the next World War.” (Breitbart)
- Christie accused critics of the National Security Agency’s surveillance program of engaging in a “false debate” for political “theater.” He said, “It’s a false debate. The idea that anything that was going on during the eight years of the Bush administration was either illegal or extra-constitutional is absolutely false. This is the debate for theater. This is a debate to raise money, to cut their little speeches from Capitol Hill, put it on the Internet, and then raise money by scaring people into thinking the government’s listening to your phone calls or reading your emails.” (The Washington Times)
- In an interview published by The Atlantic on Friday, Christie said he believed “Iran is a greater threat than ISIS.” He continued, “I believe Iran is moving toward obtaining a nuclear weapon. I have no proof at this point that ISIS is moving toward obtaining weapons of mass destruction.” (The Atlantic)
Ted Cruz
- Ted Cruz discussed the San Bernardino mass shooting during his speech before the Republican Jewish Coalition on Thursday. “All of us are deeply concerned that this is yet another manifestation of terrorism, radical Islamic terrorism here at home. … This horrific murder underscores that we are at a time of war. Whether or not the current administration realizes it or is willing to acknowledge it, our enemies are at war with us.” (CBS Sacramento)
- In that speech, Cruz also said that a Clinton presidency would lead to Iran gaining nuclear weapons. “We need to nominate a candidate who has the clarity to stand up and say: If you vote for Hillary Clinton, you are voting for the Ayatollah Khamenei to have nuclear weapons. And if you vote for me, Iran will never have nuclear weapons,” he said. (Forward)
- In a letter to Attorney General Loretta Lynch, Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson and Secretary of State John Kerry on Thursday, Ted Cruz and U.S. Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) accused the Obama administration of not timely responding to a request for the “immigration histories” of 72 individuals since August. “A response is not only long overdue, but urgent in light of a series of assaults, including: the heinous attacks in San Bernardino, California, the earlier attacks on the military recruiting center in Chattanooga, the Boston Bombing, and Congress' imminent consideration of government funding legislation that would include funding for myriad immigration programs that have allowed for these events to occur," Cruz and Sessions wrote. (Talking Points Memo)
Carly Fiorina
- On Thursday, Carly Fiorina said she opposed barring individuals on terror watch lists from purchasing guns. "That's kind of a red herring, honestly. If somebody is a suspected terrorist on a watch list they can be indicted at any time. And once you are indicted you cannot own a firearm. So let's enforce the laws we have. Let's start with that,” she said. Fiorina added that some people were mistakenly placed on the terror watch list: "My best friend's husband was on the watch list for years, it was a complete mistake. He also happened to be a gun owner. If I had utter faith in the competence of government I might agree with that, but do you? I don't. The government screws up all the time." (The Huffington Post)
Jim Gilmore
- Jim Gilmore participated in WMUR’s “Candidate Cafe” series this week, discussing his passion for reading and time as a counterintelligence officer during the Cold War. (WMUR)
Lindsey Graham
- Speaking before the Republican Jewish Coalition on Thursday, Lindsey Graham warned that the Republicans could lose the presidential election if they did not moderate their position on issues like abortion and immigration. “If you’re going to tell a woman who has been raped she has to carry the child of the rapist, you’re losing most Americans. If the nominee of the Republican Party will not allow for an exception for rape and incest, they will not win. Ted Cruz doesn’t have an exception for rape and incest,” said Graham. (The New York Times)
- In the same speech, Graham attacked Donald Trump for his policy proposals on how to defeat the Islamic State. "The one thing I can tell you is that what Mr. Trump's saying about how to handle this war is empowering the enemy. ISIL loves Donald Trump because he is giving them an opportunity to bring people their way,” Graham said. In the midst of his remarks on his Republican rivals, Graham admitted he was departing from a prepared text, saying, "Not the speech you thought you were going to hear, right? Not the speech I thought I was going to give.” (CNN)
Mike Huckabee
- Mike Huckabee accused President Obama of politicizing the San Bernardino mass shooting to “advance his radical gun agenda” in a press release on Thursday. “What will it take for President Obama to abandon his politically-correct crusade for Islam? It doesn't take a Harvard Law degree to identify the inspiration and source of the San Bernardino slaughter: radical Islamic terrorism,” Huckabee said. (Mike Huckabee for President)
- In a radio interview on Thursday, Huckabee questioned Turkey’s allegiances in the fight against the Islamic State, saying he trusted them less than Russia. “I don’t trust Putin. I don’t trust Russia, but if Russia is willing to help us kill some of these savages, then I’m more than willing to at least recognize that on this issue maybe not on much else…they are with us not against us. I trust Turkey probably less than I trust Russia,” he said. (Breitbart)
