thewashingtonexaminer--2020-06-12--Politics steamrolls lockdowns as live events return

Political campaigning is back , following a coronavirus-induced hiatus that dates back to early March .
President Trump has already in-person fundraising , with his patented MAGA campaign rallies poised to follow .
The Republican National Committee ’ s field staff is set to begin for the Trump-Pence ticket , and the party is moving toward a live convention , whether Democratic North Carolina Gov .
Roy Cooper likes it or not .
Crowded Black Lives Matter protests are taking place in every major city , with the blessing of Democrats and some Republicans .
Even presumptive Democratic nominee Joe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ most recently with an appearance in Philadelphia on Thursday .
`` There is no better place than America 's Heartland to restart our Make America Great Again Rallies , '' said Michael Glassner , chief operating officer of the Trump reelection campaign in an announcement of a June 19 event in Tulsa .
`` There 's no doubt that the Great American Comeback is here , and we are looking forward to the tremendous crowds and enthusiasm behind President Trump . ''
The pandemic has receded somewhat for now , and even if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to put retail politics back in the lockdown box .
Part of that is due to the fact that thousands have poured into the streets to protest the death of George Floyd , an unarmed black man , in Minneapolis police custody .
Public health experts have largely defended the lack of social distancing at these demonstrations , although face masks are fairly common .
“ While everyone is concerned about the risk of COVID , there are risks with just being black in this country that almost outweigh that sometimes , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , who specializes in infectious disease , .
Some have signed letters similarly arguing that systemic racism is the greater public health threat .
Elected officials have taken part in these protests , even where stay-at-home orders remain in place .
This has caused some to argue there is a double standard .
Trump has been eager to get back on the campaign trail for weeks .
`` We 're going to start our rallies back up now , '' he told reporters at the White House on Wednesday .
`` We 've @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ...
It 's been an amazing thing to behold . ''
The president has also been pushing states to reopen their economies , though he has deferred to governors and his own expert advisers about the timing .
The lockdowns were already starting to become a partisan issue , with Republicans more supportive of easing restrictions on businesses and individuals than Democrats , though senior citizens — a previously Trump-friendly demographic especially at risk of the coronavirus — have expressed a desire for caution in some polling .
Trump has come under fire @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the date on which the Emancipation Proclamation was signed , in a city where a mob attacked and killed black people 99 years ago .
`` As the party of Lincoln , Republicans are proud of the history of Juneteenth , which is the anniversary of the last reading of the Emancipation Proclamation , ” Trump campaign adviser Katrina Pierson said in a statement .
The Trump campaign also has rallies planned in Florida , North Carolina , and Arizona , all battleground states in the fall , as well as Texas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ private polling suggests is closer than usual .
“ Nobody gets more juice out of rallies than [ Trump ] does , ” said Republican strategist Scott Jennings .
While Biden has moved out to a solid lead in most national and battleground state polling since the quarantines have been in effect , Trump ’ s presence on the trail will put pressure on the 77-year-old former vice president to keep up .
Biden ’ s last big , major in-person campaign rally was on March 9 , and some of his virtual @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Social distancing is , to some extent , expected at these events , and people in close proximity to the president or Vice President Mike Pence will be subject to testing .
`` By clicking register below , you are acknowledging that an inherent risk of exposure to COVID-19 exists in any public place where people are present , '' reads a disclaimer for the Tulsa rally , for which general admission attendees `` voluntarily assume all risks . ''
There 's no mention of face masks or federal guidance .
But the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a test case for other large public events that have yet to resume , such as concerts and live spectator sports .
Trump campaign manager Brad Parscale has predicted `` the kind of crowds and enthusiasm '' for the president `` that sleepy Joe Biden can only dream of . ''

Political campaigning is back, following a coronavirus-induced hiatus that dates back to early March.
President Trump has already resumed in-person fundraising, with his patented MAGA campaign rallies poised to follow. The Republican National Committee’s field staff is set to begin knocking on doors for the Trump-Pence ticket, and the party is moving toward a live convention, whether Democratic North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper likes it or not . Crowded Black Lives Matter protests are taking place in every major city, with the blessing of Democrats and some Republicans. Even presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden has emerged from his basement, most recently with an appearance in Philadelphia on Thursday.
"There is no better place than America's Heartland to restart our Make America Great Again Rallies," said Michael Glassner, chief operating officer of the Trump reelection campaign in an announcement of a June 19 event in Tulsa. "There's no doubt that the Great American Comeback is here, and we are looking forward to the tremendous crowds and enthusiasm behind President Trump."
The pandemic has receded somewhat for now, and even if it resurges, it will be difficult to put retail politics back in the lockdown box. Part of that is due to the fact that thousands have poured into the streets to protest the death of George Floyd, an unarmed black man, in Minneapolis police custody.
Public health experts have largely defended the lack of social distancing at these demonstrations, although face masks are fairly common. “While everyone is concerned about the risk of COVID, there are risks with just being black in this country that almost outweigh that sometimes," Abby Hussein of the University of Washington, who specializes in infectious disease, told CNN . Some have signed letters similarly arguing that systemic racism is the greater public health threat. Elected officials have taken part in these protests, even where stay-at-home orders remain in place.
This has caused some to argue there is a double standard. Trump has been eager to get back on the campaign trail for weeks. "We're going to start our rallies back up now," he told reporters at the White House on Wednesday. "We've had a tremendous run at rallies. ... It's been an amazing thing to behold." The president has also been pushing states to reopen their economies, though he has deferred to governors and his own expert advisers about the timing.
The lockdowns were already starting to become a partisan issue, with Republicans more supportive of easing restrictions on businesses and individuals than Democrats, though senior citizens — a previously Trump-friendly demographic especially at risk of the coronavirus — have expressed a desire for caution in some polling.
Trump has come under fire for hosting his first rally on Juneteenth, the date on which the Emancipation Proclamation was signed, in a city where a mob attacked and killed black people 99 years ago. "As the party of Lincoln, Republicans are proud of the history of Juneteenth, which is the anniversary of the last reading of the Emancipation Proclamation,” Trump campaign adviser Katrina Pierson said in a statement.
The Trump campaign also has rallies planned in Florida, North Carolina, and Arizona, all battleground states in the fall, as well as Texas, a traditionally red state public and private polling suggests is closer than usual.
“Nobody gets more juice out of rallies than [Trump] does,” said Republican strategist Scott Jennings.
While Biden has moved out to a solid lead in most national and battleground state polling since the quarantines have been in effect, Trump’s presence on the trail will put pressure on the 77-year-old former vice president to keep up. Biden’s last big, major in-person campaign rally was on March 9, and some of his virtual events have been plagued with glitches.
Social distancing is, to some extent, expected at these events, and people in close proximity to the president or Vice President Mike Pence will be subject to testing. "By clicking register below, you are acknowledging that an inherent risk of exposure to COVID-19 exists in any public place where people are present," reads a disclaimer for the Tulsa rally, for which general admission attendees "voluntarily assume all risks." There's no mention of face masks or federal guidance. But the return of campaigning is going to be a test case for other large public events that have yet to resume, such as concerts and live spectator sports.
Trump campaign manager Brad Parscale has predicted "the kind of crowds and enthusiasm" for the president "that sleepy Joe Biden can only dream of."


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-06-12--'Scares me to death': Georgia Republicans fret voting access issue could sink Trump

Republican insiders in Georgia are warning after a balloting meltdown in Fulton County that Democrats could wield voting rights like a cudgel , galvanizing turnout this fall to defeat President Trump in the traditionally red state .
Georgia Republicans blame problems that plagued Georgia ’ s primary on Democratic officials running Fulton County , a diverse enclave in metro Atlanta with a population nearly 44 % black .
But Republicans worry they are arguing in vain .
Democratic turnout among white and black voters was high in this week ’ s elections , even in predominantly GOP precincts .
They @ @ @ @ @ @ @ November if Democrats manage to demonize Republicans as actively suppressing minorities from voting .
In a state trending competitive , that could cost Trump Georgia ’ s critical 16 votes in the Electoral College against presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden .
A sunbelt loss would jeopardize his reelection .
“ It scares me to death .
I ’ ve gotten very little sleep , ” a veteran Republican strategist in Georgia said following the primary .
“ They ’ re going to fire up an already fired-up base , and that concerns me @ @ @ @ @ @ @ options in Georgia , from early voting to mail-in voting to Election Day voting .
Although the secretary of state , who oversees elections statewide , is a Republican , political leaders in Fulton County are Democrats .
Republicans claim the local Democrats are more responsible for the snafus that affected voter participation in Fulton County on Tuesday .
There were problems with electronic voting machines , confusion with mail-in ballots , and too few in-person polling places .
Vivid coverage featured black voters waiting hours in long lines in metro Atlanta , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rural areas waltzing in and out of precincts .
Amid nationwide protests for racial equality sparked by the death of George Floyd , a black man who died after a white Minneapolis police officer knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes , Georgia Republicans fear Democrats will weaponize Fulton County against them , no matter whose fault the snafus were .
“ It gives Democrats a rallying cry by painting GOP elected officials as backwoods racists to large swaths of independent-minded suburban voters , ” a Republican operative in Atlanta said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ transplants .
Thus , they would tend to be prone to vote against a ‘ good ole boy ’ system.
” Democrats say the rallying cry is deserved , accusing Republicans of “ waging an orchestrated campaign ” to deny ethnic minorities the franchise .
Democrats deployed the attack long before Floyd ’ s death in May , and before problems that surfaced in Fulton County during the primary , delayed from March because of the coronavirus .
Trump barely won Georgia four years ago , attracting just under 51 % of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ voting rights to the president ’ s vulnerabilities could turn the state blue for the first time since 1992 .
“ Georgia Democrats are calling for the secretary of state to own up to his mistakes from [ Tuesday ] and do his job and make sure that every voter has fair and equitable access to the ballot , ” said Maggie Chambers , a Georgia Democratic Party spokeswoman .
The Republican National Committee rejected the allegations , countering that the malfunction in Fulton County is a prime example of why Democrats can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Republican leaders in Washington particularly take issue with the Democratic Party ’ s push for expanded mail-in voting to mitigate health risks posed by the coronavirus , saying what happened in Georgia would replicate across the country on Election Day and cause chaos .
“ The fumbled response in Georgia yesterday and the voting disasters we ’ ve seen across the country are exactly why the RNC is fighting back against the Democrats ’ assault on the integrity of our elections process , ” RNC spokeswoman Mandi Merritt said .
“ States @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to switch to a universal vote-by-mail system when the election is merely months away.
” Republicans in the key Rust Belt states of the upper Midwest offered a mixed assessment when asked whether the issue of voting rights was a strong enough issue to supercharge the black vote for Biden and push urban voting levels back to the historic highs reached during Barack Obama ’ s presidential campaigns in 2008 and 2012 .
Biden holds narrow leads over Trump in Pennsylvania , Michigan , and Wisconsin , but there are signs he is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ concede voting rights could deliver extra votes for Democrats and help Biden overcome a lack of enthusiasm .
But some GOP insiders said hurdles to voting in urban Democratic municipalities , if they exist , might just as easily benefit Republicans .
The Trump and Biden campaigns did not respond to a request for comment .

