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Ballotpedia's Daily Presidential News Briefing - November 6, 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
- Fox Business announced its Republican debate lineup on Thursday night. Eight candidates – Donald Trump, Ben Carson, Marco Rubio, Ted Cruz, Jeb Bush, Carly Fiorina, John Kasich and Rand Paul – will participate in the primetime debate. Chris Christie and Mike Huckabee will join Bobby Jindal and Rick Santorum in the undercard debate. George Pataki, Lindsey Graham and Jim Gilmore did not qualify for either debate. (Fox Business)
- Hillary Clinton, Martin O’Malley and Bernie Sanders will participate in the “First in the South” Democratic presidential forum on Friday night at 8 p.m. ET on MSNBC. “This forum will allow candidates to share their visions for our country, speak to southern-specific issues and concerns and show that Democrats are focused on giving working and middle class families an opportunity to succeed,” said the chair of the South Carolina Democratic Party, Jaime Harrison. (Mic)
- Poll: CNN/ORC released a poll of Iowa voters on Friday morning. It found Donald Trump narrowly keeping his lead in the state with 25 percent to Ben Carson's 23 percent. Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz followed with 13 percent and 11 percent, respectively. In the Democratic field, Hillary Clinton earned 55 support. Bernie Sanders had 37 percent and Martin O’Malley had 3 percent. (Politico, CNN)
- Poll: In head-to-head general election contests, Ben Carson would defeat Hillary Clinton by 6 points and Bernie Sanders by 9 points in Michigan, according to a poll released on Thursday by WXYZ-TV and The Detroit Free Press. In the same poll, Donald Trump lost to Clinton by 8 points and Sanders by 12 points. (WXYZ Detroit)
- Poll: In a poll of North Carolina voters by Elon University, Ben Carson topped the Republican field with 31 percent to Donald Trump’s 19 percent. Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz tied for third place with 9.7 percent each. Hillary Clinton led the Democrats with 57.1 percent. Bernie Sanders registered 24 percent and Martin O’Malley received 2.5 percent. (Elon University)
Democrats
Hillary Clinton
- Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti (D) accidentally endorsed Hillary Clinton in an email on Thursday afternoon. An hour later, Garcetti’s office sent a second email saying, "Today's statement on Hillary Clinton was sent in error.” A staffer said the endorsement was mailed from an incorrect email account, but would not confirm if Garcetti intended to endorse Clinton. (The Los Angeles Times)
- In an op-ed Clinton wrote for Forward on Wednesday, she discussed how she would handle relations between the United States and Israel. Clinton wrote, “As president I will never stop working to advance the goal of two states for two peoples living in peace, security and dignity. I will do everything I can to enhance our strategic partnership and strengthen America’s security commitment to Israel, ensuring that it always has the qualitative military edge to defend itself. That includes immediately dispatching a delegation of the Joint Chiefs of Staff to meet with senior Israeli commanders. I would also invite the Israeli prime minister to the White House in my first month in office.” (Forward)
- Lesley McSpadden, the mother of Michael Brown, discussed what happened in an “intimate and powerful” private meeting with family members of African-American youths killed in shootings. McSpadden said that “at one point [Clinton] walked over and put her hand on my shoulder. She let me know she was familiar with me and my situation, and my child. It made me feel like this isn't just someone running for president. This is somebody who is compassionate and feels what I'm saying. She was real." (People)
- Connecticut Gov. Dannel Malloy (D), the incoming chairman of the Democratic Governors Association, will begin stumping for Clinton this month, focusing on gun violence. (WFSB)
Martin O’Malley
- The Wall Street Journal published a photo of Martin O’Malley with Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders, captioning him as “an unidentified man.” Matthew Gertz of Media Matters tweeted the image and wrote, “Oh dear. This is a brutal photo caption.” Paul Gigot, The Wall Street Journal’s editor of editorial pages, released the following statement: “The caption is a joke about Martin O'Malley's obscurity as a Democratic presidential candidate. The photo ran with a column by James Taranto, who sometimes refers to 'Martin O'Malley, whoever he is.' Liberals need a better sense of humor." (CNN Money)