- Huckabee reiterated his opposition to a two-state solution during his speech before the Republican Jewish Coalition on Thursday. “There cannot be two states trying to own the same piece of real estate. … The United States needs to finally make a definitive statement ... [that] we know who our peace partner in the Middle East is, and it is Israel,” he said. (The Hill)
John Kasich
- John Kasich spoke before the Republican Jewish Coalition on Thursday. He said that U.S. troops should be sent to the Middle East to combat the Islamic State “where they live.” He warned, “The longer we wait, the higher the price we'll pay.” (Cleveland.com, USA Today)
- On Thursday night, Kasich argued that the San Bernardino mass shooting was an act of terrorism, saying, “The FBI hasn’t said it, but I’m convinced it was a terrorist attack, that these people were inspired by ISIS, that they planned this over a long period of time and this was not about a distraught worker.” He added that “you’re not going to fix that problem by some kind of gun control.” (The Columbus Dispatch)
Rand Paul
- Rand Paul criticized the New York Daily News on Thursday for featuring a cover on the San Bernardino shooting with the phrase, “God isn’t fixing this,” in all capital letters. Paul called it “a deplorable example of the media putting their political agenda over the suffering of victims and their families.” He added, “The genuine thoughts and prayers offered to victims in need are not political fodder. This attack represents a fundamental problem with the media and politics in general. Attacking religious sentiments to promote an agenda as tragedy strikes is despicable." The editor-in-chief of the Daily News, Jim Rich, responded, “The Daily News' front page is not, in any way, shape or form, condemning prayer or religion. Anyone suggesting otherwise is either — intentionally or unintentionally — misconstruing the point, which is that most GOP politicians have offered nothing but empty platitudes and angry rhetoric in response to the ongoing plague of gun violence in our country.” (Business Insider)
- After being criticized by Lindsey Graham for his foreign policy, Paul said on Thursday that “it’s Lindsey Graham that has endangered the country just about as much – or more – than anybody else.” He continued, “Well, you know, Lindsey Graham has always been someone who doesn’t have a lot of concern for liberty or the Bill of Rights. But he’s also been part of the contingent who’s been arming ISIS and the allies of ISIS in the Syrian civil war. So, I would argue that Lindsey Graham’s foreign policy is very similar to Hillary Clinton’s. It’s in favor of regime change in Libya, regime change in Syria and Iraq – but really, that’s made us less safe.” (BuzzFeed)
Marco Rubio
- During a speech before the Republican Jewish Coalition on Thursday, Marco Rubio expressed his support for the “enduring bond between Israel and America.” He said, “Let me be crystal clear: there is no moral equivalence between Israel and its enemies. Understanding that fundamental truth is essential to being the next Commander in Chief. This is not a real estate deal with two sides arguing over money. It’s a struggle to safeguard the future of Israel.” (TIME)
- In the same speech, Rubio criticized the European Union’s effort to label Israeli imports as goods from “occupied territories.” He said, “Let’s take a step back and realize what this means. Discriminatory laws that apply only to Jews are now being written into European law for the first time in more than half a century. I believe we need a president who is not afraid to call this out for what it is: anti-Semitism. I will be that president.” (The Washington Post)
Rick Santorum
- Rick Santorum indirectly criticized Ted Cruz and Rand Paul for not labeling Edward Snowden “a traitor” for revealing the National Security Agency’s metadata program. He said, “The events in Paris happened because they were able to learn from Snowden how to not be detected and communicated. I don’t know what the definition of a traitor is if Edward Snowden is not a traitor. Yet we have Republican candidates who won’t, because of civil liberties.” (The Blaze)
Donald Trump
- On Thursday night, Donald Trump said the San Bernardino mass shooting was likely “another Islamic disaster.” He continued, “No matter where you look, it's the same thing. Then when I say we have to practice vigilance and we have to look at people — and whether you're looking at mosques or not — we have to be smart. They want to be so politically correct, but here's another case where it's Islamic terrorism." When asked what “looking at mosques” would entail, Trump said, “You have to be vigilant. You have to look. I mean, there's something wrong — something going on, all right?" (Business Insider)
Third Party Candidates
Jill Stein (Green Party)
- The Boston Globe reported on Friday that Jill Stein is traveling to Paris this weekend to present her plan “to create living wage jobs and 100 percent renewable energy by 2030, at events related to the United Nations Climate Change Conference.” She said it was more “strategic” to campaign there than early voting state New Hampshire because of the “hurdles put in the way of independent candidates” there. (The Boston Globe)
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