Republican insiders in Georgia are warning after a balloting meltdown in Fulton County that Democrats could wield voting rights like a cudgel, galvanizing turnout this fall to defeat President Trump in the traditionally red state.
Georgia Republicans blame problems that plagued Georgia’s primary on Democratic officials running Fulton County, a diverse enclave in metro Atlanta with a population that is nearly 44% black.
But Republicans worry they are arguing in vain. Democratic turnout among white and black voters was high in this week’s elections, even in predominantly GOP precincts. They fear it could reach historic levels in November if Democrats manage to demonize Republicans as actively suppressing minorities from voting.
In a state trending competitive, that could cost Trump Georgia’s critical 16 votes in the Electoral College against presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden. A sunbelt loss would jeopardize his reelection.
“It scares me to death. I’ve gotten very little sleep,” a veteran Republican strategist in Georgia said following the primary. “They’re going to fire up an already fired-up base, and that concerns me for November.”
There are myriad voting options in Georgia, from early voting to mail-in voting to Election Day voting. Although the secretary of state, who oversees elections statewide, is a Republican, political leaders in Fulton County are Democrats. Republicans claim the local Democrats are more responsible for the snafus that affected voter participation in Fulton County on Tuesday. There were problems with electronic voting machines, confusion with mail-in ballots, and too few in-person polling places.
Vivid coverage featured black voters waiting hours in long lines in metro Atlanta, juxtaposed against pictures of white voters in rural areas waltzing in and out of precincts. Amid nationwide protests for racial equality sparked by the death of George Floyd, a black man who died after a white Minneapolis police officer knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes, Georgia Republicans fear Democrats will weaponize Fulton County against them, no matter whose fault the snafus were.
“It gives Democrats a rallying cry by painting GOP elected officials as backwoods racists to large swaths of independent-minded suburban voters,” a Republican operative in Atlanta said. “They skew younger and are often transplants. Thus, they would tend to be prone to vote against a ‘good ole boy’ system.”
Democrats say the rallying cry is deserved, accusing Republicans of “waging an orchestrated campaign” to deny ethnic minorities the franchise.
Democrats deployed the attack long before Floyd’s death in May, and before problems that surfaced in Fulton County during the primary, delayed from March because of the coronavirus. Trump barely won Georgia four years ago, attracting just under 51% of the vote. Liberals are hopeful that adding voting rights to the president’s vulnerabilities could turn the state blue for the first time since 1992.
“Georgia Democrats are calling for the secretary of state to own up to his mistakes from [Tuesday] and do his job and make sure that every voter has fair and equitable access to the ballot,” said Maggie Chambers, a Georgia Democratic Party spokeswoman.
The Republican National Committee rejected the allegations, countering that the malfunction in Fulton County is a prime example of why Democrats cannot be trusted to preserve voting access. Republican leaders in Washington particularly take issue with the Democratic Party’s push for expanded mail-in voting to mitigate health risks posed by the coronavirus, saying what happened in Georgia would replicate across the country on Election Day and cause chaos.
“The fumbled response in Georgia yesterday and the voting disasters we’ve seen across the country are exactly why the RNC is fighting back against the Democrats’ assault on the integrity of our elections process,” RNC spokeswoman Mandi Merritt said. “States just don’t have the experience to switch to a universal vote-by-mail system when the election is merely months away.”
Republicans in the key Rust Belt states of the upper Midwest offered a mixed assessment when asked whether the issue of voting rights was a strong enough issue to supercharge the black vote for Biden and push urban voting levels back to the historic highs reached during Barack Obama’s presidential campaigns in 2008 and 2012.
Biden holds narrow leads over Trump in Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin, but there are signs he is saddled with an enthusiasm gap.
Republicans concede voting rights could deliver extra votes for Democrats and help Biden overcome a lack of enthusiasm. But some GOP insiders said hurdles to voting in urban Democratic municipalities, if they exist, might just as easily benefit Republicans.
The Trump and Biden campaigns did not respond to a request for comment.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-06-12--Trump cries of 'fake' polls more politics than legitimate criticism, analysts say

As nationwide polls find Joe Biden with substantial leads over President Trump , the president has ramped up his frequent insistence that polls are “ fake ” and biased .
But pollsters and analysts say that small technical criticisms do not invalidate the poll findings .
The president a memo on Monday from John McLaughlin of , a Republican who works for the Trump campaign , that criticized recent polls that found Biden with significant leads over Trump .
A national CNN conducted June 2-5 found Biden leading Trump by 14 points , one of the widest margins of matchup @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Street Journal conducted May 28-June 2 found Biden 7 points ahead , and an ABC/ Washington Post conducted May 35-38 found Biden up by 10 points .
“ It has to be a strategy to counter the enthusiasm of Trump voters , ” McLaughlin said .
“ The refusal to screen for actual likely voters is creating an under-polling of Republicans and therefore Trump voters .
It seems intentional .
It ’ s exactly what the media did in 2016.
” McLaughlin argued that the polls are “ biased ” and “ skewed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the polls measure all adults or registered voters rather than likely voters , which tends to be a measurement that reflects increased support for Republicans in polls .
Second , the polls are based on a percentage of Republicans that is smaller than the percentage of Republicans who turned out to vote in 2016 .
Analysts say that those issues , however , do not change the consensus that if the election were held in early June , Biden would have a significant popular vote lead .
“ It is generally accepted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ likely voters this early , if only because it 's much more difficult to ascertain who the likely voters are going to be , ” said Dan Schnur , a professor at the University of Southern California and expert on public opinion polls .
Iowa pollster J. Ann Selzer of Selzer & Company said that the McLaughlin criticism of the percentage of Republicans is off-base because the electorate is always changing , and turnout from a previous election does not mean the trend will hold in the next one .
Independent pollster John @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is an “ ongoing problem ” that many polls underrepresent Republicans and overrepresent Democrats .
But because so many polls , including his own , find that Biden has a substantial lead , the sampling issue is not enough to invalidate the polls , he said .
Another point McLaughlin made was that Trump voters are more enthusiastic than Biden voters .
“ In a close race , the relative levels of voter motivation are critically important .
But it 's not going to change a landslide , ” Schnur said .
Using @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump campaign that CNN apologize for its most recent poll .
But the campaign made missteps .
`` It 's a poll of 1,259 adults — not even registered voters , let alone likely voters , '' the Trump campaign letter said .
CNN pointed out that while the entire poll included those who were not registered , it only asked 1,125 registered voters whether whey would pick Biden or Trump .
Other complaints from the Trump campaign , such as the fact that the CNN poll was largely conducted before a , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ methodology .
Republican strategist Alex Conant of Firehouse Strategies identified the complaints as little more than a political tactic to counter bad news and keep the Trump base energized .
“ The challenge for the Trump campaign is that the polls are so consistently bad , ” he said .
“ I 've worked on a lot of campaigns where we 've been way down and argued that the polls were off or the polls were biased , ” Conant added .
“ We normally lost those campaigns.
” Polls that show Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ however , do not mean that Trump is guaranteed to lose in November — a point that Democratic operatives and strategists stress by saying , “ Ignore the polls.
” There is much knee-jerk skepticism of polls because so many expected Hillary Clinton to beat Trump in 2016 .
But the consensus analysis is that the problem was not a large , systemic problem in polling or most polls themselves but was rather with some select statewide polls and prediction analysts who had forecast a near-inevitable Clinton win .
National polls leading up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Trump , and she did win about 3 million more individual votes than Trump .
But because the Electoral College , not the popular vote , determines the winner of the presidency , the state polls were more consequential than national polls .
Selzer said that one problem was that many of the polls in Wisconsin , Michigan , and Pennsylvania were based on panels of voters who agreed to be repeatedly polled rather than random samples of voters .
Other included state pollsters failing to adjust for differences between voters with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to answer polls .
Zogby noted that despite other issues , in many states where Trump ’ s win surprised legal observers , polls showed the gap between Trump and Clinton significantly narrowing in the weeks leading up to election day .
Those are reflected in RealClearPolitics averages of polls in and in 2016 .
“ It ’ s low-hanging fruit for someone to take issue with a poll , ” Selzer said .

