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Ballotpedia's Daily Presidential News Briefing - July 18, 2016
From Ballotpedia
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Monday's Leading Stories
- Politico reported that an effort is underway at the Republican National Convention to force a recorded vote on the party’s rules package on Monday, a procedural move requiring the support of majorities from at least seven delegations. The purpose is to reject the drafted rules and incorporate new language that would unbind the delegates, explicitly freeing them to vote for the candidate of their conscience. Kendal Unruh, a Colorado delegate leading the “Free the Delegates” movement, said, “I’m not going to let the Rules Committee think that they’re relevant. I’m not going to empower them anymore. The power has been and will continue to be in the hands of the delegates.” Ballotpedia senior writer Jim Barnes wrote an overview of what happened in the Rules Committee meetings last week, setting the stage for Monday’s last stand. (Politico, Ballotpedia)
- Donald Trump held a press conference on Saturday to formally introduce Indiana Gov. Mike Pence (R) as his running mate. “Indiana Gov. Mike Pence was my first choice. I've admired the work he's done, especially in the state of Indiana. I admire the fact that he fights for the people and he fights for you,” Trump said. (CBS News)
- CNN reported that Trump questioned his decision and asked campaign chair Paul Manafort if he could rescind the offer to Pence, leaving him free to choose his preferred candidate, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie. Trump communications adviser Jason Miller called the story “completely false.” (CNN)
- Many Republicans rallied around Pence, including former House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio), U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), and Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker. House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) said, “Mike Pence comes from the heart of the conservative movement — and the heart of America. I can think of no better choice for our vice-presidential candidate.” (USA Today)
- Clinton campaign chair John Podesta condemned the selection in a statement that highlighted Pence’s positions on social issues, including LGBT anti-discrimination laws and abortion. “Pence is the most extreme pick in a generation and was one of the earliest advocates for the Tea Party. He was the first of GOP leadership to join Michele Bachmann’s Tea Party Caucus. As governor, Pence personally spearheaded an anti-LGBT law that legalized discrimination against the LGBT community, alienated businesses, caused boycotts, lost investments and embarrassed Hoosiers — a law he was later forced to revise,” Podesta said. (The Hill)
- RNC Chair Reince Priebus downplayed policy differences between the running mates on the Trans-Pacific Partnership, telling CNN’s Jake Tapper in an interview, “You'd be surprised. This is a split issue in our party. Not everyone is crazy about TPP. I can tell you, these delegates aren't crazy about TPP. I can tell you a lot of the base in our party isn't crazy about TPP.” Trump has called the trade agreement “a rape of our country,” while Pence has supported its adoption. Priebus shortly after clarified that he thought Tapper was referring to House Speaker Ryan when asked how his party’s “vice president” felt about TPP, but reiterated that there were policy differences internal to the party on the issue. (CNN)
- The presidential candidates responded to the deadly shooting of police officers in Baton Rouge on Sunday. (CNN)
- Hillary Clinton said in a statement, “Today's devastating assault on police officers in Baton Rouge is an assault on all of us. There is no justification for violence, for hate, for attacks on men and women who put their lives on the line every day in service of our families and communities.”
- Trump tweeted, “President Obama just had a news conference, but he doesn't have a clue. Our country is a divided crime scene, and it will only get worse!” In another tweet, he wrote, “Our country is totally divided and our enemies are watching. We are not looking good, we are not looking smart, we are not looking tough!”
Polls
- According to an NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll released on Sunday, Hillary Clinton leads Donald Trump by five points, 46 percent to 41 percent. In the four-way race, Clinton’s margin increases by one point, 41 percent to Trump’s 35 percent, Gary Johnson’s 11 percent, and Jill Stein’s 6 percent. (NBC News)
- An ABC News/Washington Post national poll, also released on Sunday, found Clinton up by four points with 47 percent to Trump’s 43 percent. (The Washington Post)
- CNN/ORC also released a national poll on Sunday. Clinton led Trump by seven points, 49 percent to 42 percent. In a four-way race, Clinton had 42, Trump 37, Johnson 13, and Stein 5. (CNN)
- CBS News/YouGov released three four-way battleground polls on Sunday:
- Iowa: Trump (40 percent) vs. Clinton (39 percent) vs. Johnson (3 percent) vs. Stein (2 percent). (CBS News)
- Michigan: Clinton (42 percent) vs. Trump (39 percent) vs. Johnson (5 percent) vs. Stein (2 percent). (CBS News)
- Ohio: Clinton (44 percent) vs. Trump (40 percent) vs. Johnson (5 percent) vs. Stein (3 percent). (CBS News)
Democrats
- The Democratic National Convention Committee announced the headlining speakers for each night of the convention. (Democratic National Convention Committee)
- Monday, July 25: First Lady Michelle Obama, U.S. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), and immigration activist Astrid Silva will headline the night, which will be focused on the economy and immigration.
- Tuesday, July 26: Former President Bill Clinton and the “Mothers of the Movement,” women who have lost children in police shootings and other violent encounters, will headline the night focused on children and families.
- Wednesday, July 27: President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden will headline the third session.
- Thursday, July 28: The final night of the convention will be headlined by Hillary Clinton and her daughter, Chelsea Clinton.
