thewashingtonexaminer--2020-07-28--'Curious': Trump campaign surprised by Reagan Foundation ask to stop using former president's likene

'Curious': Trump campaign surprised by Reagan Foundation ask to stop using former president's likeness

President Trump 's reelection campaign was “ surprised ” by the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute ’ s request that it and the Republican National Committee stop using former President Ronald Reagan ’ s likeness to raise money .
“ It 's a curious situation , and we 're surprised they objected to this , and this is something that we had been doing with the campaign and the Republican National Committee , ” Tim Murtaugh , the Trump campaign 's communications director , told Fox News during a Monday interview .
Murtaugh noted that Donald Trump Jr. had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ money for the foundation .
“ And now , suddenly , they object to this for some reason , ” Murtaugh mused .
“ But it is curious to note that the leader of the Reagan Foundation is also , in his day job , the publisher and CEO of the Washington Post .
So it should not come as much of a surprise to anybody that the Washington Post wants to try to interfere with the president ’ s reelection campaign.
” The request by the Reagan Foundation came after the Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out an email promising supporters two commemorative coins if they donate at least $ 45 .
The coins were supposed to include one featuring Trump ’ s face and one with Reagan ’ s likeness on it .
Trump also took aim at the request in a Sunday afternoon tweet after the news broke .
“ So the Washington Post is running the Reagan Foundation , and RINO Paul Ryan is on the Board of Fox , which has been terrible .
We will win anyway , even with the phony @ FoxNews @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wrong for 5 years ) !
” he said .

President Trump's reelection campaign was “surprised” by the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute’s request that it and the Republican National Committee stop using former President Ronald Reagan’s likeness to raise money.
“It's a curious situation, and we're surprised they objected to this, and this is something that we had been doing with the campaign and the Republican National Committee,” Tim Murtaugh, the Trump campaign's communications director, told Fox News during a Monday interview.
Murtaugh noted that Donald Trump Jr. had recently held a book-signing event to raise money for the foundation.
“And now, suddenly, they object to this for some reason,” Murtaugh mused. “But it is curious to note that the leader of the Reagan Foundation is also, in his day job, the publisher and CEO of the Washington Post. So it should not come as much of a surprise to anybody that the Washington Post wants to try to interfere with the president’s reelection campaign.”
The request by the Reagan Foundation came after the Trump Make America Great Again Committee reportedly sent out an email promising supporters two commemorative coins if they donate at least $45. The coins were supposed to include one featuring Trump’s face and one with Reagan’s likeness on it.
Trump also took aim at the request in a Sunday afternoon tweet after the news broke.
“So the Washington Post is running the Reagan Foundation, and RINO Paul Ryan is on the Board of Fox, which has been terrible. We will win anyway, even with the phony @FoxNews suppression polls (which have been seriously wrong for 5 years)!” he said.
So the Washington Post is running the Reagan Foundation, and RINO Paul Ryan is on the Board of Fox, which has been terrible. We will win anyway, even with the phony @FoxNews suppression polls (which have been seriously wrong for 5 years)! https://t.co/fOi3AROxuz — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 26, 2020


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-07-28--False alarm: Politico 'technical error' identifies Kamala Harris as Biden VP pick

Politico mistakenly identified Kamala Harris as Joe Biden 's pick to be his vice president in a `` technical error , '' sparking a wave of speculation that it accidentally revealed his pick before the outlet said the information in the post was not accurate .
Late Tuesday afternoon , social media users , including members of President Trump 's campaign , noticed that a version of the outlet 's page that discussed pros and cons of rumored potential Biden running mates identified the California senator as Biden 's pick , with two paragraphs that included a quote attributed to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden called Harris ' a worthy opponent and a worthy running mate , ' alluding to the pair ’ s rivalry during the earlier stages of the Democratic primary .
She will bring her experience as a prosecutor , household name recognition , and skill as a debater to the ticket . ''
While it is normal for news organizations to craft prewrites of expected stories in order to publish breaking news quickly , the structure of the second paragraph and quote attributed to Biden caused many reporters to suspect that the information @ @ @ @ @ @ @ under embargo for later publication .
The page was soon updated to remove the first two paragraphs , with an explanation in the form of an editor 's note : `` Due to a technical error , an earlier version of this story mistakenly identified one of the women as Biden 's VP pick .
We regret the error . ''
A Politico spokesperson provided a longer explanation to the Washington Examiner : `` Placeholder text was mistakenly published to the site .
Our standard practice is to use 'lorem ipsum ' '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ – `` as placeholder text .
In this instance , that did not happen .
We regret the error and any confusion that it caused . ''
The spokesperson confirmed that the quote in the mistakenly published material was not provided by the Biden campaign .
Biden press secretary T.J. Ducklo also said that the publication was an error .
`` Folks , this is not real .
As the Vice President said earlier today , he looks forward to making his announcement in August , '' he tweeted .

Politico mistakenly identified Kamala Harris as Joe Biden's pick to be his vice president in a "technical error," sparking a wave of speculation that it accidentally revealed his pick before the outlet said the information in the post was not accurate.
Late Tuesday afternoon, social media users, including members of President Trump's campaign, noticed that a version of the outlet's page that discussed pros and cons of rumored potential Biden running mates identified the California senator as Biden's pick, with two paragraphs that included a quote attributed to Biden.
Politico?
"Joe Biden chose Kamala Harris to become his running mate for the 2020 election on Aug. 1, two weeks before the Democratic National Convention, after keeping his choice close to the chest for months."https://t.co/5NCJoaLSNM pic.twitter.com/HD3Fq9aM1S — Steve Guest (@SteveGuest) July 28, 2020
The text read: "Biden called Harris 'a worthy opponent and a worthy running mate,' alluding to the pair’s rivalry during the earlier stages of the Democratic primary. She will bring her experience as a prosecutor, household name recognition, and skill as a debater to the ticket."
While it is normal for news organizations to craft prewrites of expected stories in order to publish breaking news quickly, the structure of the second paragraph and quote attributed to Biden caused many reporters to suspect that the information came from the Biden campaign and provided under embargo for later publication.
The page was soon updated to remove the first two paragraphs, with an explanation in the form of an editor's note: "Due to a technical error, an earlier version of this story mistakenly identified one of the women as Biden's VP pick. We regret the error."
A Politico spokesperson provided a longer explanation to the Washington Examiner: "Placeholder text was mistakenly published to the site. Our standard practice is to use 'lorem ipsum'" – a dummy text having no meaning – "as placeholder text. In this instance, that did not happen. We regret the error and any confusion that it caused."
The spokesperson confirmed that the quote in the mistakenly published material was not provided by the Biden campaign.
Biden press secretary T.J. Ducklo also said that the publication was an error. "Folks, this is not real. As the Vice President said earlier today, he looks forward to making his announcement in August," he tweeted.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-07-28--Biden: Baseball probably not going to be able to happen, but basketball has better chances

Joe Biden is not optimistic that professional sports such as baseball are possible at this point due to the coronavirus pandemic , though he thought that some might be safe .
Asked Tuesday whether sports such as Major League Baseball should be allowed to proceed , Biden said : `` Well , that is probably not going to be able to happen based on what the leagues themselves are saying . ''
`` I mean , you have the Marlins saying we ca n't do so many people , '' said the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee after a speech in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I think they should just follow the science . ''
Also , on Tuesday , MLB suspended the Miami Marlins season due to a coronavirus outbreak among at least 19 members of the team .
Other professional baseball teams have not canceled their seasons .
The former vice president though that professional basketball , however , might be able to proceed .
`` One thing that seems to work a little bit , I do n't know , basketball , where no one 's traveling , they 're all sequestered in one place @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 36-year Delaware senator .
The National Basketball League has a `` bubble '' of teams and players all situated in Orlando , Florida .
Biden said that the reaction of the sports community to the coronavirus highlights the seriousness of the disease .
`` When you know when you have a lot of ball , football players turning down 8 , 10 million bucks a year , saying ' I 'm not gon na take the risk of playing , ' you 've got to listen , '' Biden said .