As nationwide polls find Joe Biden with substantial leads over President Trump, the president has ramped up his frequent insistence that polls are “fake” and biased. But pollsters and analysts say that small technical criticisms do not invalidate the poll findings.
The president tweeted a memo on Monday from John McLaughlin of McLaughlin & Associates , a Republican pollster who works for the Trump campaign, that criticized recent polls that found Biden with significant leads over Trump.
A national CNN poll conducted June 2-5 found Biden leading Trump by 14 points, one of the widest margins of matchup polling so far. An NBC/Wall Street Journal poll conducted May 28-June 2 found Biden 7 points ahead, and an ABC/Washington Post poll conducted May 35-38 found Biden up by 10 points.
“It has to be a strategy to counter the enthusiasm of Trump voters,” McLaughlin said. “The refusal to screen for actual likely voters is creating an under-polling of Republicans and therefore Trump voters. It seems intentional. It’s exactly what the media did in 2016.”
McLaughlin argued that the polls are “biased” and “skewed” for two main reasons: First, the polls measure all adults or registered voters rather than likely voters, which tends to be a measurement that reflects increased support for Republicans in polls. Second, the polls are based on a percentage of Republicans that is smaller than the percentage of Republicans who turned out to vote in 2016.
Analysts say that those issues, however, do not change the consensus that if the election were held in early June, Biden would have a significant popular vote lead.
“It is generally accepted practice to poll registered voters rather than likely voters this early, if only because it's much more difficult to ascertain who the likely voters are going to be,” said Dan Schnur, a professor at the University of Southern California and expert on public opinion polls.
Iowa pollster J. Ann Selzer of Selzer & Company said that the McLaughlin criticism of the percentage of Republicans is off-base because the electorate is always changing, and turnout from a previous election does not mean the trend will hold in the next one.
Independent pollster John Zogby, though, said that it is an “ongoing problem” that many polls underrepresent Republicans and overrepresent Democrats. But because so many polls, including his own, find that Biden has a substantial lead, the sampling issue is not enough to invalidate the polls, he said.
Another point McLaughlin made was that Trump voters are more enthusiastic than Biden voters .
“In a close race, the relative levels of voter motivation are critically important. But it's not going to change a landslide,” Schnur said.
Using the McLaughlin memo as backing, the Trump campaign demanded that CNN apologize for its most recent poll. But the campaign made missteps.
"It's a poll of 1,259 adults — not even registered voters, let alone likely voters," the Trump campaign letter said. CNN pointed out that while the entire poll included those who were not registered, it only asked 1,125 registered voters whether whey would pick Biden or Trump.
Other complaints from the Trump campaign, such as the fact that the CNN poll was largely conducted before a jobs report showed unemployment decreasing in May , had little to do with actual poll methodology.
Republican strategist Alex Conant of Firehouse Strategies identified the complaints as little more than a political tactic to counter bad news and keep the Trump base energized.
“The challenge for the Trump campaign is that the polls are so consistently bad,” he said.
“I've worked on a lot of campaigns where we've been way down and argued that the polls were off or the polls were biased,” Conant added. “We normally lost those campaigns.”
Polls that show Biden leading five months before the election, however, do not mean that Trump is guaranteed to lose in November — a point that Democratic operatives and strategists stress by saying, “Ignore the polls.”
There is much knee-jerk skepticism of polls because so many expected Hillary Clinton to beat Trump in 2016. But the consensus analysis is that the problem was not a large, systemic problem in polling or most polls themselves but was rather with some select statewide polls and prediction analysts who had forecast a near-inevitable Clinton win.
National polls leading up to the election found Clinton slightly ahead of Trump, and she did win about 3 million more individual votes than Trump. But because the Electoral College, not the popular vote, determines the winner of the presidency, the state polls were more consequential than national polls.
Selzer said that one problem was that many of the polls in Wisconsin, Michigan, and Pennsylvania were based on panels of voters who agreed to be repeatedly polled rather than random samples of voters.
Other issues included state pollsters failing to adjust for differences between voters with college degrees, who were more likely to answer polls.
Zogby noted that despite other issues, in many states where Trump’s win surprised legal observers, polls showed the gap between Trump and Clinton significantly narrowing in the weeks leading up to election day. Those are reflected in RealClearPolitics averages of polls in Michigan and Pennsylvania in 2016.
“It’s low-hanging fruit for someone to take issue with a poll,” Selzer said.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-06-12--Having the Republican convention in an arena is an unneeded risk

It can be dizzying to follow the rules from government officials , “ public health experts , ” and the media on what we are and are n't supposed to do amid the coronavirus epidemic .
But the rank double-standards of Democrats , “ experts , ” and journalists shouldn ’ t make Republicans and conservatives toss judgment out the window when planning events this summer .
President Trump and the Republican National Committee are taking on unneeded risk in planning a multiday , indoor convention with thousands of delegates and guests from around the country .
Trump might be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rally , which would pack just as much rhetorical and entertainment punch while providing a much lesser risk of spreading the virus .
Any discussion about coronavirus spread should acknowledge the massive weight of what we don ’ t know about it .
Expert opinion has shifted about whether children spread it , whether outdoor spread is a real threat , whether asymptomatic people spread it , to what extent the virus survives on surfaces , whether masks help , what sorts of masks help , and so on .
But the weight @ @ @ @ @ @ @ look at the location of the outbreaks , suggests that the virus is spread through prolonged , close-quarters , indoor exposure to infected people , including pre-symptomatic infected people .
If you bring together 10,000 people from around the country and put them in the VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville , Florida , to shout and cheer in close quarters to one another for hours on end , three days in a row — and then send them back to all 50 states — it seems you ’ re running a pretty @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
That ’ s especially true because the crowd of delegates will include hundreds of people over 65 and because Trump has been setting a norm against mask-wearing .
An outdoor rally would allow for more spacing and less particle recirculation .
Limiting it to one day would provide fewer occasions for infection and reinfection .
Trump could pick the 15 best speakers , line them up in a row , and have one major blockbuster outdoor event .
I ’ m a huge defender of properly spaced outdoor gatherings .
I understand @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the direction the RNC is going now doesn ’ t seem to balance the risks properly .

It can be dizzying to follow the rules from government officials, “public health experts,” and the media on what we are and aren't supposed to do amid the coronavirus epidemic. But the rank double-standards of Democrats, “experts,” and journalists shouldn’t make Republicans and conservatives toss judgment out the window when planning events this summer.
President Trump and the Republican National Committee are taking on unneeded risk in planning a multiday, indoor convention with thousands of delegates and guests from around the country.
Trump might be better off with a one-day, outdoor rally, which would pack just as much rhetorical and entertainment punch while providing a much lesser risk of spreading the virus.
Any discussion about coronavirus spread should acknowledge the massive weight of what we don’t know about it. Expert opinion has shifted about whether children spread it, whether outdoor spread is a real threat, whether asymptomatic people spread it, to what extent the virus survives on surfaces, whether masks help, what sorts of masks help, and so on.
But the weight of the evidence, especially when we look at the location of the outbreaks, suggests that the virus is spread through prolonged, close-quarters, indoor exposure to infected people, including pre-symptomatic infected people.
If you bring together 10,000 people from around the country and put them in the VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Florida, to shout and cheer in close quarters to one another for hours on end, three days in a row — and then send them back to all 50 states — it seems you’re running a pretty high risk of significantly spreading the virus. That’s especially true because the crowd of delegates will include hundreds of people over 65 and because Trump has been setting a norm against mask-wearing.
An outdoor rally would allow for more spacing and less particle recirculation. Limiting it to one day would provide fewer occasions for infection and reinfection. Trump could pick the 15 best speakers, line them up in a row, and have one major blockbuster outdoor event.
I’m a huge defender of properly spaced outdoor gatherings. I understand why Trump wants a rally. But the direction the RNC is going now doesn’t seem to balance the risks properly.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-06-12--Trump on defensive as electoral bush fires rage

The Trump campaign is frantically spending money to stave off plummeting poll numbers in a number of states the president carried in 2016 , signaling trouble and a defensive posture in the months leading up to the general election .
In the past few weeks , the president 's reelection team has spent more than $ 1 million on television ads in both Iowa and Ohio , two states he flipped from the Democrats in 2016 and where his margin of victory over Democratic rival Hillary Clinton was more than 9 points .
Voters in Des Moines , Cedar Rapids @ @ @ @ @ @ @ $ 400,000 in television ads , while those in Ohio are beginning to see a nearly $ 1 million ad campaign there .
Polling in both those states shows warning signs for Trump .
Losing both would make it difficult , though not impossible , to win reelection .
In Ohio , a RealClearPolitics average of recent surveys has him leading by just 0.5 points over Joe Biden , the presumptive Democratic nominee , with a survey conducted in June showing Biden ahead by 2 points .
Polling is sparse in Iowa , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , before the George Floyd protests , had Trump leading by 2 points .
Trump won the state in 2016 by 9.5 points , a nearly identical margin to Obama in 2008 .
The story is much the same in Arizona , where the campaign has committed hundreds of thousands of dollars to Facebook ads attacking Biden .
The campaign announced that the president would also be flying to Phoenix for a `` Students for Trump '' rally later this month , marking his third trip to the state this year .
Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 3.4 points , with one poll taken at the end of May showing Trump with a single-point advantage .
Trump won Arizona by 3.5 points in 2016 .
And the rallies wo n't end there , with the president also planning on visiting Texas , Florida , and North Carolina .
`` We 're going to start our rallies back up now , '' Trump told reporters at the White House on Wednesday .
`` We 've had a tremendous run at rallies .
...
It 's been an amazing thing to behold @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has been moved to Jacksonville , Florida , the party will still hold one day of festivities in Charlotte , North Carolina .
Trump will then accept the party 's nomination in Florida .
In both states , Trump faces an uphill battle .
Although an average of polls shows Trump with a 0.3 lead over Biden in North Carolina , the two latest surveys from the state show Biden with a 1- and 4-point lead , respectively .
Biden has also led Trump in every poll out of Florida since April , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Trump won both those states by 3.7 and 1.2 points in 2016 .