- Isaiah Nelson, who previously served as the South Carolina state director for Draft Biden, joined O’Malley’s campaign on Thursday as a senior adviser. Nelson said in a statement, “In light of Vice President Biden's decision not to run, it is clear that there is only one candidate in this race who has delivered results from raising the minimum wage, signing marriage equality into law, abolishing the death penalty, investing in education, and passing some of the strictest gun control laws in the country.” (Washington Examiner)
Bernie Sanders
- In an interview with NPR airing on Thursday, Bernie Sanders conceded he was struggling to connect with African-American voters. He said, “If the elections were held today, just among the African-American vote, we would lose. But I think we have a real path to winning the support of the African-American community for two reasons.” Sanders said that although is not well-known to African-Americans, he has the “strongest” record on civil rights. He added that his plan to make public colleges tuition-free is particularly beneficial to African-Americans. (NPR)
- Sanders’ campaign began airing its first Spanish-language ads on Nevada radio stations on Thursday. (International Business Times)
- On Thursday, Sanders’ older brother, Larry Sanders, participated in a radio interview on “The Takeaway” where he discussed their childhood. He said his brother’s political views were “transformed” by the Holocaust and the Civil Rights Movement. (The Takeaway, The Huffington Post)
- The Democratic National Committee announced on Thursday that it had signed a joint fundraising agreement with Sanders’ campaign. (Politico)
Republicans
- Fox Business will allow viewers to stream next Tuesday’s Republican debate without a cable subscription. Both Fox News and CNBC had restricted this service to paying subscribers during previous Republican debates. (Politico)
- Ben Carson’s and Donald Trump’s requests for Secret Service protection were approved on Thursday. Hillary Clinton, a former first lady, is the only other candidate to have a Secret Service detail. (CNN)
- U.S. Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) said he has not yet decided on whether to endorse Rand Paul, Ted Cruz or Lindsey Graham. He explained that “one of the weirdest things that can ever happen to a guy is to have three of his favorite coworkers all running for president at the same time.” (Politico)
- Donald Trump called an ad released this week by Deport Racism “a disgrace” for featuring Latino children using profanity to criticize Trump’s immigration policies. Marco Rubio also criticized the ad. He said, “They’re not bringing anybody to their side. They’re turning people off. People are looking at it and say, these people are grotesque. I mean these are little children. What kind of parent allows their children to go on a video like that and use that kind of profanity and what kind of parents allow a kid to do that?" (Politico)
Jeb Bush
- In a new authorized biography of Jeb Bush’s father, Destiny and Power: The American Odyssey of George Herbert Walker Bush, the elder Bush criticizes former Vice President Dick Cheney and former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld for how they handled the September 11 terrorist attacks. "I think my dad, like a lot of people that love George [W. Bush], want to try to create a different narrative, perhaps, just because that's natural to do,” said Jeb Bush of the book. (The Washington Post, The Hill)
- In an interview with The Huffington Post, Bush discussed his daughter’s struggles with drug addiction. He said, “She went through hell. And so did her mom and so did her dad. And it was in a private setting, but then it became very public when I was governor. And it wasn’t easy. … It’s very debilitating when you have a loved one who’s struggling and you can’t control it. I don’t know what it’s like to lose a daughter. But I almost did.” (The Huffington Post)
- On Thursday, Bush said he disagreed with the Obama administration’s decision to potentially reject a bilateral trade agreement with the United Kingdom if it left the European Union. “Great Britain is a sovereign nation, and they must make this decision about their relationship with Europe on their own. The U.S. should not be putting a thumb on the scale and certainly shouldn’t bully an ally. That said, as President, if Great Britain made that decision of course the U.S. would work with them on a trade agreement,” Bush said. (Breitbart)
Ben Carson
- Ben Carson defended comments he made in 1998 suggesting the Egyptian pyramids had been constructed to store grain by the biblical figure Joseph. He said on Thursday, “Some people believe in the Bible, like I do. And don't find that to be silly at all and believe that God created the earth and don't find that to be silly at all. The secular progressives try to ridicule it anytime it comes up and they're welcome to do that." (CNN)