Hillary Clinton
- In a video played at Netroots, a convention for progressive activists, Hillary Clinton pledged to introduce a constitutional amendment that would overturn Citizens United in the first 30 days of her administration. She also said she would push for stricter requirements for the disclosure of political spending. (The Wall Street Journal)
- Clinton met with three potential running mates on Friday: U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julián Castro, and Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper (D). (NBC News)
- Commenting on the attempted coup in Turkey on Friday night, Clinton released the following statement: “I am following the fast-moving developments in Turkey tonight with great concern. We should all urge calm and respect for laws, institutions, and basic human rights and freedoms — and support for the democratically elected civilian government. All parties should work to avoid further violence and bloodshed, and the safety of American citizens and diplomatic missions must be ensured.” (The Hill)
- The Clinton campaign released a new ad on Saturday that presents Donald Trump as “unsteady” on foreign policy. According to CNN, the ad “is a continuation of previously announced eight-figure buy for ads in Virginia, Ohio, Colorado, New Hampshire, Iowa, Florida, Nevada and North Carolina.” (CNN)
- NBC News reported on Saturday that the Clinton campaign has expanded its African American outreach team. Nadia Garnett has joined the campaign as its African-American vote director and Malik Hubbard will serve as the deputy African-American vote director. Other positions filled include the director of African-American outreach, the African-American faith director, the director of African-American paid media, and the African-American finance director. (NBC News)
- Clinton is set to announce a major voter registration initiative on Monday during her speech at the NAACP Convention in Cincinnati. With a goal of 3 million new registrations, The Associated Press reported, “Clinton's campaign and state Democratic coordinated campaigns will hold more than 500 registration or ‘commit to vote’ events across the nation. For example, voter registration events will be held at the Islamic Center of Akron's Eid celebration in Ohio; a bilingual day camp in Hazelton, Pennsylvania; Detroit's Eastern Market; and a campaign office opening in Madison, Wisconsin.” (The Associated Press)
Republicans
- Cleveland Police Union President Steve Loomis requested that Gov. John Kasich (R) ban the open carry of weapons in Cleveland and throughout Cuyahoga County for the duration of the Republican National Convention. A spokesperson for Kasich responded in a statement on Sunday, “Ohio governors do not have the power to arbitrarily suspend federal and state constitutional rights or state laws as suggested. The bonds between our communities and police must be reset and rebuilt ― as we’re doing in Ohio ― so our communities and officers can both be safe. Everyone has an important role to play in that renewal.” (FOX Cleveland, The Huffington Post)
- The Republican National Committee released its official program for the convention on Sunday. The headlining speakers include members of Trump’s family, political figures, and industry leaders who form “an unconventional lineup...who have real-world experience and will make a serious case against the status quo and for an agenda that will make America great again.” (Republican National Convention 2016)
- Monday, July 21: Melania Trump, Lieutenant General (ret.) Michael Flynn, U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Jason Beardsley, and U.S. Rep. Ryan Zinke (R-Mont.);
- Tuesday, July 22: Donald Trump, Jr., U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Dr. Ben Carson, and actress Kimberlin Brown;
- Wednesday, July 23: Lynne Patton; Eric Trump; former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and his wife, Callista; and Indiana Gov. Mike Pence;
- Thursday, July 24: Peter Thiel, Tom Barrack, Ivanka Trump, and Donald Trump.
- The delegation seating chart for the Republican National Convention was also released over the weekend. Democratic strongholds New York and California were given prime position, while host and essential battleground state Ohio was relegated to the side. (Cleveland.com)
Donald Trump
- On Saturday, Donald Trump attributed the attempted coup in Turkey over the weekend to failed policies of the Obama administration. He said, “We’re seeing unrest in Turkey, a further demonstration of the failures of Obama-Clinton. You just have to look ― every single thing they’ve touched has turned to horrible, horrible, death-defying problems.” (The Huffington Post)
- Mike Pence has brought on new staff to support his vice presidential bid. It was announced on Saturday that the campaign manager for Tim Pawlenty’s 2012 presidential campaign, Nick Ayers, and pollster Kellyanne Conway will serve as advisers. Other hires include Josh Pitcock as policy adviser, Marty Obst as director of operations, Marc Short as senior communications adviser, and Marc Lotter as press secretary. (CNN)
- In an interview on Sunday, Trump said he would declare war on ISIS and send U.S. troops to the Middle East to combat them directly. "I am going to have very few troops on the ground. We're going to have unbelievable intelligence, which we need; which, right now, we don't have. We don't have the people over there," Trump said. He continued, "We're going to have surrounding states and, very importantly, get NATO involved because we support NATO far more than we should, frankly, because you have a lot of countries that aren't doing what they're supposed to be doing. We have to wipe out ISIS." He also clarified that his proposal for a "total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States” would be limited to certain countries. “There are territories and terror states and terror nations that we're not going to allow the people to come into our country. And we're going to have a thing called 'extreme vetting,’” he said. (CNN)
Third Party Candidates
Jill Stein (Green Party)
- Civil rights activist and academic Cornel West endorsed Jill Stein in an op-ed in The Guardian last week. “This November, we need change. Yet we are tied in a choice between Trump, who would be a neo-fascist catastrophe, and Clinton, a neo-liberal disaster. That’s why I am supporting Jill Stein. I am with her – the only progressive woman in the race – because we’ve got to get beyond this lock-jaw situation,” he wrote. (The Guardian)
Gary Johnson (Libertarian Party)
- According to a Franklin Pierce University/Boston Herald poll released on Monday, nine out of ten respondents said Gary Johnson’s vice presidential pick, Bill Weld, had no impact on their presidential preference. “The reason for the indifference might be that the vast majority of voters don’t remember Weld, who left the governor’s office in 1997 for an ill-fated bid to be U.S. ambassador to Mexico, and later made a brief and unsuccessful run for governor of New York. The Franklin Pierce/Herald poll shows that just 10 percent of likely voters have a favorable opinion of Weld, while 7 percent have an unfavorable view. The rest have no opinion or haven’t heard of him,” The Boston Herald reported. (The Boston Herald)
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