The Trump campaign is frantically spending money to stave off plummeting poll numbers in a number of states the president carried in 2016, signaling trouble and a defensive posture in the months leading up to the general election.
In the past few weeks, the president's reelection team has spent more than $1 million on television ads in both Iowa and Ohio, two states he flipped from the Democrats in 2016 and where his margin of victory over Democratic rival Hillary Clinton was more than 9 points. Voters in Des Moines, Cedar Rapids, and Sioux City saw more than $400,000 in television ads, while those in Ohio are beginning to see a nearly $1 million ad campaign there.
Polling in both those states shows warning signs for Trump. Losing both would make it difficult, though not impossible, to win reelection. In Ohio, a RealClearPolitics average of recent surveys has him leading by just 0.5 points over Joe Biden, the presumptive Democratic nominee, with a survey conducted in June showing Biden ahead by 2 points.
Polling is sparse in Iowa, but a survey conducted in early May, before the George Floyd protests, had Trump leading by 2 points. Trump won the state in 2016 by 9.5 points, a nearly identical margin to Obama in 2008.
The story is much the same in Arizona, where the campaign has committed hundreds of thousands of dollars to Facebook ads attacking Biden. The campaign announced that the president would also be flying to Phoenix for a "Students for Trump" rally later this month, marking his third trip to the state this year. Biden currently leads Trump by an average of 3.4 points, with one poll taken at the end of May showing Trump with a single-point advantage. Trump won Arizona by 3.5 points in 2016.
And the rallies won't end there, with the president also planning on visiting Texas, Florida, and North Carolina.
"We're going to start our rallies back up now," Trump told reporters at the White House on Wednesday. "We've had a tremendous run at rallies. ... It's been an amazing thing to behold."
Though the Republican National Convention has been moved to Jacksonville, Florida, the party will still hold one day of festivities in Charlotte, North Carolina. Trump will then accept the party's nomination in Florida. In both states, Trump faces an uphill battle. Although an average of polls shows Trump with a 0.3 lead over Biden in North Carolina, the two latest surveys from the state show Biden with a 1- and 4-point lead, respectively. Biden has also led Trump in every poll out of Florida since April, putting his average lead at 3.4 points. Trump won both those states by 3.7 and 1.2 points in 2016.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-06-12--Mail-in ballot surge could delay election night call in Pennsylvania

Local officials in Pennsylvania have yet to finish counting an avalanche of mail-in ballots days after the state ’ s June 2 primary , suggesting it could take weeks after Election Day this fall to determine the outcome of the presidential contest in this key battleground .
In interviews with CBS News this week , county and city officials in Pennsylvania confirmed their municipalities were still counting votes , saying they were ill-equipped to process the surge in mailed-in ballots caused by the coronavirus .
The delay has not left any key primary contests in limbo .
But local officials @ @ @ @ @ @ @ higher participation expected in the upcoming presidential election and say it could take days to declare a winner .
“ I have this nightmare of CNN , Fox , CBS , and everyone else waiting for these things to come in on election night , and we don ’ t have them , ” Luzerne County Manager David Pedri said .
Luzerne County , in northeastern Pennsylvania , was captured by President Trump in 2016 after voting Democrat for decades .
Philadelphia was in the same boat .
More than a week after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the state was still processing mail-in ballots , in part because more voters participated absentee than did so in the 2016 general election .
Officials are warning the country should gird for a delayed call in Pennsylvania this November .
If the contest between Trump and presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden is close , the outcome could hinge on Pennsylvania ’ s 20 votes in the Electoral College .
“ News organizations and the public will need to adjust their expectations on when results will be announced , ” Philadelphia Deputy Commissioner Nick @ @ @ @ @ @ @ both parties have traditionally voted in person on Election Day .
Then , last year , state lawmakers enacted legislation easing participation in mail-in voting .
With voters worried about contracting the COVID-19 virus , interest in voting absentee increased exponentially .
More than 1.8 million Pennsylvania voters requested mail-in ballots for the primary .
Under state law , cities and counties were not permitted to begin counting mailed-in votes until the day of the primary .

Local officials in Pennsylvania have yet to finish counting an avalanche of mail-in ballots days after the state’s June 2 primary, suggesting it could take weeks after Election Day this fall to determine the outcome of the presidential contest in this key battleground.
In interviews with CBS News this week, county and city officials in Pennsylvania confirmed their municipalities were still counting votes, saying they were ill-equipped to process the surge in mailed-in ballots caused by the coronavirus. The delay has not left any key primary contests in limbo. But local officials worry Pennsylvania is unprepared to handle the higher participation expected in the upcoming presidential election and say it could take days to declare a winner.
“I have this nightmare of CNN, Fox, CBS, and everyone else waiting for these things to come in on election night, and we don’t have them,” Luzerne County Manager David Pedri said. Luzerne County, in northeastern Pennsylvania, was captured by President Trump in 2016 after voting Democrat for decades.
Philadelphia was in the same boat.
More than a week after the primary, the largest city in the state was still processing mail-in ballots, in part because more voters participated absentee than did so in the 2016 general election. Officials are warning the country should gird for a delayed call in Pennsylvania this November. If the contest between Trump and presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden is close, the outcome could hinge on Pennsylvania’s 20 votes in the Electoral College.
“News organizations and the public will need to adjust their expectations on when results will be announced,” Philadelphia Deputy Commissioner Nick Custodio told CBS News.
Pennsylvanians of both parties have traditionally voted in person on Election Day.
Then, last year, state lawmakers enacted legislation easing participation in mail-in voting. With voters worried about contracting the COVID-19 virus, interest in voting absentee increased exponentially. More than 1.8 million Pennsylvania voters requested mail-in ballots for the primary. Under state law, cities and counties were not permitted to begin counting mailed-in votes until the day of the primary.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-06-12--Black community opposes 'defunding the police' by a 21-point margin: Poll

Black people oppose defunding the police by an overwhelming margin of 20 percentage points , according to a new poll that revealed broad support for reforming local law enforcement over proposals to gut resources .
Left-wing activists are urging that police departments be defunded after George Floyd , a black man , died after a white Minneapolis police officer knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes .
But most across the political spectrum , including most rank-and-file Democrats , are opposed .
Instead , they support significant reforms to policing practices , a YouGov survey for HuffPost found .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ by a 13-point margin , ” HuffPost reported .
“ But nearly every other ideological and demographic group opposes it .
Democrats and Democratic leaners oppose it by a 4-percentage point margin , and Black Americans oppose it by a 20-point margin.
” Only about a quarter of black people supported defunding the police , while 49 % opposed it .
In the poll , conducted Monday through Wednesday , 27 % of adults expressed support for defunding the police .
But when presented with a host of reforms to choose from , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ For instance , 73 % backed a ban on chokeholds , 72 % approved of the creation of a federal registry that would compile complaints against police officers , and 69 % supported the idea of national standards to regulate the use of force .
Public polling has shown voters are more receptive to police reform in the aftermath of Floyd ’ s death and after the wave of national protests that ensued .
Surveys also have revealed broader agreement with the notion that black people suffer systemic racism from law enforcement .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ suggested that voter approval of corrective police reforms has limits .
“ There ’ s more modest support for barring the use of ‘ no-knock ’ warrants in drug cases ( 49 % ) and for limiting the transfer of military equipment to police departments ( 46 % ) , ” HuffPost reported .
“ The public is almost evenly divided on a proposal to cut the budget of their local police department , and instead increase spending on services like social workers and mental health professionals.
” The poll did not provide @ @ @ @ @

Black people oppose defunding the police by an overwhelming margin of 20 percentage points, according to a new poll that revealed broad support for reforming local law enforcement over proposals to gut resources.
Left-wing activists are urging that police departments be defunded after George Floyd, a black man, died after a white Minneapolis police officer knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes. But most across the political spectrum, including most rank-and-file Democrats, are opposed. Instead, they support significant reforms to policing practices, a YouGov survey for HuffPost found.
“Self-described liberals support defunding the police by a 13-point margin,” HuffPost reported. “But nearly every other ideological and demographic group opposes it. Democrats and Democratic leaners oppose it by a 4-percentage point margin, and Black Americans oppose it by a 20-point margin.”
Only about a quarter of black people supported defunding the police, while 49% opposed it.
In the poll, conducted Monday through Wednesday, 27% of adults expressed support for defunding the police. But when presented with a host of reforms to choose from, these proposals enjoyed vastly more support. For instance, 73% backed a ban on chokeholds, 72% approved of the creation of a federal registry that would compile complaints against police officers, and 69% supported the idea of national standards to regulate the use of force.
Public polling has shown voters are more receptive to police reform in the aftermath of Floyd’s death and after the wave of national protests that ensued. Surveys also have revealed broader agreement with the notion that black people suffer systemic racism from law enforcement. But the findings in the YouGov poll suggested that voter approval of corrective police reforms has limits.
“There’s more modest support for barring the use of ‘no-knock’ warrants in drug cases (49%) and for limiting the transfer of military equipment to police departments (46%),” HuffPost reported. “The public is almost evenly divided on a proposal to cut the budget of their local police department, and instead increase spending on services like social workers and mental health professionals.”
The poll did not provide a margin of error.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-06-12--Democrats increasingly paranoid Trump won't leave office voluntarily if he loses

It 's the stuff of Democratic fever dreams .
President Trump loses the November election to Democratic rival Joe Biden but refuses to cede office when his term ends on Jan. 21 at 12 p.m .
There 's no actual evidence for this claim , but it 's one Democrats are making nonetheless .
It 's an effort led by Biden , his party 's presumptive nominee .
Biden Wednesday night told The Daily Show host Trevor Noah that Trump is `` going to try and steal this election . ''
Biden , who was President Barack Obama 's vice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Delaware senator before that , referenced Trump 's opposition to mail-in voting , due to what the president calls concerns about voter fraud .
`` I promise you : I am absolutely convinced they will escort him from the White House with great dispatch , '' Biden said , in conjecture about what would happen if he won and Trump refused to depart the executive mansion .
“ Leave it to Democrats to go out there and grandstand and level these conspiracy theories , '' she said Thursday .
It was n't the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ losing the election and potentially refusing to leave office .
During a virtual fundraiser in April , Biden predicted that Trump will try to postpone the election because `` that 's the only way he thinks he can possibly win . ''
`` Mark my words : I think he is going to try to kick back the election somehow ; come up with some rationale why it ca n't be held , '' Biden said .
`` Imagine threatening not to fund the post office .
Now , what in God 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trying to let the word out that he 's going to do all he can to make it very hard for people to vote . ''
Biden later echoed those remarks later that month , saying he does n't know if people can trust that `` this election will happen fairly and on time . ''
Although Republicans are happy to dismiss the comments as bluster or efforts to gin up the Democratic Party 's base , many are n't taking Biden 's comments as a joke .
Several Democrats running for reelection @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that if Trump loses , he 'll simply refuse to acknowledge the results of the election .
Washington state Attorney General Bob Ferguson wrote in an email to supporters in March that he will `` consider an emergency lawsuit , '' if Trump delays the election .
Virtually every election law expert has said there is no way to move the presidential election , and Trump has provided no indication he 's interested in trying to do so .