- Carson’s campaign has made an $150,000 ad buy in eight cities across the country to connect with young black voters “on a level they appreciate and follow,” according to campaign spokesperson Doug Watts. The ad will begin airing on Friday and feature rap music about Carson mixed with statements from Carson himself. Carson has stated the ads were spearheaded by others in his campaign, adding, “I probably would have taken a little different approach." (Fortune, Billboard)
- CNN conducted an investigation into Carson’s statements that he had a “pathological temper” as a young man and had tried to stab a classmate in one of several violent episodes. CNN interview nine friends, classmates and neighbors who “expressed surprise about the incidents Carson has described.” One said, “I don't know nothing about that. It would have been all over the whole school." (CNN)
- In an interview on Friday morning, Carson responded to CNN’s story. He said the person he attempted to stab was a “close relative” rather than a classmate. "I don't like to generally bring them in, the names I used for instance are fictitious names because I don't want to bring people into something like this because I know what you guys do to their lives," Carson said. He also questioned the point of the investigation, saying, “They are so desperate looking for a scandal it's almost comical. What they should be concentrated on is how are we going to solve the problems that we have. They can waste all of their time digging but they're just not going to find anything." (CNN)
Chris Christie
- On Thursday, Chris Christie said he was not concerned with being downgraded to participation in the undercard debate next Tuesday. “We won't know till tonight. But listen, the bottom line is you need to be on a stage and debating. And so I will be on a stage and debating one way or the other, wherever they put me. You put one in the middle of the square in Manchester, I'll do it there,” Christie said. (Politico)
Ted Cruz
- Ted Cruz said on Thursday he believed it was “a plausible outcome” that the final two Republican candidates would be him and Marco Rubio. (CNN)
- The Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) said Cruz’s Senate hearing this week on terrorism was “biased and inflammatory” in a statement on Thursday. It added, “The growing and alarming trend in the United States to dehumanize Palestinians must be stopped and opposed by all who seek an end to the decades long conflict between Palestinians and Israelis.” Cruz said, “It is not surprising a terrorist organization like the PLO is upset with the truths that were told at our hearing yesterday.” (The Dallas Morning News, The Washington Post)
- On Wednesday, Cruz criticized China for its policy of forced abortions and sex-selection abortions to control the population. He said, “In America, we should stand with victims of oppression. In America, we should stand with Christians being persecuted by the brutal communist totalitarian dictatorship. In America, we should stand for women’s rights, for women being forced to commit forced abortions. These are horrific acts of brutality. They are inhumane. They are contrary not only to American values, but to human rights across the globe, and they are carried out as a matter of policy.” (LifeNews.com)
Carly Fiorina
- In a Facebook post on Thursday, Carly Fiorina questioned the “progressive view of feminism.” She wrote, “Feminism began as a rallying cry to empower women — to vote, to get an education, to enter the workplace. But over the years, feminism has devolved into a left-leaning political ideology where women are pitted against men and used as a political weapon to win elections.” (NBC News)
Lindsey Graham
- Lindsey Graham did not qualify for either the primetime or undercard Republican debate next Tuesday. His campaign manager Christian Ferry said, “"It is ironic that the only veteran in the race is going to be denied a voice the day before Veterans Day. In the end, the biggest loser tonight is the American people and the Republican Presidential primary process that has been hijacked by news outlets." (Politico)
Mike Huckabee
- Mike Huckabee said the Trans-Pacific Partnership – which was released in full on Thursday – would be beneficial to the “very top investor class of the economy” while wages stagnated for the bottom 90 percent. “This is going to be a great deal for the donor class, an extraordinarily lucrative to the people on Wall Street, but it is going to be a gut punch to people on Main Street. I’m not for sucker punch trade,” he said. (Breitbart)
Bobby Jindal
- Bobby Jindal’s administration filed an appeal with the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals to challenge a court order requiring the state continue to fund Planned Parenthood. (NOLA.com)
John Kasich