Joe Biden is not optimistic that professional sports such as baseball are possible at this point due to the coronavirus pandemic, though he thought that some might be safe.
Asked Tuesday whether sports such as Major League Baseball should be allowed to proceed, Biden said: "Well, that is probably not going to be able to happen based on what the leagues themselves are saying."
"I mean, you have the Marlins saying we can't do so many people," said the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee after a speech in Wilmington, Delaware. "So, I think they should just follow the science."
Also, on Tuesday, MLB suspended the Miami Marlins season due to a coronavirus outbreak among at least 19 members of the team. Other professional baseball teams have not canceled their seasons.
The former vice president though that professional basketball, however, might be able to proceed.
"One thing that seems to work a little bit, I don't know, basketball, where no one's traveling, they're all sequestered in one place," said Biden, previously a 36-year Delaware senator.
The National Basketball League has a "bubble" of teams and players all situated in Orlando, Florida.
Biden said that the reaction of the sports community to the coronavirus highlights the seriousness of the disease.
"When you know when you have a lot of ball, football players turning down 8, 10 million bucks a year, saying 'I'm not gonna take the risk of playing,' you've got to listen," Biden said.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-07-28--Biden says Trump 'law-and-order' crackdown a 'strategy to revive a failing campaign'

Joe Biden said that President Trump 's action to send federal law enforcement officers to cities and those tasked with protecting the federal courthouse targeted by rioters in Portland is part of a strategy for the president to try to revive a political campaign .
Biden asserted that Trump , in order to help his political interests , is `` determined to stoke division and chaos '' by sending federal law enforcement officers to the site of violent unrest .
`` It 's not good for the country , '' Biden said Tuesday , adding that Trump is turning the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ private militia . ''
`` His campaign is failing , and he 's looking for a political lifeline .
This is n't about law and order .
It 's about a strategy to revive a failing campaign , '' Biden added .
The former vice president and the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee said that the violent protesters should be held accountable under the law but that task was not the responsibility of the federal government .
`` There 's no place for violence or destruction of property .
Peaceful protesters should be protected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prosecuted .
And local law enforcement can do that , '' Biden said .
He said that the Obama administration was able to protect federal property without using federal officers .
The critiques of Trump came during Biden 's remarks from Delaware on his `` Build Back Better '' economic recovery plan .
Federal law enforcement , including officers from the Department of Homeland Security , has been at the center of heated political discussion after being sent to Portland , Oregon , to protect a federal courthouse targeted by violent protesters .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ harmed by the officers and that their presence is escalating tensions between law enforcement and demonstrators .
The Department of Justice announced Monday that officers arrested 74 people in Portland and charged 60 of those with crimes .
Nationally , 326 have been arrested and 238 charged in relation to `` civil unrest '' taking place across the country .
Trump lags Biden in national polls by 9 points , according to the RealClearPolitics average of recent polls and also in key swing states .
Asked how he would address a similar situation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : `` I 'm using local police as we did when we were in office , when there were riots or federal property stake . ''
Biden criticized a political ad from Trump 's campaign that asserts Biden wants to defund police despite Biden and his campaign saying the opposite , and which shows a phone at a 911 call center ringing off the hook .
`` I mean , come on .
That is all about trying to come up with a bizarre law-and-order , 2020 ad campaign thing just try to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people , '' Biden said .

Joe Biden said that President Trump's action to send federal law enforcement officers to cities and those tasked with protecting the federal courthouse targeted by rioters in Portland is part of a strategy for the president to try to revive a political campaign.
Biden asserted that Trump, in order to help his political interests, is "determined to stoke division and chaos" by sending federal law enforcement officers to the site of violent unrest. "It's not good for the country," Biden said Tuesday, adding that Trump is turning the Department of Homeland Security "into a private militia."
"His campaign is failing, and he's looking for a political lifeline. This isn't about law and order. It's about a strategy to revive a failing campaign," Biden added.
The former vice president and the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee said that the violent protesters should be held accountable under the law but that task was not the responsibility of the federal government.
"There's no place for violence or destruction of property. Peaceful protesters should be protected, and arsonists and anarchists should be prosecuted. And local law enforcement can do that," Biden said.
He said that the Obama administration was able to protect federal property without using federal officers.
The critiques of Trump came during Biden's remarks from Delaware on his "Build Back Better" economic recovery plan.
Federal law enforcement, including officers from the Department of Homeland Security, has been at the center of heated political discussion after being sent to Portland, Oregon, to protect a federal courthouse targeted by violent protesters. Critics say that peaceful protesters are being harmed by the officers and that their presence is escalating tensions between law enforcement and demonstrators.
The Department of Justice announced Monday that officers arrested 74 people in Portland and charged 60 of those with crimes. Nationally, 326 have been arrested and 238 charged in relation to "civil unrest" taking place across the country.
Trump lags Biden in national polls by 9 points, according to the RealClearPolitics average of recent polls, and also in key swing states.
Asked how he would address a similar situation if he were president, Biden said: "I'm using local police as we did when we were in office, when there were riots or federal property at stake."
Biden criticized a political ad from Trump's campaign that asserts Biden wants to defund police despite Biden and his campaign saying the opposite, and that shows a phone at a 911 call center ringing off the hook.
"I mean, come on. That is all about trying to come up with a bizarre law-and-order, 2020 ad campaign thing just to try to scare the devil out of the American people," Biden said.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-07-28--Biden: I'm the 'antithesis of Trump'

Biden: I'm the 'antithesis of Trump'

Joe Biden was grilled on why he 's seeking the White House , given that large swathes of voters tell pollsters they 're supporting him because he 's not President Trump .
`` I 'm running because Trump is the president , and I think our democracy 's at stake , for real , '' Biden told reporters Tuesday in Wilmington , Delaware .
`` And what seems to be the case is many Americans , those who do n't like me and those that do , view me as the antithesis of Trump .
And I believe that I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nominee and former two-term vice president added that he was rolling out a slew of proposals because he was hoping to convince people to vote for him , rather than simply against Trump .
He said if his ideas were passed during his administration , he would `` go down as one of the most progressive presidents in American history . ''
Biden also touted his foreign policy and international relationships , as well as his ability to bring `` people together in Congress and politically . ''
Those qualities have skyrocketed in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` People know me .
They know me warts and all , '' he said after a speech describing his plan for addressing racial economic inequality .
The Trump campaign has struggled to define the president in contrast to Biden as the electorate continues its preoccupation with the coronavirus pandemic .
Trump 's team , for example , has hit Biden for being too tough on crime thanks to his role drafting the 1994 crime bill .
Critics accuse that legislation of facilitating a culture of mass incarceration that disproportionately affected minority @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Trump campaign has sought to pin Biden to far-left slogans , such as `` defund the police . ''
Biden on Tuesday responded to the attacks , particularly an ad centered around a 911 phone call that goes unanswered due to a lack of resources .
`` I mean , come on .
That is all about trying to come up with a bizarre law and order campaign to try to scare the devil out of a group of people , '' he said .

Joe Biden was grilled on why he's seeking the White House, given that large swathes of voters tell pollsters they're supporting him because he's not President Trump.
"I'm running because Trump is the president, and I think our democracy's at stake, for real," Biden told reporters Tuesday in Wilmington, Delaware. "And what seems to be the case is many Americans, those who don't like me and those that do, view me as the antithesis of Trump. And I believe that I am."
The presumptive Democratic presidential nominee and former two-term vice president added that he was rolling out a slew of proposals because he was hoping to convince people to vote for him, rather than simply against Trump. He said if his ideas were passed during his administration, he would "go down as one of the most progressive presidents in American history."
Biden also touted his foreign policy and international relationships, as well as his ability to bring "people together in Congress and politically." Those qualities have skyrocketed in value amid the pandemic, he argued.
"People know me. They know me warts and all," he said after a speech describing his plan for addressing racial economic inequality.
The Trump campaign has struggled to define the president in contrast to Biden as the electorate continues its preoccupation with the coronavirus pandemic.
Trump's team, for example, has hit Biden for being too tough on crime thanks to his role drafting the 1994 crime bill. Critics accuse that legislation of facilitating a culture of mass incarceration that disproportionately affected minority communities.
At the same time, the Trump campaign has sought to pin Biden to far-left slogans, such as "defund the police."
Biden on Tuesday responded to the attacks, particularly an ad centered around a 911 phone call that goes unanswered due to a lack of resources.
"I mean, come on. That is all about trying to come up with a bizarre law and order campaign to try to scare the devil out of a group of people," he said.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-07-28--Trump campaign preempts Biden speech, attacking former VP's 'racial history'

As Joe Biden was set to announce his new plan for racial equity and justice , the Trump campaign released a statement arguing the former vice president is the one with a troubling past on race .
“ Joe Biden ’ s record and proposals prove that he indiscriminately spreads economic misery for all Americans , so he has addressed inequality that way .
And the basic fact remains that no one should listen to a lecture on racial justice from Joe Biden , '' the statement from Trump campaign senior adviser Katrina Pierson reads .
`` He palled around @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , bragged about receiving an award from George Wallace , eulogized the exalted cyclops of the KKK , opposed the desegregation of schools through busing , and said he didn ’ t want his kids to grow up in a ‘ racial jungle.
’ '' The memo also discussed Biden 's tendency to spread the story that he was an integral `` part of the Civil Rights movement '' and his story about being arrested by South African authorities while trying to see Nelson Mandela .
`` There is no worse person to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ inequality than Joe Biden , '' the statement continues .
On Tuesday afternoon , Biden is set to speak in Wilmington , Delaware , where he is revealing his new `` Build Back Better '' proposal for `` advancing racial equity across the American economy . ''
Included in that plan are more funds for minority-owned businesses and pressuring firms to lend to people of color .
`` The pandemic has shone a bright light on racial disparities in health and health care — as Black and Brown Americans have suffered and died @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than white Americans , '' a statement from Biden read this morning .
`` The economic crisis has hit Black and Brown communities especially hard , with Black unemployment at 15.4 percent , Latino unemployment at 14.5 percent , and businesses owned by Black , Latino , and Asian American people closing down at alarming rates .
We are also seeing a national reckoning on racial justice and the tragic human costs of systemic racism in the murder of George Floyd and so many other Black men , women , and children .
@