It's the stuff of Democratic fever dreams. President Trump loses the November election to Democratic rival Joe Biden but refuses to cede office when his term ends on Jan. 21 at 12 p.m.
There's no actual evidence for this claim, but it's one Democrats are making nonetheless. It's an effort led by Biden, his party's presumptive nominee.
Biden Wednesday night told The Daily Show host Trevor Noah that Trump is "going to try and steal this election."
Biden, who was President Barack Obama's vice president for eight years and a 36-year Delaware senator before that, referenced Trump's opposition to mail-in voting, due to what the president calls concerns about voter fraud.
"I promise you: I am absolutely convinced they will escort him from the White House with great dispatch," Biden said, in conjecture about what would happen if he won and Trump refused to depart the executive mansion.
White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany dismissed Biden's comments as a "ridiculous proposition."
“Leave it to Democrats to go out there and grandstand and level these conspiracy theories," she said Thursday.
It wasn't the first time Biden raised concerns about Trump losing the election and potentially refusing to leave office. During a virtual fundraiser in April, Biden predicted that Trump will try to postpone the election because "that's the only way he thinks he can possibly win."
"Mark my words: I think he is going to try to kick back the election somehow; come up with some rationale why it can't be held," Biden said. "Imagine threatening not to fund the post office. Now, what in God's name is that about? Other than trying to let the word out that he's going to do all he can to make it very hard for people to vote."
Biden later echoed those remarks later that month, saying he doesn't know if people can trust that "this election will happen fairly and on time."
Although Republicans are happy to dismiss the comments as bluster or efforts to gin up the Democratic Party's base, many aren't taking Biden's comments as a joke. Several Democrats running for reelection have already begun fundraising off the prospect that if Trump loses, he'll simply refuse to acknowledge the results of the election.
Washington state Attorney General Bob Ferguson wrote in an email to supporters in March that he will "consider an emergency lawsuit," if Trump delays the election.
Virtually every election law expert has said there is no way to move the presidential election, and Trump has provided no indication he's interested in trying to do so.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-06-12--Politics steamroll lockdowns as live events return


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-06-12--'Scares me to death': Georgia Republicans fret voting-access issue could sink Trump

Republican insiders in Georgia are warning after a balloting meltdown in Fulton County that Democrats could wield voting rights like a cudgel , galvanizing turnout this fall to defeat President Trump in the traditionally red state .
Georgia Republicans blame problems that plagued Georgia ’ s primary on Democratic officials running Fulton County , a diverse enclave in metro Atlanta with a population that is nearly 44 % black .
But Republicans worry they are arguing in vain .
Democratic turnout among white and black voters was high in this week ’ s elections , even in predominantly GOP precincts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ levels in November if Democrats manage to demonize Republicans as actively suppressing minorities from voting .
In a state trending competitive , that could cost Trump Georgia ’ s critical 16 votes in the Electoral College against presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden .
A sunbelt loss would jeopardize his reelection .
“ It scares me to death .
I ’ ve gotten very little sleep , ” a veteran Republican strategist in Georgia said following the primary .
“ They ’ re going to fire up an already fired-up base , and that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ myriad voting options in Georgia , from early voting to mail-in voting to Election Day voting .
Although the secretary of state , who oversees elections statewide , is a Republican , political leaders in Fulton County are Democrats .
Republicans claim the local Democrats are more responsible for the snafus that affected voter participation in Fulton County on Tuesday .
There were problems with electronic voting machines , confusion with mail-in ballots , and too few in-person polling places .
Vivid coverage featured black voters waiting hours in long lines in metro @ @ @ @ @ @ @ voters in rural areas waltzing in and out of precincts .
Amid nationwide protests for racial equality sparked by the death of George Floyd , a black man who died after a white Minneapolis police officer knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes , Georgia Republicans fear Democrats will weaponize Fulton County against them , no matter whose fault the snafus were .
“ It gives Democrats a rallying cry by painting GOP elected officials as backwoods racists to large swaths of independent-minded suburban voters , ” a Republican operative in Atlanta @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are often transplants .
Thus , they would tend to be prone to vote against a ‘ good ole boy ’ system.
” Democrats say the rallying cry is deserved , accusing Republicans of “ waging an orchestrated campaign ” to deny ethnic minorities the franchise .
Democrats deployed the attack long before Floyd ’ s death in May , and before problems that surfaced in Fulton County during the primary , delayed from March because of the coronavirus .
Trump barely won Georgia four years ago , attracting just under 51 % @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that adding voting rights to the president ’ s vulnerabilities could turn the state blue for the first time since 1992 .
“ Georgia Democrats are calling for the secretary of state to own up to his mistakes from [ Tuesday ] and do his job and make sure that every voter has fair and equitable access to the ballot , ” said Maggie Chambers , a Georgia Democratic Party spokeswoman .
The Republican National Committee rejected the allegations , countering that the malfunction in Fulton County is a prime example of why @ @ @ @ @ @ @ voting access .
Republican leaders in Washington particularly take issue with the Democratic Party ’ s push for expanded mail-in voting to mitigate health risks posed by the coronavirus , saying what happened in Georgia would replicate across the country on Election Day and cause chaos .
“ The fumbled response in Georgia yesterday and the voting disasters we ’ ve seen across the country are exactly why the RNC is fighting back against the Democrats ’ assault on the integrity of our elections process , ” RNC spokeswoman Mandi Merritt said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the experience to switch to a universal vote-by-mail system when the election is merely months away.
” Republicans in the key Rust Belt states of the upper Midwest offered a mixed assessment when asked whether the issue of voting rights was a strong enough issue to supercharge the black vote for Biden and push urban voting levels back to the historic highs reached during Barack Obama ’ s presidential campaigns in 2008 and 2012 .
Biden holds narrow leads over Trump in Pennsylvania , Michigan , and Wisconsin , but there are signs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Republicans concede voting rights could deliver extra votes for Democrats and help Biden overcome a lack of enthusiasm .
But some GOP insiders said hurdles to voting in urban Democratic municipalities , if they exist , might just as easily benefit Republicans .
The Trump and Biden campaigns did not respond to a request for comment .


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-06-15--Never Trump Republicans collaborating with Democrats to elect Biden

Never Trump Republicans are coordinating efforts to oust President Trump , even consulting with Democratic groups in a bid to deploy resources efficiently and compare notes on effective messaging strategy .
Republican Voters Against Trump , a new addition to the Never Trump ecosphere , is planning to spend $ 10 million on television and digital advertising in key battleground states .
The group is focused on transforming Republican voters who backed Trump in 2016 into supporters of presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden .
Top strategists at RVAT regularly touch base with Project Lincoln , a Never Trump group of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with ads targeting the president .
Both stay in touch with top Democratic outside groups , such as American Bridge , a liberal organization dedicated to opposition research , in a bid to maximize their campaign to take down Trump .
“ We ’ re all on the same team , ” RVAT co-founder Tim Miller told the Washington Examiner on Friday .
“ Since we 're in a grand coalition similar to World War II , we talk with and plan as best as possible with the various center-left groups , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump group .
For the past few years , Never Trump Republicans have actively worked to undermine the president ’ s political standing .
The effort began soon after Trump was inaugurated with Stand Up Republic , a group founded by Evan McMullin and Mindy Finn , mounting a longshot third-party bid against the president in 2016 .
Trump suffered a rebuke in the midterm elections , with Democrats capturing the House in a 40-seat sweep .
But Republicans picked up Senate seats the same year , and his political standing among Republican @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Republican Voters Against Trump hopes to put a dent in that .
The group is led by Miller , a former adviser to Jeb Bush , and Sarah Longwell , a top GOP operative in Never Trump circles .
Longwell has conducted focus groups across the country with Republicans who voted for Trump in 2016 to catalogue his strengths and weaknesses with them .
RVAT is using its findings to develop messaging designed to convince GOP voters unhappy with Trump , and who might have never voted Democrat before , that it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ likely on its target list include Arizona , Florida , Michigan , North Carolina , Pennsylvania , and Wisconsin .
Miller , who said RVAT has gained 2,000 new donors since launching in late May , said the crucial element in the group ’ s messaging is that it relies on testimonials of Republican voters who have already taken the plunge and decided to vote for Biden .
“ These are gettable voters for Biden , and so this program is targeted at reaching them , ” he said .
“ Based on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ resonates with them is hearing from authentic voices like them who understand their perspective rather than being lectured to by Democrats from D.C. ” American Bridge is running advertising in the Rust Belt over the next 10 weeks .
The Democratic group is investing $ 20 million in Michigan , Pennsylvania , and Wisconsin to create Biden voters out of rural seniors who backed Trump in 2016 .
The television and radio spots , airing in rural and exurban media markets , are based on testimonials of seniors who describe in their own @ @ @ @ @ @ @ president in favor of the former vice president .
“ Our strategy of lifting up local voices and having neighbors talk to neighbors about why they can no longer support Donald Trump is already moving the needle in places he can ’ t afford to lose , ” American Bridge President Bradley Beychok said in a statement .