- West Virginia Sens. Ryan Ferns (R) and Daniel Hall (R) endorsed John Kasich this week. They will both serve as co-chairs of Kasich’s campaign in West Virginia. (John Kasich for President)
- Kasich dismissed the success of Donald Trump and Ben Carson in recent national polls on Thursday. "There is no substitute for executive experience. I mean there is no substitute for having to answer to a bottom line, to go through crisis," Kasich said. He added, “We don’t expect really to rise in the national polls until after New Hampshire." (ABC News)
George Pataki
- George Pataki tweeted his disappointment on Thursday night after learning he did not qualify for either Republican debate session next Tuesday. “Running for the most important leadership position in the world shouldn't be reduced to the level of American Idol or Survivor,” he wrote. (Newsmax)
Rand Paul
- On Thursday, Rand Paul said that Republican presidential candidates should participate in a Black Lives Matter presidential forum to discuss criminal justice reform. “If we were smart we would do it. They are drawing attention to issues that need to be drawn to,” Paul said. He added that he wanted to establish “economic freedom zones” with reduced taxes and regulations to encourage entrepreneurship in low-income communities. (The Huffington Post)
- In a radio interview with Glenn Beck on Thursday, Paul discussed the connection between “self-governance” and “virtue.” He said, “Government can’t save you. But it doesn’t mean we shouldn’t have people who believe in salvation — who believe in goodness and virtue and right and wrong — in government. If you don’t have those people and you don’t have that throughout the conscience of the public, you have a disaster. You can’t have a free society if you don’t have virtue.” (The Blaze)
Marco Rubio
- In an interview this week on Bloomberg’s “With All Due Respect,” Democratic strategist James Carville said Marco Rubio was “the only hope” for Republicans to win the presidential election. He predicted Rubio was the only candidate who could receive 45 percent or higher in the general election. (RealClearPolitics)
- Rubio positioned his national security platform as an alternative to “outdated political establishment” policies during a speech on Thursday. “The nature of warfare is always changing and the leaders of the past are almost always blind to these changes," Rubio said. He added that Hillary Clinton would “write the sequel to President Obama's disastrous foreign policy." (The Washington Post)
Rick Santorum
- In a fundraising letter sent to supporters on Thursday, Rick Santorum called President Barack Obama “a chicken” and said he had “taken on the ladies of The View,” Bill Maher, Rachel Maddow, ISIS and Iran. He added, “They know who I am and I know who they are!” (The Washington Post)
- Santorum suggested on Thursday that Donald Trump had a limited understanding of how the primary system worked. “I never knew Donald Trump was afraid of competition. … And you know, Donald’s not been in the political realm that much. He probably doesn’t understand these things. But the fact is, we go state by state. And I feel very comfortable when those votes are cast we’re going to be in good shape.” (Daily Caller)
Donald Trump
- Donald Trump took to Twitter on Thursday night to question Ben Carson’s narrative of his own upbringing and childhood. “The Carson story is either a total fabrication or, if true, even worse-trying to hit mother over the head with a hammer or stabbing friend!” Trump tweeted. (CNN)
- Trump will host Saturday Night Live on NBC this weekend. The network “accidentally” released a promo for the episode on Wednesday that showed Trump calling Ben Carson “a complete and total loser.” (Politico)
Third Party Candidates
Jill Stein (Green Party)
- In an interview with teleSUR published this week, Jill Stein said she would “abolish student debt, which can be done with the stroke of a pen and is really critical for liberating an entire generation of youth who are essentially indentured servants right now with no hope of change on the horizon” in her first 100 days of office if elected president. She added she wanted to establish a “Medicare-for-all” system of healthcare. (teleSUR)
- Commenting on the Democratic and Republican presidential field, Stein said in the same interview, “If Bernie does lose the [Democratic] nomination, he will encourage his followers to embrace the Democratic nominee, who would likely be Hillary Clinton in this scenario. I didn’t find the ‘look at how scary the Republicans are’ argument very compelling when it was Barack Obama versus Mitt Romney, given that Romney governed like a moderate Democrat when he actually had power. But this time there are the likes of Ben Carson and Donald Trump who I don’t think it’s unfair to say have overtly fascist campaigns.” (teleSUR)
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
