Ballotpedia's Daily Presidential News Briefing - February 11, 2016
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Ballotpedia's Daily Presidential Briefing was sponsored by the Leadership Project for America. | ||||
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Thursday's Leading Stories
- After placing seventh in the New Hampshire primary, Carly Fiorina suspended her campaign on Wednesday. She released the following statement, in part, on her campaign website: "This campaign was always about citizenship—taking back our country from a political class that only serves the big, the powerful, the wealthy, and the well connected. Election after election, the same empty promises are made and the same poll-tested stump speeches are given, but nothing changes. I've said throughout this campaign that I will not sit down and be quiet. I'm not going to start now. While I suspend my candidacy today, I will continue to travel this country and fight for those Americans who refuse to settle for the way things are and a status quo that no longer works for them." (Carly Fiorina for President)
- Chris Christie also suspended his presidential campaign on Wednesday after finishing outside of the top five candidates in New Hampshire. He said in a statement, “I have both won elections that I was supposed to lose and I’ve lost elections I was supposed to win and what that means is you never know what will happen. That is both the magic and the mystery of politics - you never quite know when which is going to happen, even when you think you do. And so today, I leave the race without an ounce of regret. I’m so proud of the campaign we ran, the people that ran it with me and all those who gave us their support and confidence along the way.” (Facebook, The New York Times)
- The Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) is expected to endorse Hillary Clinton on Thursday. “[U.S. Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-N.Y.)] said that 90 percent of the 20-member board of the CBC’s PAC voted to endorse Clinton, while none of the board members voted for Sen. Bernie Sanders and a few members abstained because they had not yet endorsed in the race,” The Washington Post reported. (The Washington Post)
Polls
- According to a poll released by The Oklahoman on Wednesday, Donald Trump leads the Republican field in Oklahoma with 30 percent. Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio follow with 25 percent and 21 percent, respectively. In the Democratic race, Hillary Clinton leads Bernie Sanders, 41.5 percent to 21.8 percent. (The Oklahoman)
Democrats
Hillary Clinton
- Although Hillary Clinton lost to Bernie Sanders by 22 percentage points in the New Hampshire primary, she tied with him in the delegate count. In addition to the nine delegates she received from the public vote, six superdelegates were already committed to her. As a result, Clinton and Sanders finished New Hampshire with 15 delegates each. Two uncommitted superdelegates remain. (NPR)
- Politico reported on Wednesday that Clinton adviser Jake Sullivan was “one of the primary participants and instigators” of transmitting “top secret” material while Clinton was secretary of state. The State Department declined to confirm the story, while Clinton spokesman Nick Merrill said, “For months we have had to stand by while prejudicial leaks have attempted to create a false narrative from sources hiding behind a cloak of anonymity. When nothing else is known about the content of these emails, it's a remarkably irresponsible practice to be engaging in for political gain." (Politico)
- Former White House press secretary Jay Carney said on Wednesday that he believed President Obama supported Clinton’s candidacy. "I don't think there is any doubt that he wants Hillary to win the nomination and believes that she would be the best candidate in the fall and the most effective as president in carrying forward what he's achieved,” Carney said. (CNN)
- South Carolina House Minority Leader Todd Rutherford (D) endorsed Clinton Wednesday. “Every day, I see the reality of lives torn apart by a broken criminal justice system. We need someone like Hillary Clinton in the Oval Office who will protect President Obama’s progress on law enforcement accountability and reforms to the justice system — not take us backwards,” Rutherford said in a statement. (The Post and Courier)
Bernie Sanders
- In the 18 hours following his New Hampshire victory, Bernie Sanders raised more than $5.2 million with an average donation of $34. (The Wall Street Journal)
- Sanders returned to Brooklyn on Wednesday where he gave a tour of his old neighborhood to CBS News anchor Scott Pelley. He discussed his parents’ financial struggles and the impact his mother’s death had on him at 19. Sanders added that his playtime with other children educated him about democracy. “The games were all determined not by adult cultures but kids themselves. We would choose up a team – there was no other person dictating anything, we worked out our own rules. It was a very interesting way to grow up,” he said. (CBS News)
- Jane Sanders, Bernie Sanders’ wife, rejected former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright’s assertion that young women should be supporting Hillary Clinton. She said, “I think that women today are a little bit more intelligent to not say, ‘Okay all I care about is gender.’ By that case, if Bernie won the Democratic nomination and Carly Fiorina won the Republican nomination, we should be supporting Carly Fiorina. We’re looking for the right candidate.” (TIME)
Republicans
Jeb Bush
- While campaigning in South Carolina on Wednesday, Jeb Bush said that the results of the New Hampshire primary “pushed the pause button” on crowning a Republican nominee. He continued, “The coronation [of Marco Rubio] after a third-place finish — looks like they canceled it. So, everybody’s going to have to make their case. It’s kind of a re-validation of what the primaries are about. I’m excited about being here. The field will likely narrow and as it narrows, we’ll have more of a consolidation as it always has been." (The Washington Post)
- Bush criticized John Kasich on Wednesday for expanding Medicaid in Ohio under the Affordable Care Act. He also commended Kasich on his success in New Hampshire but noted Kasich only had a “one-state strategy” for his presidential campaign. (The Washington Times)