Never Trump Republicans are coordinating efforts to oust President Trump, even consulting with Democratic groups in a bid to deploy resources efficiently and compare notes on effective messaging strategy.
Republican Voters Against Trump, a new addition to the Never Trump ecosphere, is planning to spend $10 million on television and digital advertising in key battleground states. The group is focused on transforming Republican voters who backed Trump in 2016 into supporters of presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden. Top strategists at RVAT regularly touch base with Project Lincoln, a Never Trump group of prominent establishment Republicans already on the air with ads targeting the president.
Both stay in touch with top Democratic outside groups, such as American Bridge, a liberal organization dedicated to opposition research, in a bid to maximize their campaign to take down Trump. “We’re all on the same team,” RVAT co-founder Tim Miller told the Washington Examiner on Friday.
“Since we're in a grand coalition similar to World War II, we talk with and plan as best as possible with the various center-left groups,” added a Republican strategist advising a Never Trump group.
For the past few years, Never Trump Republicans have actively worked to undermine the president’s political standing. The effort began soon after Trump was inaugurated with Stand Up Republic, a group founded by Evan McMullin and Mindy Finn, mounting a longshot third-party bid against the president in 2016.
Trump suffered a rebuke in the midterm elections, with Democrats capturing the House in a 40-seat sweep. But Republicans picked up Senate seats the same year, and his political standing among Republican voters has remained sky-high through multiple controversies. Republican Voters Against Trump hopes to put a dent in that. The group is led by Miller, a former adviser to Jeb Bush, and Sarah Longwell, a top GOP operative in Never Trump circles.
Longwell has conducted focus groups across the country with Republicans who voted for Trump in 2016 to catalogue his strengths and weaknesses with them. RVAT is using its findings to develop messaging designed to convince GOP voters unhappy with Trump, and who might have never voted Democrat before, that it is acceptable to support Biden. States likely on its target list include Arizona, Florida, Michigan, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin.
Miller, who said RVAT has gained 2,000 new donors since launching in late May, said the crucial element in the group’s messaging is that it relies on testimonials of Republican voters who have already taken the plunge and decided to vote for Biden.
“These are gettable voters for Biden, and so this program is targeted at reaching them,” he said. “Based on what we’ve learned, what resonates with them is hearing from authentic voices like them who understand their perspective rather than being lectured to by Democrats from D.C.”
American Bridge is running advertising in the Rust Belt over the next 10 weeks.
The Democratic group is investing $20 million in Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin to create Biden voters out of rural seniors who backed Trump in 2016. The television and radio spots, airing in rural and exurban media markets, are based on testimonials of seniors who describe in their own words why they decided to jettison the president in favor of the former vice president.
“Our strategy of lifting up local voices and having neighbors talk to neighbors about why they can no longer support Donald Trump is already moving the needle in places he can’t afford to lose,” American Bridge President Bradley Beychok said in a statement.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-06-15--Trump travails threaten GOP control of the Senate

President Trump ’ s recent polling slump has given Democrats hope that they can retake not only the White House but also the Senate in November .
Republicans are defending 21 Senate seats this year , including two of the three seats considered most likely to change parties and all three rated by most political analysts as toss-ups .
Democrats are only defending 12 seats .
That may not even demonstrate the full extent of the GOP ’ s vulnerability if Trump ’ s numbers don ’ t recover .
Republicans currently hold a 53-47 majority , counting two independents @ @ @ @ @ @ @ There are two things about the political climate that threaten GOP Senate incumbents , ” said Democratic strategist Brad Bannon .
“ A new Gallup has the president 's job rating at 39 % , which is dangerously low and currently not high enough to support a Republican majority .
A new by the Wall Street Journal and NBC News has 80 % of the public thinking that things in this country are out of control , a figure that is dangerously high.
” In fact , Trump ’ s job approval in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ month as the country endures civil unrest over police brutality faced by the black community in addition to the coronavirus and an economic slowdown .
He is also trailing presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden in national and most battleground state polls .
The president is behind by a margin of 8.1 percentage points in the RealClearPolitics nationwide polling average .
Democrats are seriously targeting five Republican incumbents : Sens .
Susan Collins of Maine , Cory Gardner of Colorado , Martha McSally of Arizona , Thom Tillis of North Carolina , and Steve @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they can expand the map to include Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky , the chamber ’ s Republican leader , as well as Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Sen. Joni Ernst of Iowa , though those are all reaches and contests in states Trump is still favored to win .
Republicans ’ best pickup opportunity is in Alabama , where Democratic Sen. Doug Jones would be a serious underdog to whichever Republican emerges from the July primary runoff : former Sen. Jeff Sessions or former Auburn football coach Tommy Tuberville .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Democratic Sen. Gary Peters of Michigan , who is leading Republican challenger John James but not always by a comfortable margin .
One recent survey had Peters up by 15 points , but another by a Democratic firm had him ahead by only 5 .
One advantage Republicans enjoy : 19 of their 21 incumbents come from states Trump won in 2016 .
One of the two exceptions is Maine , which Trump lost by fewer than 3 points while carrying the state ’ s 2nd Congressional District , good for one electoral @ @ @ @ @ @ @ where Trump lost by fewer than 5 points .
Libertarian Gary Johnson won more than 5 % in both states .
Democrats think Collins ’ s perceived moderation has become suspect among Maine voters , especially after she supported Trump on impeachment and Brett Kavanaugh ’ s nomination to the Supreme Court .
McSally is coming off a loss to Democratic Sen. Kyrsten Sinema in the 2018 midterm elections and was appointed to her seat by Arizona ’ s Republican governor .
“ If Joe Biden wins the presidential race , a net @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trick , ” Bannon said .
Republicans caution that dark money groups have until recently given Democrats the airwaves to themselves in many of these states , but that is starting to change .
“ Many of these Democrats are undefined , ” said Jesse Hunt , communications director for the Senate GOP ’ s campaign arm .
“ Republicans are starting earlier than ever to define them and litigate their records and backgrounds.
” “ I would be worried if this were October , ” said Republican strategist John Feehery .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a lot of twists and turns before we get to the finish line .
And keep in mind , Trump ’ s poll numbers have never been that great .
I think the big question is , can he keep the scientists from trying to close down America again ?
You already see that they want to do precisely that.
” Republicans are hopeful that an improving economy will turn Trump , and their Senate candidates ’ fortunes , around .
Unemployment dropped last month as the economy added 2.5 million jobs and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are also upcoming primaries pitting establishment Democratic candidates against progressive challengers .
Former Colorado Gov .
John Hickenlooper is taking heat for accepting , which could leave him vulnerable to the more liberal Andrew Romanoff .
Amy McGrath is facing off against progressive Charles Booker in Kentucky .
“ Bernie Sanders 's candidacy has ended , but his movement still has a chance to show off its muscle in these two campaigns , ” Bannon said .
“ Booker 's campaign has really taken off.
” In 2018 , Trump was an asset @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and a liability in suburban congressional districts .
Republicans lost their House majority that year while increasing it in the Senate .

President Trump’s recent polling slump has given Democrats hope that they can retake not only the White House but also the Senate in November.
Republicans are defending 21 Senate seats this year, including two of the three seats considered most likely to change parties and all three rated by most political analysts as toss-ups. Democrats are only defending 12 seats. That may not even demonstrate the full extent of the GOP’s vulnerability if Trump’s numbers don’t recover. Republicans currently hold a 53-47 majority, counting two independents who caucus with Senate Democrats.
“There are two things about the political climate that threaten GOP Senate incumbents,” said Democratic strategist Brad Bannon. “A new Gallup poll has the president's job rating at 39%, which is dangerously low and currently not high enough to support a Republican majority. A new survey by the Wall Street Journal and NBC News has 80% of the public thinking that things in this country are out of control, a figure that is dangerously high.”
In fact, Trump’s job approval in Gallup is down 10 points in a month as the country endures civil unrest over police brutality faced by the black community in addition to the coronavirus and an economic slowdown. He is also trailing presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden in national and most battleground state polls. The president is behind by a margin of 8.1 percentage points in the RealClearPolitics nationwide polling average.
Democrats are seriously targeting five Republican incumbents: Sens. Susan Collins of Maine, Cory Gardner of Colorado, Martha McSally of Arizona, Thom Tillis of North Carolina, and Steve Daines of Montana. They are hoping they can expand the map to include Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the chamber’s Republican leader, as well as Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Sen. Joni Ernst of Iowa, though those are all reaches and contests in states Trump is still favored to win.
Republicans’ best pickup opportunity is in Alabama, where Democratic Sen. Doug Jones would be a serious underdog to whichever Republican emerges from the July primary runoff: former Sen. Jeff Sessions or former Auburn football coach Tommy Tuberville. The party also has a shot at Democratic Sen. Gary Peters of Michigan, who is leading Republican challenger John James but not always by a comfortable margin. One recent survey had Peters up by 15 points, but another by a Democratic firm had him ahead by only 5.
One advantage Republicans enjoy: 19 of their 21 incumbents come from states Trump won in 2016. One of the two exceptions is Maine, which Trump lost by fewer than 3 points while carrying the state’s 2nd Congressional District, good for one electoral vote. The other is Colorado, where Trump lost by fewer than 5 points. Libertarian Gary Johnson won more than 5% in both states.
Democrats think Collins’s reputation for moderation has become suspect among Maine voters, especially after she supported Trump on impeachment and Brett Kavanaugh’s nomination to the Supreme Court. McSally is coming off a loss to Democratic Sen. Kyrsten Sinema in the 2018 midterm elections and was appointed to her seat by Arizona’s Republican governor.
“If Joe Biden wins the presidential race, a net gain of three seats would do the trick,” Bannon said.
Republicans caution that dark money groups have until recently given Democrats the airwaves to themselves in many of these states, but that is starting to change. “Many of these Democrats are undefined,” said Jesse Hunt, communications director for the Senate GOP’s campaign arm. “Republicans are starting earlier than ever to define them and litigate their records and backgrounds.”
“I would be worried if this were October,” said Republican strategist John Feehery. “As we know, we still have a lot of twists and turns before we get to the finish line. And keep in mind, Trump’s poll numbers have never been that great. I think the big question is, can he keep the scientists from trying to close down America again? You already see that they want to do precisely that.”
Republicans are hopeful that an improving economy will turn Trump, and their Senate candidates’ fortunes, around. Unemployment dropped last month as the economy added 2.5 million jobs and states shed their coronavirus lockdowns.
There are also upcoming primaries pitting establishment Democratic candidates against progressive challengers. Former Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper is taking heat for accepting millions in off-the-books donations , which could leave him vulnerable to the more liberal Andrew Romanoff. Amy McGrath is facing off against progressive Charles Booker in Kentucky.
“Bernie Sanders's candidacy has ended, but his movement still has a chance to show off its muscle in these two campaigns,” Bannon said. “Booker's campaign has really taken off.”
In 2018, Trump was an asset to Senate Republicans in mostly red-state contests and a liability in suburban congressional districts. Republicans lost their House majority that year while increasing it in the Senate.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-06-15--Liberal pundits lean into pushing Trump’s buttons and questioning sanity