As Joe Biden was set to announce his new plan for racial equity and justice, the Trump campaign released a statement arguing the former vice president is the one with a troubling past on race.
“Joe Biden’s record and proposals prove that he indiscriminately spreads economic misery for all Americans, so he has addressed inequality that way. And the basic fact remains that no one should listen to a lecture on racial justice from Joe Biden," the statement from Trump campaign senior adviser Katrina Pierson reads. "He palled around with notorious, racist, segregationist senators, bragged about receiving an award from George Wallace, eulogized the exalted cyclops of the KKK, opposed the desegregation of schools through busing, and said he didn’t want his kids to grow up in a ‘racial jungle.’"
The memo also discussed Biden's tendency to spread the story that he was an integral "part of the Civil Rights movement" and his story about being arrested by South African authorities while trying to see Nelson Mandela.
"There is no worse person to help bring Americans together and address racial inequality than Joe Biden," the statement continues.
On Tuesday afternoon, Biden is set to speak in Wilmington, Delaware, where he is revealing his new "Build Back Better" proposal for "advancing racial equity across the American economy." Included in that plan are more funds for minority-owned businesses and pressuring firms to lend to people of color.
"The pandemic has shone a bright light on racial disparities in health and health care — as Black and Brown Americans have suffered and died from the coronavirus at rates far higher than white Americans," a statement from Biden read this morning. "The economic crisis has hit Black and Brown communities especially hard, with Black unemployment at 15.4 percent, Latino unemployment at 14.5 percent, and businesses owned by Black, Latino, and Asian American people closing down at alarming rates. We are also seeing a national reckoning on racial justice and the tragic human costs of systemic racism in the murder of George Floyd and so many other Black men, women, and children."


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-07-28--Obama fundraising with George Clooney to boost Biden campaign

Former President Barack Obama is teaming up with actor George Clooney to raise money for former Vice President Joe Biden @ @ @ @ @ The two hosted a virtual fundraiser and conversation on Tuesday seeking donations for the Biden @ @ @ @ @ fundraiser started at $ 250 per person and went up to $ 250,000 .
[ @ @ @ @ @ on Obama for fundraising lift ] The money raised will go to the Biden Victory @ @ @ @ @ comprising of the Biden campaign , the Democratic National Committee , and a few state @ @ @ @ @ a staunch supporter of Obama during his two terms as president and is an outspoken @ @ @ @ @ Obama held another fundraiser for Biden last month where he brought in more than $ @ @ @ @ @ the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee , will challenge Trump 's reelection bid in November .

Former President Barack Obama is teaming up with actor George Clooney to raise money for former Vice President Joe Biden months before Election Day.
The two hosted a virtual fundraiser and conversation on Tuesday seeking donations for the Biden campaign. Tickets to the fundraiser started at $250 per person and went up to $250,000.
[Read more: Biden leans on Obama for fundraising lift]
The money raised will go to the Biden Victory Fund, a joint committee comprising of the Biden campaign, the Democratic National Committee, and a few state Democratic parties.
Clooney was a staunch supporter of Obama during his two terms as president and is an outspoken critic of President Trump.
Obama held another fundraiser for Biden last month where he brought in more than $11 million. Biden, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, will challenge Trump's reelection bid in November.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-07-28--Trump holds slim lead in Iowa

Trump holds slim lead in Iowa

Amid plummeting polls in nearly every swing state across the country , one poll had a shred of good news for President Trump : He 's narrowly beating Joe Biden in Iowa .
The progressive firm Public Policy Polling released a survey Tuesday showing Trump falling behind the former vice president in a match-up in virtually every swing state except for Iowa , which Trump with more than 51 % of the vote and 9 percentage points over Hillary Clinton .
But the race remains tight with 48 % of voters favoring Trump , compared to 47 % saying they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ voters , and the margin of error was plus or minus 2.9 points .
The Trump campaign has poured money into the state in an effort to keep it in the GOP column .
Trump was the first Republican to win the state in a general election since George W. Bush in 2004 and carried 94 of the 99 counties .
But Republicans worry the state could flip this November , airing ads across the state for months and sending Vice President Mike Pence on a bus tour last month visiting various manufacturing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ GOP base .

Amid plummeting polls in nearly every swing state across the country, one poll had a shred of good news for President Trump: He's narrowly beating Joe Biden in Iowa.
The progressive firm Public Policy Polling released a survey Tuesday showing Trump falling behind the former vice president in a match-up in virtually every swing state except for Iowa, which Trump with more than 51% of the vote and 9 percentage points over Hillary Clinton.
But the race remains tight with 48% of voters favoring Trump, compared to 47% saying they support Biden. PPP interviewed 1,118 Iowa voters, and the margin of error was plus or minus 2.9 points.
The Trump campaign has poured money into the state in an effort to keep it in the GOP column. Trump was the first Republican to win the state in a general election since George W. Bush in 2004 and carried 94 of the 99 counties.
But Republicans worry the state could flip this November, airing ads across the state for months and sending Vice President Mike Pence on a bus tour last month visiting various manufacturing plans and ginning up enthusiasm among the GOP base.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-07-28--Blown Democratic lead in 1988 shows Biden shouldn’t get overconfident based on polls

Virtually every poll showing presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden up over President Trump in a swing state brings a version of a familiar retort : `` Remember Michael Dukakis . ''
Biden , the two-term vice president and 36-year Delaware senator , is comfortably ahead of Trump in a slew of national and state-based polls less than 100 days before Election Day .
Yet as Dukakis , the 1988 Democratic nominee and then-Massachusetts governor found out , such leads hardly guarantee a White House win .
Dukakis is a natural comparison point with Biden , having held a double-digit advantage @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in waiting , Vice President George H.W .
Bush , during the summer of the 1988 election .
Democrats are pushing the anecdote as a warning that their party should n't be complacent .
Republicans are clutching onto it as a reminder that there are still months left in the race .
Kerpen told the Washington Examiner that the thrust of his missive was that there 's `` still an eternity before the election in political terms . ''
Critics argue the referenced Gallup survey was a single poll conducted after the 1988 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crowd in raptures over his acceptance address .
But Biden 's in front by an average of 8.2 points , according to FiveThirtyEight .
Dukakis was ahead by an average of 15.3 points around the same time .
For Claremont McKenna College politics professor John Pitney , author of After Reagan : Bush , Dukakis , and the 1988 Election , Biden could glean a lot from the tumble in polls that soon befell that year 's Democratic nominee .
`` Early public polls are subject to change , and that should be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden campaign , '' Pitney said .
`` I ca n't think of any smart political ally telling a candidate , 'Hey , get cocky . '
It 's very prudent for a candidate to act as if the race is going the other way . ''
The overarching difference between the 1988 and 2020 bids , though , is that three decades ago , `` the fundamentals favored the Republicans , '' Pitney delineated .
`` You basically had peace and prosperity .
In 2020 , the fundamentals are very strongly working @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have the coronavirus .
You have the recession .
The United States 's standing across the globe is n't that great , '' he said .
`` It 's hard to see how changes in the stock market will help Trump if the broader economy is still doing poorly . ''
Simultaneously , `` there could be a miraculous cure for COVID , '' or `` something could happen to drastically reduce unemployment , '' Pitney qualified .
`` Biden could make a catastrophic mistake .
He had to withdraw from the 1988 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plagiarism issue , which in turn triggered other revelations about his record , '' he said .
`` Even his friends would acknowledge he is prone to making mistakes . ''
Emerson College Polling director Spencer Kimball also defended the 1988-2020 comparison since summer margins `` can swing widely '' in the fall .
Kimball 's 1988 take is that Bush 's clandestine Iran-Contra affair involvement muddied initial polls .
That scandal entailed senior Ronald Reagan administration officials selling weapons to Iran 's Khomeini government despite an arms embargo .
Bush 's team @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on crime around Labor Day , and that message helped propel Bush to an electoral landslide that November , Kimball explained .
He pointed to the Willie Horton ad , which focused on the convicted murder felon who committed assault , armed robbery , and rape while on Massachusetts 's weekend furlough program .
Dukakis also faltered during the debates when pressed on whether he 'd endorse the death penalty if his own wife had been raped and murdered .
There was that unfortunate M1 Abrams tank photo opportunity as well .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Howard Dean scream .
It was already over — but a symbol of what went wrong , '' Kimball said .
Kimball advised against calling 2020 now , especially because Trump 's empowered by incumbency , and it 's hard being the front-runner .
Yet outlets such as the Economist have begun predicting the outcome anyway .
In its first presidential election model , the Economist calculated that Biden has a 90 % chance of winning the Electoral College and a 98 % shot at the popular vote .
That prognosticating ignores RealClearPolitics @ @ @ @ @ @ @ odds against Trump 's 36.5 % .
While Dukakis is n't the only precedent , presidential historian David Pietrusza noted the same factors that hurt Dukakis could wound Biden .
`` Rumors of mental health issues dogged Dukakis .
Rumors of impending dementia swirl about Biden .
Dukakis 's gubernatorial pardon of Willie Horton raised the 'law and order ' issue .
With riots andcivil disorder escalating , 'law and order ' may very likely become a major issue in 2020 , '' Pietrusza wrote in an email .
He continued : `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden stumbles on stage ( or wherever he may debate from ) , the fallout could prove much worse , given the rumblings of his cognitive decline . ''