- Although exit polls in the New Hampshire primary suggested approximately two-thirds of Republican voters supported a temporary ban on Muslims entering the U.S., Bush said he could not support such a policy. "If I believe what I believe – in this case I think it would be horrific, it goes against American values to call for a ban of innocent Muslims and it also makes it impossible to build a coalition to destroy ISIS where it needs to be done, in the Caliphate – I'm not going to follow what the polls say,” he explained. (The Huffington Post)
Ben Carson
- Ben Carson said on Wednesday that he intended to remain in the presidential race and predicted a strong finish in South Carolina. “You know, I’m getting a lot of pressure to make sure I stay in the race. You know, they’re reminding me that I’m here because I responded to their imploring me to get involved. And I respect that and I’m not just going to walk away from the millions of people who are supporting me,” he said. (Politico)
- According to data compiled by The Washington Post, Carson spent more than any other Republican presidential candidate per vote in Iowa and New Hampshire at a rate of $2,303 per vote. Jim Gilmore was a distant second with $798 per vote. (The Washington Post)
- On Wednesday, Carson expressed opposition to using eminent domain to halt a construction project in a South Carolina town. “What it is, is a situation where government insinuates itself into the affairs of private citizens unnecessarily and creates havoc. The very thing that we need to stop in this country,” he said after meeting with developers. (The Post and Courier)
Ted Cruz
- Ted Cruz kept his sights on New Hampshire primary winner Donald Trump while campaigning in South Carolina on Wednesday. Cruz said, “One of the most important conclusions coming out of the first two states is the only candidate that can beat Donald Trump is me.” (The New York Times)
- Cruz’s campaign released “Playing Trump” on Tuesday, a new video ad which features children using a Trump action figure to destroy a dollhouse and claim ownership of it through eminent domain. (Independent Journal Review, Minnesota Public Radio)
Jim Gilmore
- The Washington Post noted the names of several Republican candidates who received more votes than Jim Gilmore in the New Hampshire primary, including Mike Huckabee, Rick Santorum and Rand Paul, who all suspended their presidential campaigns after the Iowa caucuses. (The Washington Post)
John Kasich
- John Kasich is expected to sign a bill to defund Planned Parenthood that passed the Ohio General Assembly on Wednesday. According to The Huffington Post, “Once the bill is signed, about $1.3 million in grants that Planned Parenthood receives from Ohio's Department of Health will be redirected away from the organization. These funds go to programs that help prevent infant mortality and domestic violence, as well as promote HIV testing and screenings for breast and cervical cancer.” In response to criticism that Kasich does not support women’s health issues, spokesman Joe Andrews said, “Those in Ohio know that Governor Kasich has been a strong advocate for women’s health issues. To paint a different picture of his record on prioritizing the health and well-being of women in our state is irresponsible and unfortunate.” (The Huffington Post)
- Kasich asserted on Wednesday that his positive campaign could withstand attacks from Donald Trump. “Somebody wants to mess with me, they're messing with the wrong guy. I'm not gonna sit there and be a marshmallow and have somebody pound me. We're not just gonna sit back and take a pounding from anybody, but at the same time we're going to tell people what we're for, and I think people really, really like it,” he said. (TODAY)
- Kasich said on Wednesday that although he did not believe he would win South Carolina, he would compete in the state. (CNN)
Marco Rubio
- Chip Englander, Rand Paul’s former campaign manager, has joined Marco Rubio’s campaign as a senior political adviser managing the Midwest. (The Wall Street Journal)
- Rubio released a statement on Wednesday in support of increased sanctions against North Korea. “Passage of the North Korea Sanctions and Policy Enhancement Act of 2016 is a first step toward applying more pressure to North Korea and those who do business with this corrupt regime. I was pleased to work with Senator Cory Gardner to specifically target the industries that North Korea uses to earn hard currency and to strengthen the bill’s provisions related to raising awareness of the plight of the North Korean people and funding activities to promote their human rights,” Rubio said. (U.S. Senator for Florida, Marco Rubio)
Donald Trump
- Donald Trump suggested on Wednesday morning that China should “disappear” North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. When asked if he meant a political assassination, Trump responded, “Well, you know, I've heard of worse things, frankly. I mean this guy's a bad dude – and don't underestimate him. Any young guy that can take over from his father with all those generals and everybody else that probably wants the position, this is not somebody to be underestimated.” (CBS News)
- Trump said on Wednesday that he would consider selecting a politician to be his hypothetical running mate. He explained, “It would be better for me to choose somebody that’s very political, that can help us out politically, because I’ve got a lot of other qualities and I’m very political also. But, I don’t think we need two guys like me. … I think in my case I’m better with a very political person, so I think I would keep it that way.” (Fox Business)
- Funny or Die, a comedy website, released a 50-minute mockumentary of Trump’s The Art of the Deal, starring Johnny Depp. The New Yorker noted, “The script is full of allusions to the current campaign, from a casual disparagement of Muslims to a scene in which Trump says that the true heroes of Vietnam were the people who didn’t get killed.” (The New Yorker)
Third Party Candidates
- Commenting on a potential independent run by former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg (R), Republican National Committee chair Reince Priebus said on Wednesday, “I don't really view it as a third party [candidacy]. I just view it as another Democrat. So you'll have two Democrats running and splitting their vote.” Debbie Wasserman Schultz, the chair of the Democratic National Committee, also noted the liberal edge of Bloomberg’s policies, saying they would be “well cared-for in the Democratic nominees' priorities and the Democratic Party's agenda.” (CNN)
- There has been speculation that former Democratic presidential candidate Jim Webb will announce an independent presidential run at an event in Texas on Thursday afternoon. (CBS Dallas/Fort Worth)
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