Mockery of President Trump ’ s physical stance while drinking from a glass and walking down a ramp not only serves the Left by giving the notoriously low-punching campaigner a taste of his own medicine but also baits the president into responding and directing more attention to his shortcomings .
During a commencement speech at the U.S. Military Academy on Saturday , Trump used both hands to lift and drink out of a glass of water — a water-drinking posture that also .
At the end of the speech , he slowly and carefully walked down a ramp off the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the weekend , prompting his critics and those on the Left to claim they are evidence of a cognitive decline in Trump .
“ Trump ’ s West Point speech showed a man who is physically and mentally impaired .
Drinking water should not take two hands unless you are hiding a tremor , ” John Dean , former counsel for President Richard Nixon and a CNN contributor .
Philippe Reines , a longtime communications adviser to Hillary Clinton , that Trump has neurosyphilis , an infection in the nervous system or the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in November .
The White House said the visit was simply a , but the explanation was .
“ What is the White House hiding ?
” tweeted Jon Cooper , a Democratic fundraiser and chairman of the Democratic Coalition Against Trump .
The commentators mimicked a strategy used incessantly by Trump ’ s campaign and his supporters to attack his 77-year-old challenger , presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden .
Operatives on the campaign quickly any verbal stumble from the former vice president and suggest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ faculties that he used to .
Trump himself calls Biden “ Sleepy Joe.
” Biden and his campaign generally ignore the charges unless he is confronted with them directly .
In December , he an Iowa voter who asked him about his age to a pushup contest .
But Trump did not ignore the critics and responded to the charges and attention on the clip in a tweet late Saturday evening .
“ The ramp that I descended after my West Point Commencement speech was very long & steep , had no handrail @ @ @ @ @ @ @ slippery .
The last thing I was going to do is ‘ fall ’ for the Fake News to have fun with .
Final ten feet I ran down to level ground .
Momentum !
” he wrote .
That reaction , for some , was the goal .
By addressing the criticism , the president made the scrutiny automatically newsworthy , prompting major media to cover the online swipes when they might have otherwise passed on the story .
The New York Times published an article about the online attacks after Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Washington Post , and other outlets .
of Trump ’ s demeanor into Monday , lengthening the amount of attention on his apparent physical stumbles than otherwise would have been granted .
George Conway , an outspoken Trump critic who gains notoriety because he is married to White House counselor Kellyanne Conway , thanked the president for addressing the issue and “ ensuring that tens of millions more Americans will see the videos , ” prompting the public to “ wonder what they don ’ t know about your physical and mental @ @ @ @ @ @ @ thanking Trump for “ daring the mainstream media to cover your health after your tweet ” and linking to a New York Times story about criticism of Trump ’ s health circulating on social media .
“ Trump 's inability to ever let anything go is a major political weakness , ” liberal columnist Jonathan Alter .
“ That 's why constant ridicule is such an important tactic for Democrats and independents trying to save our country from this beast .
”

Mockery of President Trump’s physical stance while drinking from a glass and walking down a ramp not only serves the Left by giving the notoriously low-punching campaigner a taste of his own medicine but also baits the president into responding and directing more attention to his shortcomings.
During a commencement speech at the U.S. Military Academy on Saturday, Trump used both hands to lift and drink out of a glass of water — a water-drinking posture that also prompted mockery in 2017 . At the end of the speech, he slowly and carefully walked down a ramp off the stage.
The videos went viral over the weekend, prompting his critics and those on the Left to claim they are evidence of a cognitive decline in Trump.
“Trump’s West Point speech showed a man who is physically and mentally impaired. Drinking water should not take two hands unless you are hiding a tremor,” tweeted John Dean, former counsel for President Richard Nixon and a CNN contributor.
Philippe Reines, a longtime communications adviser to Hillary Clinton, theorized that Trump has neurosyphilis, an infection in the nervous system or the brain.
Critics revisited an abrupt Trump visit to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in November. The White House said the visit was simply a planned checkup , but the explanation was widely doubted .
“What is the White House hiding?” tweeted Jon Cooper, a Democratic fundraiser and chairman of the Democratic Coalition Against Trump.
The commentators mimicked a strategy used incessantly by Trump’s campaign and his supporters to attack his 77-year-old challenger, presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden. Operatives on the campaign quickly clip and distribute any verbal stumble from the former vice president and suggest that he does not have the mental faculties that he used to. Trump himself calls Biden “Sleepy Joe.”
Biden and his campaign generally ignore the charges unless he is confronted with them directly. In December, he challenged an Iowa voter who asked him about his age to a pushup contest.
But Trump did not ignore the critics and responded to the charges and attention on the clip in a tweet late Saturday evening.
“The ramp that I descended after my West Point Commencement speech was very long & steep, had no handrail and, most importantly, was very slippery. The last thing I was going to do is ‘fall’ for the Fake News to have fun with. Final ten feet I ran down to level ground. Momentum!” he wrote.
That reaction, for some, was the goal. By addressing the criticism, the president made the scrutiny automatically newsworthy, prompting major media to cover the online swipes when they might have otherwise passed on the story.
The New York Times published an article about the online attacks after Trump tweeted about it, as did CNN , the Washington Post, and other outlets. Analysis of Trump’s demeanor extended into Monday, lengthening the amount of attention on his apparent physical stumbles than otherwise would have been granted.
George Conway, an outspoken Trump critic who gains notoriety because he is married to White House counselor Kellyanne Conway, thanked the president for addressing the issue and “ensuring that tens of millions more Americans will see the videos,” prompting the public to “wonder what they don’t know about your physical and mental condition.”
Reines echoed the sentiment, thanking Trump for “daring the mainstream media to cover your health after your tweet” and linking to a New York Times story about criticism of Trump’s health circulating on social media.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-06-15--House Democratic leadership tries to stave off far-left primary threats to members

House Democratic leaders are trying to stave off primary challengers to a swath of veteran lawmakers by younger , far-left rivals in the ideological mold of first-term Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez .
Key House Democrats threw their support behind New York Democratic Rep. Eliot Engel this weekend in the hope of blunting the primary challenge he faces by an opponent backed by Ocasio-Cortez .
Democrats want to form a protective barrier around Engel to save him from the same fate their former colleague Joe Crowley faced when he lost his Queens- and Bronx-based seat to Ocasio-Cortez during the 2018 Democratic primary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the House in 1988 , represents municipalities in southern Westchester and the northwest Bronx .
He received the endorsement of Majority Whip Jim Clyburn , a South Carolina Democrat , Caucus Chairman Hakeem Jeffries , a New York Democrat , and House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff , a California Democrat .
However , although House Speaker Nancy Pelosi endorsed Engel , who is chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee , Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer , a New York Democrat , has still refused to endorse Engel .
Some say @ @ @ @ @ @ @ relates to his own fear of being primaried by Ocasio-Cortez in 2022 .
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand , however , has endorsed Engel , who was a House member alongside Schumer from 1989-99 .
Engel ’ s primary challenger , Jamaal Bowman , was until recently the principal of the Cornerstone Academy for Social Action middle school in the Bronx .
Engel attacked Bowman in political mailings as a “ not a real Democrat ” and an abysmal educator .
“ He wasn ’ t even a Democrat when Donald Trump was elected president @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the most important Democratic primaries to elect Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton as Democratic nominees for president , ” the Engel campaign literature says .
“ In 2008 , Bowman wasn ’ t a Democrat and was a member of a party that ran John McCain for president and Sarah Palin for vice president against Barack Obama and Joe Biden , '' per the mailer .
`` Bowman did not become a Democrat until he decided to run for Congress in 2018.
” A primary surprise could be brewing on June 23 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jeanne Zaine .
“ Bowman has run a really strong campaign .
I do think we have to be cautious about the comparisons to Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez .
Democrats in the House and leadership , and of course Engel himself , now have that as a backdrop and should understand that was a possibility in a way that perhaps they did n't see coming with Crowley , ” Zaine told the Washington Examiner .
“ Bowman is much , at least in my estimation , more well-known in districts than Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez was , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ professional history in education.
” The New York congressman , who spends his time between a residence in Maryland and an apartment in the Bronx , is also fighting the perception that he is out of touch with his constituents .
This charge came to the forefront when he was forced to clarify a candid remark he made on a recent “ hot mic , ” when he said he only attended a local event in his district related to law enforcement protests for media attention .
Although Engel received intense criticism for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ underway .
Engel ’ s constituents had already begun to receive ballots up to three weeks ago .
“ So while we 're getting closer to Election Day , I think there may be a lot more people who have voted already , so it does sort of change the equation .
Now whether or not that occurred right after Engel made his statement that was caught by the News 12 reporter or whatever , that all sort of plays into this , ” Zaine notes .
Engel , who did not receive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this cycle , is not the only New York Democrat facing a primary challenge on June 23 .
Rep. Jerry Nadler , House Judiciary Committee chairman , whose district covers the Upper West Side to Bensonhurst , as well as part of Brooklyn ’ s industrial shoreline , will face off against Lindsey Boylan and Jonathan Herzog , while Rep. Carolyn Maloney , chairwoman of the House Oversight Committee , is expected to have three challengers : Suraj Patel , Peter Harrison , and Lauren Ashcraft .