Virtually every poll showing presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden up over President Trump in a swing state brings a version of a familiar retort: "Remember Michael Dukakis."
Biden, the two-term vice president and 36-year Delaware senator, is comfortably ahead of Trump in a slew of national and state-based polls less than 100 days before Election Day. Yet as Dukakis, the 1988 Democratic nominee and then-Massachusetts governor found out, such leads hardly guarantee a White House win.
Dukakis is a natural comparison point with Biden, having held a double-digit advantage in national polling on the GOP nominee in waiting, Vice President George H.W. Bush, during the summer of the 1988 election. Democrats are pushing the anecdote as a warning that their party shouldn't be complacent. Republicans are clutching onto it as a reminder that there are still months left in the race.
"32 years ago today: Dukakis 55 Bush 38," American Commitment president and free market advocate Phil Kerpen tweeted on Sunday.
32 years ago today:
Dukakis 55
Bush 38https://t.co/qqwSDQSrn0 pic.twitter.com/XQ1rrfpmYk — Phil Kerpen (@kerpen) July 26, 2020
Kerpen told the Washington Examiner that the thrust of his missive was that there's "still an eternity before the election in political terms."
Critics argue the referenced Gallup survey was a single poll conducted after the 1988 Democratic convention, where Dukakis had the crowd in raptures over his acceptance address. But Biden's in front by an average of 8.2 points, according to FiveThirtyEight. Dukakis was ahead by an average of 15.3 points around the same time.
For Claremont McKenna College politics professor John Pitney, author of After Reagan: Bush, Dukakis, and the 1988 Election, Biden could glean a lot from the tumble in polls that soon befell that year's Democratic nominee.
"Early public polls are subject to change, and that should be a cup of black coffee for the Biden campaign," Pitney said. "I can't think of any smart political ally telling a candidate, 'Hey, get cocky.' It's very prudent for a candidate to act as if the race is going the other way."
The overarching difference between the 1988 and 2020 bids, though, is that three decades ago, "the fundamentals favored the Republicans," Pitney delineated.
"You basically had peace and prosperity. In 2020, the fundamentals are very strongly working against [the] president. You have the coronavirus. You have the recession. The United States's standing across the globe isn't that great," he said. "It's hard to see how changes in the stock market will help Trump if the broader economy is still doing poorly."
Simultaneously, "there could be a miraculous cure for COVID," or "something could happen to drastically reduce unemployment," Pitney qualified.
"Biden could make a catastrophic mistake. He had to withdraw from the 1988 campaign, after all, after the plagiarism issue, which in turn triggered other revelations about his record," he said. "Even his friends would acknowledge he is prone to making mistakes."
Emerson College Polling director Spencer Kimball also defended the 1988-2020 comparison since summer margins "can swing widely" in the fall.
Kimball's 1988 take is that Bush's clandestine Iran-Contra affair involvement muddied initial polls. That scandal entailed senior Ronald Reagan administration officials selling weapons to Iran's Khomeini government despite an arms embargo.
Bush's team then started undermining Dukakis for being soft on crime around Labor Day, and that message helped propel Bush to an electoral landslide that November, Kimball explained. He pointed to the Willie Horton ad, which focused on the convicted murder felon who committed assault, armed robbery, and rape while on Massachusetts's weekend furlough program. Dukakis also faltered during the debates when pressed on whether he'd endorse the death penalty if his own wife had been raped and murdered. There was that unfortunate M1 Abrams tank photo opportunity as well.
"The tank for me is like the Howard Dean scream. It was already over — but a symbol of what went wrong," Kimball said.
Kimball advised against calling 2020 now, especially because Trump's empowered by incumbency, and it's hard being the front-runner.
Yet outlets such as the Economist have begun predicting the outcome anyway.
In its first presidential election model, the Economist calculated that Biden has a 90% chance of winning the Electoral College and a 98% shot at the popular vote. That prognosticating ignores RealClearPolitics betting averages that give Biden 60.8% odds against Trump's 36.5%.
While Dukakis isn't the only precedent, presidential historian David Pietrusza noted the same factors that hurt Dukakis could wound Biden.
"Rumors of mental health issues dogged Dukakis. Rumors of impending dementia swirl about Biden. Dukakis's gubernatorial pardon of Willie Horton raised the 'law and order' issue. With riots andcivil disorder escalating, 'law and order' may very likely become a major issue in 2020," Pietrusza wrote in an email.
He continued: "Dukakis fared poorly debating Bush. If Biden stumbles on stage (or wherever he may debate from), the fallout could prove much worse, given the rumblings of his cognitive decline."


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-07-28--'Not a fan': Ted Cruz says Trump tweets 'coarsened discussion'

Sen. Ted Cruz said President Trump ’ s combative tone and provocative rhetoric , at times , poison public debate and prove politically counterproductive to enacting an otherwise praiseworthy agenda .
“ I wish his tone and some of the things he said were different , ” the Texas Republican said Tuesday in an interview with conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt .
“ Many of the tweets — I ’ m not a fan of , and I do think it has coarsened discussion .
So that is a less than positive development.
” Cruz ’ s critical assessment of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the senator has begun to establish independence from the White House , with endorsements in Republican primaries for House and Senate seats that oppose the president ’ s picks .
Cruz was the runner-up for the Republican presidential nomination in 2016 , finishing second to Trump after a contentious primary .
The senator has not ruled out a second bid in 2024 .
During the majority of his interview with Hewitt , the senator lauded Trump ’ s accomplishments domestically and overseas .
Cruz warned that a victory by presumptive Democratic presidential nominee @ @ @ @ @ @ @ control of the Senate and , overall , be disastrous for the United States .
And despite lamenting that the president occasionally crosses the line with political attacks , Cruz said Trump ’ s willingness to engage with opponents is perhaps his most endearing quality .
“ He fights , ” Cruz said .
“ So many of us are so sick and tired of Republicans that roll over and whimper when encountering the slightest resistance .
And I think probably the best characteristic about the president is he ’ s got a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Cruz added , “ He has driven the Democratic Party insane .
They have lost their mind .
They are galloping to the left .
They are openly socialist .
They are advocating abolishing the police .
He ’ s also driven the media insane .
They are equally partisan .
”

Sen. Ted Cruz said President Trump’s combative tone and provocative rhetoric, at times, poison public debate and prove politically counterproductive to enacting an otherwise praiseworthy agenda.
“I wish his tone and some of the things he said were different,” the Texas Republican said Tuesday in an interview with conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt. “Many of the tweets — I’m not a fan of, and I do think it has coarsened discussion. So that is a less than positive development.”
Cruz’s critical assessment of Trump’s communications style comes as the senator has begun to establish independence from the White House, with endorsements in Republican primaries for House and Senate seats that oppose the president’s picks. Cruz was the runner-up for the Republican presidential nomination in 2016, finishing second to Trump after a contentious primary. The senator has not ruled out a second bid in 2024.
However, Cruz remains broadly supportive of Trump.
During the majority of his interview with Hewitt, the senator lauded Trump’s accomplishments domestically and overseas. Cruz warned that a victory by presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden this November might hand Democrats control of the Senate and, overall, be disastrous for the United States. And despite lamenting that the president occasionally crosses the line with political attacks, Cruz said Trump’s willingness to engage with opponents is perhaps his most endearing quality.
“He fights,” Cruz said. “So many of us are so sick and tired of Republicans that roll over and whimper when encountering the slightest resistance. And I think probably the best characteristic about the president is he’s got a backbone. And he will fight.”
Cruz added, “He has driven the Democratic Party insane. They have lost their mind. They are galloping to the left. They are openly socialist. They are advocating abolishing the police. He’s also driven the media insane. They are equally partisan.”


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-07-28--Biden still has not bridged the enthusiasm gap

Joe Biden is leading President Trump in just about every poll .
But there ’ s one advantage Trump has that Biden can ’ t seem to touch : enthusiasm .
A total of 42 % of voters who said they support Trump indicated they are excited about voting for him in November , according to a recent poll .
Just 31 % of Biden ’ s supporters said the same .
These numbers confirm what Democrats have known for a while : Biden was the safe candidate and little else .
Biden has tried to bridge this enthusiasm gap @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Democratic Party — to voters who supported candidates such as Sens .
Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren during the primaries .
He worked with Sanders to make slight changes to his healthcare plan , and he adopted Warren 's and Sanders ’ s student loan debt forgiveness policy .
Even so , 72 % of Biden ’ s supporters said they are anxious about November ’ s results , while only 52 % of Trump backers agreed .
This doesn ’ t necessarily spell defeat for the Biden campaign .
Again , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ swing states right now , which suggests that Democratic voters ’ dislike of Trump is motivating , even if Biden ’ s candidacy is not .
But the fact is that voters are indifferent toward Biden .
And an indifferent voter is less likely to show up to the polls than an excited one .
Democrats don ’ t seem worried about Biden ’ s enthusiasm gap , but they should be .
Democratic voter turnout throughout the primaries was abysmal , and if the party can ’ t fix that before November @ @ @ @ @ @ @ isn ’ t helping his case .
He ’ s been camped out in the basement of his Delaware home , and the few public appearances he ’ s made have been brief and riddled with absurdities that have raised legitimate questions about his mental fitness .
Is it any wonder Democratic voters aren ’ t excited ?
Biden ’ s team seems to think that keeping him out of the spotlight is a winning strategy .
Perhaps they ’ re right .
Given our chaotic current events and polarized political spectrum , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ advantage in November .
But again , voter turnout is paramount .
And if Biden can ’ t convince voters that he ’ s worth turning out for , this race might get much closer than the polls seem to indicate .

Joe Biden is leading President Trump in just about every poll. But there’s one advantage Trump has that Biden can’t seem to touch: enthusiasm.
A total of 42% of voters who said they support Trump indicated they are excited about voting for him in November, according to a recent poll. Just 31% of Biden’s supporters said the same. These numbers confirm what Democrats have known for a while: Biden was the safe candidate and little else.
Biden has tried to bridge this enthusiasm gap by making concessions to the left-wing of the Democratic Party — to voters who supported candidates such as Sens. Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren during the primaries. He worked with Sanders to make slight changes to his healthcare plan, and he adopted Warren's and Sanders’s student loan debt forgiveness policy.
Even so, 72% of Biden’s supporters said they are anxious about November’s results, while only 52% of Trump backers agreed.
This doesn’t necessarily spell defeat for the Biden campaign. Again, he has a strong lead in key swing states right now, which suggests that Democratic voters’ dislike of Trump is motivating, even if Biden’s candidacy is not. But the fact is that voters are indifferent toward Biden. And an indifferent voter is less likely to show up to the polls than an excited one.
Democrats don’t seem worried about Biden’s enthusiasm gap, but they should be. Democratic voter turnout throughout the primaries was abysmal, and if the party can’t fix that before November, Trump might actually win.
Biden isn’t helping his case. He’s been camped out in the basement of his Delaware home, and the few public appearances he’s made have been brief and riddled with absurdities that have raised legitimate questions about his mental fitness. Is it any wonder Democratic voters aren’t excited?
Biden’s team seems to think that keeping him out of the spotlight is a winning strategy. Perhaps they’re right. Given our chaotic current events and polarized political spectrum, voters’ indifference might actually become an advantage in November. But again, voter turnout is paramount. And if Biden can’t convince voters that he’s worth turning out for, this race might get much closer than the polls seem to indicate.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-07-29--Biden could flip Maine's once pro-Trump 2nd Congressional District: Poll

Joe Biden could scoop up all of Maine 's four electoral votes , according to a new poll .
Biden , the presumptive 2020 Democratic presidential nominee and two-term vice president , is trouncing President Trump in Maine by double digits , 50 % to 38 % , a Colby College survey released Tuesday found .
Another 7 % of respondents are undecided .
Maine offers the statewide presidential race winner two electoral votes , out of its four total .
One electoral vote is given to the victor in each of Maine 's two congressional districts .
Maine 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by 10 percentage points over then-Democratic rival Hillary Clinton , helping him become the first Republican to claim a New England Electoral College vote since George W. Bush took New Hampshire in 2000 .
Yet four years later , Biden is ahead of the president by a slim 3-point margin , 45 % to 42 % , Colby College reported Tuesday about the sprawling 2nd , the largest House district by land mass east of the Mississippi River .
Biden is boosted by his popularity with women , younger and older voters , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Maine is also hosting competitive Senate and House races this cycle , again with a focus on the 2nd Congressional District .
Democratic Maine House Speaker Sara Gideon is in front of 24-year Republican Sen. Susan Collins , 44 % to 39 % .
Another 12 % do n't know who they 'll vote for , while 6 % plan to cast a ballot for someone else .
A February Colby College had the pair in a statistical tie .
Freshman Democratic Rep. Jared Golden has a wider margin on former Republican state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 33 % .
But 17 % have n't settled on a candidate yet in a district eyed by the GOP as a possible pick-up opportunity .
Colby College surveyed 888 registered likely Maine voters between July 18-24 via landlines and cellphones , as well as online , for the poll .
The findings have a margin of error of plus or minus 3.9 points .

Joe Biden could scoop up all of Maine's four electoral votes, according to a new poll.
Biden, the presumptive 2020 Democratic presidential nominee and two-term vice president, is trouncing President Trump in Maine by double digits, 50% to 38%, a Colby College survey released Tuesday found. Another 7% of respondents are undecided.
Maine offers the statewide presidential race winner two electoral votes, out of its four total. One electoral vote is given to the victor in each of Maine's two congressional districts.
Maine's 2nd Congressional District supported Trump in 2016 by 10 percentage points over then-Democratic rival Hillary Clinton, helping him become the first Republican to claim a New England Electoral College vote since George W. Bush took New Hampshire in 2000.
Yet four years later, Biden is ahead of the president by a slim 3-point margin, 45% to 42%, Colby College reported Tuesday about the sprawling 2nd, the largest House district by land mass east of the Mississippi River. Biden is boosted by his popularity with women, younger and older voters, and those with a college degree.
Maine is also hosting competitive Senate and House races this cycle, again with a focus on the 2nd Congressional District.
Democratic Maine House Speaker Sara Gideon is in front of 24-year Republican Sen. Susan Collins, 44% to 39%. Another 12% don't know who they'll vote for, while 6% plan to cast a ballot for someone else. A February Colby College had the pair in a statistical tie.
Freshman Democratic Rep. Jared Golden has a wider margin on former Republican state Rep. Dale Crafts, 45% to 33%. But 17% haven't settled on a candidate yet in a district eyed by the GOP as a possible pick-up opportunity.
Colby College surveyed 888 registered likely Maine voters between July 18-24 via landlines and cellphones, as well as online, for the poll. The findings have a margin of error of plus or minus 3.9 points.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-07-30--Kanye West's New Jersey ballot signatures under scrutiny from former Democratic congressional candid

Kanye West's New Jersey ballot signatures under scrutiny from former Democratic congressional candidate

Kanye West filed 500 more signatures than needed to appear on the New Jersey presidential ballot , but a former Democratic congressional candidate who accuses the rapper of being mentally ill is challenging the signatures .
In a Wednesday complaint sent to the New Jersey Division of Elections challenging the 1,327 petition signatures West filed on Monday , lawyer Scott Salmon , who ran for Congress in 2018 , said the signatures were “ egregiously bad , almost to a degree insulting.
” Even though Salmon is not West 's doctor and does not have the credentials to assess his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ candidate 's mental state .
“ I ’ m not his doctor , '' Salmon said .
`` I ’ m not his wife .
So I don ’ t know what his mental state is .
I ’ ve seen the reports .
I ’ m just looking at this based on what the law is in New Jersey , and this doesn ’ t meet this level . ''
Salmon questioned the validity of rows of signatures that included circles above the letter `` I '' in their names with similar @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 30 people in a row from all over the state would have a little circle above the Is is a little hard to believe , ” Salmon said .
West is set to appear on the presidential ballots of Oklahoma and Missouri under his Birthday Party political affiliation , but he failed to muster the signatures required to obtain ballot access in South Carolina .

Kanye West filed 500 more signatures than needed to appear on the New Jersey presidential ballot, but a former Democratic congressional candidate who accuses the rapper of being mentally ill is challenging the signatures.
In a Wednesday complaint sent to the New Jersey Division of Elections challenging the 1,327 petition signatures West filed on Monday, lawyer Scott Salmon, who ran for Congress in 2018, said the signatures were “egregiously bad, almost to a degree insulting.”
Even though Salmon is not West's doctor and does not have the credentials to assess his mental wellness, he questioned the presidential candidate's mental state.
“I’m not his doctor," Salmon said. "I’m not his wife. So I don’t know what his mental state is. I’ve seen the reports. I’m just looking at this based on what the law is in New Jersey, and this doesn’t meet this level."
Salmon questioned the validity of rows of signatures that included circles above the letter "I" in their names with similar pen strokes.
“The odds that 30 people in a row from all over the state would have a little circle above the Is is a little hard to believe,” Salmon said.
West is set to appear on the presidential ballots of Oklahoma and Missouri under his Birthday Party political affiliation, but he failed to muster the signatures required to obtain ballot access in South Carolina.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-07-29--Bet: Kamala Harris is the one, 66% chance to be Biden VP pick

His flash of a notecard bragging on Sen. Kamala Harris and caught by a photographer has driven political gamblers to boost her odds of being picked as presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden ’ s running mate .
In the last day , the California Democrat ’ s likelihood of being selected in early August has jumped from 42 % to 66 % , making her the top bet for the ticket .
“ The odds were shortened from +135 last night to as short as -200 this morning .
In simple terms , this suggests that her implied probability @ @ @ @ @ @ @ risen from 42.55 % to 66.67 % , ” said the betting site Oddschecker .
The photo prompted Politico to publish a story that Biden had already picked Harris .
But he hasn ’ t , and the story was pulled down .
Still , Harris was already one of the front-runners , so the story made sense , though the former Obama-era vice president has said he is still considering candidates for the vice presidential nomination .
With the rise of Harris , who has a good working relationship with Biden despite @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also running for president , other potential picks have seen their odds sink .
“ The news has not only shortened Harris ’ odds , but lengthened those of her rivals ; Susan Rice ’ s odds slipped from +225 to +350 , whilst Tammy Duckworth ’ s price went from +800 to +1200 .
“ Elizabeth Warren and Val Demings , meanwhile , appear to be fading from contention with odds of +1600 and +2200 ; indicating an implied chance of just 5.88 % and 4.35 % respectively .
”

His flash of a notecard bragging on Sen. Kamala Harris and caught by a photographer has driven political gamblers to boost her odds of being picked as presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden’s running mate.
In the last day, the California Democrat’s likelihood of being selected in early August has jumped from 42% to 66%, making her the top bet for the ticket.
“The odds were shortened from +135 last night to as short as -200 this morning. In simple terms, this suggests that her implied probability of being the Democratic VP nominee have risen from 42.55% to 66.67%,” said the betting site Oddschecker.
The photo prompted Politico to publish a story that Biden had already picked Harris. But he hasn’t, and the story was pulled down.
Still, Harris was already one of the front-runners, so the story made sense, though the former Obama-era vice president has said he is still considering candidates for the vice presidential nomination.
With the rise of Harris, who has a good working relationship with Biden despite angry attacks on him while she was also running for president, other potential picks have seen their odds sink.
Oddschecker said:
“The news has not only shortened Harris’ odds, but lengthened those of her rivals; Susan Rice’s odds slipped from +225 to +350, whilst Tammy Duckworth’s price went from +800 to +1200.
“Elizabeth Warren and Val Demings, meanwhile, appear to be fading from contention with odds of +1600 and +2200; indicating an implied chance of just 5.88% and 4.35% respectively.”