House Democratic leaders are trying to stave off primary challengers to a swath of veteran lawmakers by younger, far-left rivals in the ideological mold of first-term Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
Key House Democrats threw their support behind New York Democratic Rep. Eliot Engel this weekend in the hope of blunting the primary challenge he faces by an opponent backed by Ocasio-Cortez. Democrats want to form a protective barrier around Engel to save him from the same fate their former colleague Joe Crowley faced when he lost his Queens- and Bronx-based seat to Ocasio-Cortez during the 2018 Democratic primary.
Engel, 73, first elected to the House in 1988, represents municipalities in southern Westchester and the northwest Bronx. He received the endorsement of Majority Whip Jim Clyburn, a South Carolina Democrat, Caucus Chairman Hakeem Jeffries, a New York Democrat, and House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff, a California Democrat.
However, although House Speaker Nancy Pelosi endorsed Engel, who is chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, a New York Democrat, has still refused to endorse Engel. Some say Schumer’s refusal to do so relates to his own fear of being primaried by Ocasio-Cortez in 2022. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, however, has endorsed Engel, who was a House member alongside Schumer from 1989-99.
Engel’s primary challenger, Jamaal Bowman, was until recently the principal of the Cornerstone Academy for Social Action middle school in the Bronx. Engel attacked Bowman in political mailings as a “not a real Democrat” and an abysmal educator.
“He wasn’t even a Democrat when Donald Trump was elected president and he didn’t even vote in the most important Democratic primaries to elect Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton as Democratic nominees for president,” the Engel campaign literature says.
“In 2008, Bowman wasn’t a Democrat and was a member of a party that ran John McCain for president and Sarah Palin for vice president against Barack Obama and Joe Biden," per the mailer. "Bowman did not become a Democrat until he decided to run for Congress in 2018.”
A primary surprise could be brewing on June 23, said Iona College political science Professor Jeanne Zaino.
“Bowman has run a really strong campaign. I do think we have to be cautious about the comparisons to Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Democrats in the House and leadership, and of course Engel himself, now have that as a backdrop and should understand that was a possibility in a way that perhaps they didn't see coming with Crowley,” Zaino told the Washington Examiner. “Bowman is much, at least in my estimation, more well-known in districts than Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez was, and he's obviously had a longer professional history in education.”
The New York congressman, who spends his time between a residence in Maryland and an apartment in the Bronx, is also fighting the perception that he is out of touch with his constituents. This charge came to the forefront when he was forced to clarify a candid remark he made on a recent “hot mic,” when he said he only attended a local event in his district related to law enforcement protests for media attention.
Although Engel received intense criticism for his comment, early voting was already underway. Engel’s constituents had already begun to receive ballots up to three weeks ago.
“So while we're getting closer to Election Day, I think there may be a lot more people who have voted already, so it does sort of change the equation. Now whether or not that occurred right after Engel made his statement that was caught by the News 12 reporter or whatever, that all sort of plays into this,” Zaine notes.
Engel, who did not receive the endorsement of the New York Times this cycle, is not the only New York Democrat facing a primary challenge on June 23.
Rep. Jerry Nadler, House Judiciary Committee chairman, whose district covers the Upper West Side to Bensonhurst, as well as part of Brooklyn’s industrial shoreline, will face off against Lindsey Boylan and Jonathan Herzog, while Rep. Carolyn Maloney, chairwoman of the House Oversight Committee, is expected to have three challengers: Suraj Patel, Peter Harrison, and Lauren Ashcraft.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-06-15--Trump rips 'Far Left Fake News Media' for 'trying to COVID shame' campaign rallies

President Trump brushed off criticism over a plan to bring back his campaign rallies as many states across the country are beginning to dig themselves out of a monthslong quarantine .
Tweeting on Monday , Trump attacked the `` far left '' media for their tacit approval of massive protests across the country while simultaneously condemning his campaign team for restarting in-person rallies as some states see an uptick in coronavirus cases .
`` The Far Left Fake News Media , which had no Covid problem with the Rioters & Looters destroying Democrat run cities , is trying to Covid @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' Trump tweeted .
`` Won ’ t work ! ''
The protests began after the death in police custody of George Floyd on Memorial Day .
In some instances , video and images appear to show demonstrators not adhering to social distancing practices , but of the media coverage about the protests have been focused on the message of the protests , combating police brutality and systemic racism , and violent offshoots .
During the same period , media outlets have criticized the president for attempting to hold in-person rallies for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ example , NBC News failed to mention the coronavirus in a tweet showing a huge crowd in Brooklyn supporting `` Black trans lives , '' but an hour later cited `` health experts '' questioning Trump 's decision to hold campaign rallies amid the coronavirus pandemic .
Trump 's campaign pushed back the date of an upcoming rally in Tulsa , Oklahoma , after being criticized for selecting Friday , a say which some consider to be a holiday celebrating the end of slavery in Texas , in a place where one of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a century ago .
Still , the change in date has done little to scuttle interest from supporters as more than 1 million ticket requests were processed , according to the Trump campaign .
`` Almost One Million people request tickets for the Saturday Night Rally in Tulsa , Oklahoma ! ''
added Trump in a tweet Monday .

President Trump brushed off criticism over a plan to bring back his campaign rallies as many states across the country are beginning to dig themselves out of a monthslong quarantine.
Tweeting on Monday, Trump attacked the "far left" media for their tacit approval of massive protests across the country while simultaneously condemning his campaign team for restarting in-person rallies as some states see an uptick in coronavirus cases.
"The Far Left Fake News Media, which had no Covid problem with the Rioters & Looters destroying Democrat run cities, is trying to Covid Shame us on our big Rallies," Trump tweeted. "Won’t work!"
The Far Left Fake News Media, which had no Covid problem with the Rioters & Looters destroying Democrat run cities, is trying to Covid Shame us on our big Rallies. Won’t work! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 15, 2020
The protests began after the death in police custody of George Floyd on Memorial Day. In some instances, video and images appear to show demonstrators not adhering to social distancing practices, but of the media coverage about the protests have been focused on the message of the protests, combating police brutality and systemic racism, and violent offshoots.
During the same period, media outlets have criticized the president for attempting to hold in-person rallies for the first time in months.
In one example, NBC News failed to mention the coronavirus in a tweet showing a huge crowd in Brooklyn supporting "Black trans lives," but an hour later cited "health experts" questioning Trump's decision to hold campaign rallies amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Little over an hour apart. pic.twitter.com/K2a7fGRNDd — Mark Hemingway (@Heminator) June 15, 2020
Trump's campaign pushed back the date of an upcoming rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma, after being criticized for selecting Friday, a say which some consider to be a holiday celebrating the end of slavery in Texas, in a place where one of the deadliest race riots took place nearly a century ago.
Still, the change in date has done little to scuttle interest from supporters as more than 1 million ticket requests were processed, according to the Trump campaign.
"Almost One Million people request tickets for the Saturday Night Rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma!" added Trump in a tweet Monday.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-06-15--Trump campaign raises $14M on president's birthday

The Trump campaign raised $ 14 million on President Trump 's birthday , marking the campaign 's best day of online fundraising .
The tremendous fundraising haul comes as Trump 's poll numbers and approval rating have dropped amid the coronavirus outbreak and the civil unrest over race relations and police use of force .
“ Enthusiasm for President Trump continues to be our greatest motivator and political weapon , '' Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel told Fox News .
`` Republicans are thinking smarter digitally and harnessing support and energy for President Trump to up our online fundraising @ @ @ @ @ @ @ outmaneuver the Democrats at every turn . ''
Trump and the RNC have $ 255 million cash on the hand compared to former Vice President Joe Biden and the Democratic National Committee 's $ 100 million cash on hand , according to the Hill .
Trump campaign manager Brad Parscale shared the news on Twitter .
`` The grassroots support behind President Trump ’ s reelection is something no campaign has ever seen , '' he said .
`` Just as more than a million people have registered for tickets to the President @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Oklahoma ] , they are also donating to help his campaign in record numbers .
There is an enthusiasm gap — it is real and it is wide .
President Trump ’ s supporters would run through a brick wall to vote for him .
Nobody is running through a brick wall for Joe Biden.
” The Trump reelection campaign 's previous high for online fundraising in a day was $ 10 million on Oct. 19 , 2016 .
Their largest-ever total 24-hour haul , beyond just online fundraising , was $ 25 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his reelection bid .

The Trump campaign raised $14 million on President Trump's birthday, marking the campaign's best day of online fundraising.
The tremendous fundraising haul comes as Trump's poll numbers and approval rating have dropped amid the coronavirus outbreak and the civil unrest over race relations and police use of force.
“Enthusiasm for President Trump continues to be our greatest motivator and political weapon," Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel told Fox News. "Republicans are thinking smarter digitally and harnessing support and energy for President Trump to up our online fundraising game and outwork, outdo, and outmaneuver the Democrats at every turn."
Trump and the RNC have $255 million cash on the hand compared to former Vice President Joe Biden and the Democratic National Committee's $100 million cash on hand, according to the Hill.
Trump campaign manager Brad Parscale shared the news on Twitter.
"The grassroots support behind President Trump’s reelection is something no campaign has ever seen," he said. "Just as more than a million people have registered for tickets to the President’s rally this weekend [in Oklahoma], they are also donating to help his campaign in record numbers. There is an enthusiasm gap — it is real and it is wide. President Trump’s supporters would run through a brick wall to vote for him. Nobody is running through a brick wall for Joe Biden.”
Trump turned 74 on Sunday.
The Trump reelection campaign's previous high for online fundraising in a day was $10 million on Oct. 19, 2016. Their largest-ever total 24-hour haul, beyond just online fundraising, was $25 million on the day the president announced his reelection bid.