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-07-29--Biden talking points stress he doesn't 'hold grudges' against Kamala Harris amid running mate specul

Biden talking points stress he doesn't 'hold grudges' against Kamala Harris amid running mate speculation

Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden has no hard feelings toward Sen. Kamala Harris as he narrows down his running mate pick before November 's election .
Biden was photographed holding notes with a list of characteristics describing Harris while campaigning in Delaware on Tuesday .
Under the California Democrat 's name , Biden wrote `` campaigned with me & Jill , '' `` talented , '' `` great help to campaign , '' and `` great respect for her , '' in addition to `` do not hold grudges . ''
The lack of grudges mentioned appears to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ clashed during early Democratic debates when they were both vying for a presidential bid .
In one instance , Harris brought up a personal point about being affected by busing when schools were working to better racially integrate districts in the 1970s .
She pointed to Biden 's opposition to the practice .
The former vice president has shared personal ties with Harris , particularly through his late son Beau Biden .
Harris became close friends with the younger Biden when they were both attorneys general representing California and Delaware , respectively .

Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden has no hard feelings toward Sen. Kamala Harris as he narrows down his running mate pick before November's election.
Biden was photographed holding notes with a list of characteristics describing Harris while campaigning in Delaware on Tuesday.
Under the California Democrat's name, Biden wrote "campaigned with me & Jill," "talented," "great help to campaign," and "great respect for her," in addition to "do not hold grudges."
The notes of Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden reference Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., among other things as he speaks at a campaign event at the William “Hicks” Anderson Community Center in Wilmington, Del., Tuesday. Andrew Harnik/AP
The lack of grudges mentioned appears to be a reference to the times the two clashed during early Democratic debates when they were both vying for a presidential bid. In one instance, Harris brought up a personal point about being affected by busing when schools were working to better racially integrate districts in the 1970s. She pointed to Biden's opposition to the practice.
The former vice president has shared personal ties with Harris, particularly through his late son Beau Biden. Harris became close friends with the younger Biden when they were both attorneys general representing California and Delaware, respectively.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-07-29--Democrats and media work arm-in-arm to spread Trump November coup conspiracy theory

Democratic officials and members of the press tend to agree on a lot .
It is no surprise , then , to see that both parties continue to engage in baseless conspiracy-mongering over fears that President Trump will stage a coup in November if he loses reelection .
No surprise at all .
“ ‘ A dress rehearsal for martial law ?
’ ” MSNBC news anchor Brian Williams asked this week , referring to Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan ’ s claim that federal agents may be in Portland , Oregon , as part of a trial run for a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ How long a walk is it from where we are tonight , knowing what we know about cities where the feds already are and what may be on their wish [ list ] ?
” NBC News legal analyst Barbara McQuade responded to Williams , affirming that the president has `` the power to call up military personnel to respond to unrest in cities .
The president can do that even without an invitation from the locals.
” “ That is an awesome power , ” she added .
“ But what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what , some would argue , an effort to escalate tensions in cities like Portland and Seattle and perhaps creating a pretext that would allow him to exercise that awesome power.
” Earlier , on Thursday , CBS News published a report that asked , “ What happens if the president does n't accept the election results ?
” “ Trump ’ s assault on election integrity forces question : What would happen if he refused to accept a loss ?
” reads the headline to a July 22 Washington Post report .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ much of the same fearmongering over a possible November coup .
“ What Could Happen If Donald Trump Rejects Electoral Defeat ?
” the New Yorker asked on July 21 .
MSNBC commentator John Heilman said that same day , “ I think we are looking at potentially a trial run for a kind of , a genuine attempt to , through intimidation and potentially through force , to try to steal this election .
He added , “ I think we are now at the point where , you know , we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we see his intention to not accept an outcome of this election where he loses to Joe Biden .
He is making it very clear . ''
These news reports and commentaries mostly came in response to Trump declining during a July 20 interview with Fox News 's Chris Wallace to answer whether he would accept the results of the 2020 election .
`` I have to see , '' said Trump .
`` No , I 'm not going to just say yes .
I 'm not going to say no , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ''
However , even before his remarks with Wallace , certain news outlets were already toying with the idea of a coup conspiracy .
“ Trump Could Still Break Democracy ’ s Biggest Norm , ” warned the headline to a June 16 Atlantic op-ed .
“ Some of the president ’ s opponents fear that he ’ ll refuse to leave the White House if he loses the election .
Here ’ s why.
” It can not be missed that these fears , which are based in no fact of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ multiple Democratic officials , including Rep. Maxine Waters of California , Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan , presumptive 2020 Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden , and Sens .
Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Ron Wyden of Oregon .
Further , it is worth noting that Trump has already said he would leave office in he loses reelection .
He said in June during an interview with Fox News , “ If I do n't win , I do n't win .
We 'll go on and do other things.
” But more noteworthy than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Washington Examiner ’ s editorial board already noted , is that there is simply no reason to suspect the president will stage a coup or that anyone would go along with it , risking imprisonment or even worse .
The November coup silliness is a figment of the Democratic Party ’ s imagination , which means it is being treated in the corporate press as a legitimate , fact-based concern .
Because that is normally how this works .

Democratic officials and members of the press tend to agree on a lot.
It is no surprise, then, to see that both parties continue to engage in baseless conspiracy-mongering over fears that President Trump will stage a coup in November if he loses reelection.
No surprise at all.
“‘A dress rehearsal for martial law?’” MSNBC news anchor Brian Williams asked this week, referring to Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan’s claim that federal agents may be in Portland, Oregon, as part of a trial run for a broader authoritarian takeover in the fall. “How long a walk is it from where we are tonight, knowing what we know about cities where the feds already are and what may be on their wish [list]?”
NBC News legal analyst Barbara McQuade responded to Williams, affirming that the president has "the power to call up military personnel to respond to unrest in cities. The president can do that even without an invitation from the locals.”
“That is an awesome power,” she added. “But what we have seen from this president is what, some would argue, an effort to escalate tensions in cities like Portland and Seattle and perhaps creating a pretext that would allow him to exercise that awesome power.”
Earlier, on Thursday, CBS News published a report that asked, “What happens if the president doesn't accept the election results?”
“Trump’s assault on election integrity forces question: What would happen if he refused to accept a loss?” reads the headline to a July 22 Washington Post report.
In opinion commentary, there has been much of the same fearmongering over a possible November coup.
“What Could Happen If Donald Trump Rejects Electoral Defeat?” the New Yorker asked on July 21.
MSNBC commentator John Heilman said that same day, “I think we are looking at potentially a trial run for a kind of, a genuine attempt to, through intimidation and potentially through force, to try to steal this election.
He added, “I think we are now at the point where, you know, we see what the president is doing, we see his intention to not accept an outcome of this election where he loses to Joe Biden. He is making it very clear."
These news reports and commentaries mostly came in response to Trump declining during a July 20 interview with Fox News's Chris Wallace to answer whether he would accept the results of the 2020 election.
"I have to see," said Trump. "No, I'm not going to just say yes. I'm not going to say no, and I didn't last time either."
However, even before his remarks with Wallace, certain news outlets were already toying with the idea of a coup conspiracy.
“Trump Could Still Break Democracy’s Biggest Norm,” warned the headline to a June 16 Atlantic op-ed. “Some of the president’s opponents fear that he’ll refuse to leave the White House if he loses the election. Here’s why.”
Earlier, on June 3, Vox asked, “Will Trump leave office if defeated?”
It cannot be missed that these fears, which are based in no fact of precedent, have been repeated near-verbatim by multiple Democratic officials, including Rep. Maxine Waters of California, Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan, presumptive 2020 Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden, and Sens. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Ron Wyden of Oregon.
Further, it is worth noting that Trump has already said he would leave office in he loses reelection. He said in June during an interview with Fox News, “If I don't win, I don't win. We'll go on and do other things.”
But more noteworthy than Trump's own words, and as the Washington Examiner’s editorial board already noted, is that there is simply no reason to suspect the president will stage a coup or that anyone would go along with it, risking imprisonment or even worse. The November coup silliness is a figment of the Democratic Party’s imagination, which means it is being treated in the corporate press as a legitimate, fact-based concern. Because that is normally how this works.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-07-29--Trump campaign and super PAC freeze ads in Michigan amid bad polling

President Trump 's reelection campaign and an allied super PAC have paused television and radio ads in Michigan as the president 's poll numbers have dropped .
The campaign has n't aired an ad in the state since last week , and America First Action has n't run one since the beginning of July , McClatchy DC reported Wednesday .
Instead , the pro-Trump super PAC 's latest ad will air in other battleground states , such as Pennsylvania and Wisconsin .
The PAC has also turned its focus to Arizona and North Carolina .
Trump and Joe Biden were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state Trump won by only 10,704 votes in 2016 — but the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee has pulled ahead in recent polling amid the coronavirus pandemic , subsequent economic downturn , and the protests following George Floyd 's death .
Since the end of June , the president 's campaign has thrown more money into ads in 10 other states and spent about one-third of what Biden 's team spent in Michigan in the same time frame .
“ Of all the states he won in 2016 , Trump would be most hard-pressed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time around , ” said Geoff Garin , a Democratic pollster for Democratic super PAC Priorities USA told the New York Times .
The president 's campaign still has more than $ 11 million in television ads reserved in Michigan starting in September .
RealClearPolitics has Biden up 8 points against Trump in Michigan .

President Trump's reelection campaign and an allied super PAC have paused television and radio ads in Michigan as the president's poll numbers have dropped.
The campaign hasn't aired an ad in the state since last week, and America First Action hasn't run one since the beginning of July, McClatchy DC reported Wednesday. Instead, the pro-Trump super PAC's latest ad will air in other battleground states, such as Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. The PAC has also turned its focus to Arizona and North Carolina.
Trump and Joe Biden were expected to compete for Michigan — a state Trump won by only 10,704 votes in 2016 — but the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee has pulled ahead in recent polling amid the coronavirus pandemic, subsequent economic downturn, and the protests following George Floyd's death.
Since the end of June, the president's campaign has thrown more money into ads in 10 other states and spent about one-third of what Biden's team spent in Michigan in the same time frame.
“Of all the states he won in 2016, Trump would be most hard-pressed to keep Michigan in his column this time around,” said Geoff Garin, a Democratic pollster for Democratic super PAC Priorities USA told the New York Times.
The president's campaign still has more than $11 million in television ads reserved in Michigan starting in September.
RealClearPolitics has Biden up 8 points against Trump in Michigan.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-07-29--Texas Republicans sound blue wave alarms as Trump camp mocks idea, leaving Allen West caught in the

Texas Republicans sound blue wave alarms as Trump camp mocks idea, leaving Allen West caught in the middle

Texas Republicans are in a tense moment with an election on the line .
President Trump , who is visiting Texas on Wednesday , has a campaign that is outwardly confident , even cocky , about his chances of winning the once reliably Republican state .
But some of the state ’ s most prominent politicians are sounding the alarm about the possibility of the state flipping in favor of Joe Biden , the presumptive Democratic nominee .
Stuck in the middle is Allen West , the new chair of the Texas Republican Party .
The conservative firebrand took the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the November election after defeating incumbent Chairman James Dickey at the state convention , pitching taking a more aggressively conservative stance as a party .
Trump and Biden have been neck and neck in recent Texas polls , with one survey showing showed Biden 5 points ahead .
That prompted Democrats who have long worked to turn Texas blue to proclaim it 's now a swing state .
`` Texas is the biggest battleground state , '' Texas Democratic Party spokesman Abhi Rahman told the Washington Examiner .
`` Joe Biden is already @ @ @ @ @ @ @ campaign will continue to invest throughout the election .
With the national organizations , allied campaigns , Texas Democratic Party , and in-state partnered groups , we will have the resources to win up and down the ballot in November . ''
The trend extends to down-ballot races , where Democratic House candidates hope to ride Biden ’ s coattails to big wins in the state ’ s congressional delegation .
Earlier this month , Cook Political Report election forecasters moved four Texas House races one tick in the rating scale to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ being rated toss-ups .
West is no stranger to the threat of Texas becoming increasingly Democratic .
After the former Florida congressman and retired Army lieutenant colonel moved to the state from Florida in 2015 , he wrote a 2018 book called Hold Texas , Hold the Nation : Victory or Death .
“ The Left really believes that they have an opportunity to take Texas , and when you look at our major population centers , they 're all controlled by the Left , ” West told the Washington Examiner in an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trend is troubling , West said , because the same thing happened in other states that turned from red to blue .
“ You can look at Colorado .
You can look in New Mexico .
You can look in Nevada .
You can look at what happened just last election cycle in Virginia.
” That ’ s not top of mind for the Trump campaign , though .
In a press call last week , during which he spent 30 minutes questioning the accuracy of polls nationwide , Trump campaign manager Bill @ @ @ @ @ @ @ being competitive in Texas .
“ I would invite the Biden campaign to play in Texas .
They should play hard , ” Stepien teased .
“ Spend a lot of money in the Houston and Dallas Bay markets , ” he said , communicating that the money would be a waste for Biden in what he considers a safe Republican state .
Political science professors who study Texas agree that the state has increased its share of Democrats in recent years but say that it isn ’ t yet a traditional swing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would be more a sign of a major blowout election rather than a lasting change in the state ’ s political DNA .
But Texas Republicans have a starkly different attitude from the Trump campaign about Texas turning blue , sounding the alarm at what they see as the potential for a total shift of control if Biden wins the state .
Sen. John Cornyn , who is up for reelection this year , gave a warning at the state party convention last weekend .
`` Republicans are facing the greatest electoral challenge @ @ @ @ @ @ @ decades , ” Cornyn said .
“ Joe Biden sees Texas electoral votes as the prize that will put him over the top and put Democrats in the driver 's seat in the electoral college for a generation to come . ''
Sen. Ted Cruz echoed Cornyn , saying in a convention speech , `` If the Democrats win Texas , it 's all over . ''
The sentiment continuously pops up in Cornyn 's fundraising emails .
West , whom Trump congratulated in a tweet last week after he won the chairmanship @ @ @ @ @ @ @ president 's reelection campaign .
He echoed some of the Trump campaign ’ s critiques about polls .
“ A lot of the polling is done with registered voters , not most likely voters , ” West said .
But he toed the line between being positive about the president ’ s chances of winning the state and recognizing the two senators ’ concerns .
“ Cruz [ is using ] his experience of 2018 against Robert Francis O'Rourke , ” West said .
“ Even a very strong red county like Tarrant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Cruz.
” West ’ s plan to counter the Democrats ?
Ramp up messaging in communities where Democrats have an edge in order to lessen their hold .
His first trip as chairman was to the heavily Democratic Rio Grande Valley .
“ The inner-city communities , the black community , Hispanic community , even the Asian community — we have a huge Vietnamese community here in Texas , ” West said .
“ These are communities that have conservative principles and values at heart , but we have not done a good @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s satiating a hunger for more fire among some rank-and-file Republicans .
“ Hallelujah , finally they 're getting some guts and want to fight , ” a Houston resident wrote to the Houston Chronicle about West ’ s new chairmanship .
“ I 'm hoping West 's leadership will inspire our timid leaders to go forward and fight to lead our great state of Texas.
” The threat of Biden and a blue wave in Texas looms over Trump ’ s Wednesday visit .
While the president is focused more on raising @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state than on campaigning to the public , it gives fuel to Democrats to point out the close poll numbers in the state .
Biden took Trump ’ s visit as an opportunity to criticize him : “ Now isn ’ t the time for politicking or photo-ops.
” Biden has yet to act substantially on the potential others see in Texas , though .
He ran a small number of ads in Texas as part of a six-figure ad buy , but the major money he is spending on ads this month @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to more competitive swing states , indicating that he is not targeting the area .
“ Joe Biden ’ s campaign likes to pretend they ’ re viable in Texas more than they like actually campaigning in the state , but that ’ s because even they ’ ve admitted Texas isn ’ t on the table for Biden , ” Trump deputy national press secretary Samantha Zager told the Washington Examiner .
And as for the polls , West is betting that there will be a change once people become comfortable with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ become aware of violent civil unrest taking place across the country .
“ You 're going to see a big change in sentiment , ” he said .
“ In the end , they 're going to vote in the right way for the rule of law and not the rules of the mob .
”

Texas Republicans are in a tense moment with an election on the line.
President Trump, who is visiting Texas on Wednesday, has a campaign that is outwardly confident, even cocky, about his chances of winning the once reliably Republican state. But some of the state’s most prominent politicians are sounding the alarm about the possibility of the state flipping in favor of Joe Biden, the presumptive Democratic nominee.
Stuck in the middle is Allen West, the new chair of the Texas Republican Party. The conservative firebrand took the reins with just about 100 days until the November election after defeating incumbent Chairman James Dickey at the state convention, pitching taking a more aggressively conservative stance as a party.
Trump and Biden have been neck and neck in recent Texas polls, with one survey showing showed Biden 5 points ahead. That prompted Democrats who have long worked to turn Texas blue to proclaim it's now a swing state.
"Texas is the biggest battleground state," Texas Democratic Party spokesman Abhi Rahman told the Washington Examiner. "Joe Biden is already showing his investment into Texas and his campaign will continue to invest throughout the election. With the national organizations, allied campaigns, Texas Democratic Party, and in-state partnered groups, we will have the resources to win up and down the ballot in November."
The trend extends to down-ballot races, where Democratic House candidates hope to ride Biden’s coattails to big wins in the state’s congressional delegation. Earlier this month, Cook Political Report election forecasters moved four Texas House races one tick in the rating scale to the left, resulting in three GOP-held seats being rated toss-ups.
West is no stranger to the threat of Texas becoming increasingly Democratic. After the former Florida congressman and retired Army lieutenant colonel moved to the state from Florida in 2015, he wrote a 2018 book called Hold Texas, Hold the Nation: Victory or Death.
“The Left really believes that they have an opportunity to take Texas, and when you look at our major population centers, they're all controlled by the Left,” West told the Washington Examiner in an interview on Tuesday.
That population center trend is troubling, West said, because the same thing happened in other states that turned from red to blue. “You can look at Colorado. You can look in New Mexico. You can look in Nevada. You can look at what happened just last election cycle in Virginia.”
That’s not top of mind for the Trump campaign, though. In a press call last week, during which he spent 30 minutes questioning the accuracy of polls nationwide, Trump campaign manager Bill Stepien mocked the idea of the Biden being competitive in Texas.
“I would invite the Biden campaign to play in Texas. They should play hard,” Stepien teased. “Spend a lot of money in the Houston and Dallas Bay markets,” he said, communicating that the money would be a waste for Biden in what he considers a safe Republican state.
Political science professors who study Texas agree that the state has increased its share of Democrats in recent years but say that it isn’t yet a traditional swing state and win for Biden this year would be more a sign of a major blowout election rather than a lasting change in the state’s political DNA.
But Texas Republicans have a starkly different attitude from the Trump campaign about Texas turning blue, sounding the alarm at what they see as the potential for a total shift of control if Biden wins the state.
Sen. John Cornyn, who is up for reelection this year, gave a warning at the state party convention last weekend.
"Republicans are facing the greatest electoral challenge we've faced in the last five decades,” Cornyn said. “Joe Biden sees Texas electoral votes as the prize that will put him over the top and put Democrats in the driver's seat in the electoral college for a generation to come."
Sen. Ted Cruz echoed Cornyn, saying in a convention speech, "If the Democrats win Texas, it's all over." The sentiment continuously pops up in Cornyn's fundraising emails.
West, whom Trump congratulated in a tweet last week after he won the chairmanship, has no incentive to contradict the president's reelection campaign. He echoed some of the Trump campaign’s critiques about polls.
“A lot of the polling is done with registered voters, not most likely voters,” West said.
But he toed the line between being positive about the president’s chances of winning the state and recognizing the two senators’ concerns.
“Cruz [is using] his experience of 2018 against Robert Francis O'Rourke,” West said. “Even a very strong red county like Tarrant County was not won by Sen. Ted Cruz.”
West’s plan to counter the Democrats? Ramp up messaging in communities where Democrats have an edge in order to lessen their hold. His first trip as chairman was to the heavily Democratic Rio Grande Valley.
“The inner-city communities, the black community, Hispanic community, even the Asian community — we have a huge Vietnamese community here in Texas,” West said. “These are communities that have conservative principles and values at heart, but we have not done a good job of communicating that.”
That’s satiating a hunger for more fire among some rank-and-file Republicans.
“Hallelujah, finally they're getting some guts and want to fight,” a Houston resident wrote to the Houston Chronicle about West’s new chairmanship. “I'm hoping West's leadership will inspire our timid leaders to go forward and fight to lead our great state of Texas.”
The threat of Biden and a blue wave in Texas looms over Trump’s Wednesday visit.
While the president is focused more on raising money from reliably red portions of the state than on campaigning to the public, it gives fuel to Democrats to point out the close poll numbers in the state. Biden took Trump’s visit as an opportunity to criticize him: “Now isn’t the time for politicking or photo-ops.”
Biden has yet to act substantially on the potential others see in Texas, though. He ran a small number of ads in Texas as part of a six-figure ad buy, but the major money he is spending on ads this month, nearly $30 million, went to more competitive swing states, indicating that he is not targeting the area.
“Joe Biden’s campaign likes to pretend they’re viable in Texas more than they like actually campaigning in the state, but that’s because even they’ve admitted Texas isn’t on the table for Biden,” Trump deputy national press secretary Samantha Zager told the Washington Examiner.
And as for the polls, West is betting that there will be a change once people become comfortable with relaying their true feeling to pollsters and become aware of violent civil unrest taking place across the country.
“You're going to see a big change in sentiment,” he said. “In the end, they're going to vote in the right way for the rule of law and not the rules of the mob.”


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-07-29--New voter registrations plummeting, posing threat to Biden

Joe Biden may be facing a new-voter problem , which the coronavirus pandemic is n't helping .
Data from April and May show a dramatic drop in those looking to cast a vote for the first time this November .
First-time voters , often on the younger side , were crucial in the 2008 and 2012 wins by President Barack Obama and Biden , his vice president .
In Florida , for example , new voter registrations have dropped 60 % compared to numbers seen in 2016 , according to data gathered by The Civics Center .
Democrats are hoping @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 25 to help swing the state back to their column after losing it to President Trump in the last election .
The numbers are even starker in Wisconsin , which in April saw a 88 % drop in new registration compared to four years before .
And if Democrats hope to flip Texas , they 'll need to reverse the nearly 66 % drop in voter registration in the state .
The decrease in potential new voters is likely attributed to the coronavirus outbreak , which has caused many offices where the public @ @ @ @ @ @ @ motor vehicle departments , to temporarily close .
Even in places that are not swing states , such as New Mexico , Utah , and Illinois , newly registered voters have dropped by over 50 % .
In Vermont , the month of April saw just 134 new voters compared to 2,942 in 2016 .
Across the entire country , there were just 194,596 new voter registrations in May , compared to 1,490,631 in 2016 .
Fewer new voters can also be attributed to a lack of enthusiasm for Biden .
Polling consistently @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their vote for Trump in the fall , with a memo from the president 's campaign arguing that `` Biden and his campaign have yet to inspire or coalesce their own base , '' which is primarily made up of younger voters .
Although much of that memo was seen nothing more than an excuse for the president 's consistently poor polling performance , evidence that Democrats are failing to attract new voters like in 2008 existed before the coronavirus shut much of the country down .
In the Democratic Iowa caucuses , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ participate in this year 's contest .
That was a modest improvement from 2016 , which saw 5,000 fewer , but far from the 236,000 who participated in 2008 .
Of those who caucused this year , 35 % self-identified as first-timers , compared to 57 % in 2008 .
And although more young people participated in the caucuses this year , over 10,000 fewer of them were those under the age of 25 .
And even the few voters who are registering for the first time this year are leaning Republican , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's new get-out-the-vote operation is paying dividends .
In Iowa , where a new poll shows Trump narrowly leading Biden , Republicans overtook Democrats in active voter registrations .
Democrats , delighted by the polls currently showing Biden on the path to win well over 300 electoral votes in November , remain nervous by the trend but say there is still much time to make up for lost ground .
`` While COVID had a substantial impact on voter registration among likely Democratic voters , the registration gap is not only surmountable , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ make up for lost time , expand the electorate and engage more Americans in the voting franchise , '' the liberal-leaning data firm TargetSmart wrote in a memo .

Joe Biden may be facing a new-voter problem, which the coronavirus pandemic isn't helping.
Data from April and May show a dramatic drop in those looking to cast a vote for the first time this November. First-time voters, often on the younger side, were crucial in the 2008 and 2012 wins by President Barack Obama and Biden, his vice president.
In Florida, for example, new voter registrations have dropped 60% compared to numbers seen in 2016, according to data gathered by The Civics Center. Democrats are hoping to gin up enthusiasm among those under 25 to help swing the state back to their column after losing it to President Trump in the last election.
The numbers are even starker in Wisconsin, which in April saw a 88% drop in new registration compared to four years before. And if Democrats hope to flip Texas, they'll need to reverse the nearly 66% drop in voter registration in the state.
The decrease in potential new voters is likely attributed to the coronavirus outbreak, which has caused many offices where the public can register, such as schools and motor vehicle departments, to temporarily close. Even in places that are not swing states, such as New Mexico, Utah, and Illinois, newly registered voters have dropped by over 50%. In Vermont, the month of April saw just 134 new voters compared to 2,942 in 2016.
Across the entire country, there were just 194,596 new voter registrations in May, compared to 1,490,631 in 2016.
Fewer new voters can also be attributed to a lack of enthusiasm for Biden. Polling consistently shows Republicans far more excited to cast their vote for Trump in the fall, with a memo from the president's campaign arguing that "Biden and his campaign have yet to inspire or coalesce their own base," which is primarily made up of younger voters.
Although much of that memo was seen nothing more than an excuse for the president's consistently poor polling performance, evidence that Democrats are failing to attract new voters like in 2008 existed before the coronavirus shut much of the country down. In the Democratic Iowa caucuses, for example, 176,000 turned out to participate in this year's contest. That was a modest improvement from 2016, which saw 5,000 fewer, but far from the 236,000 who participated in 2008.
Of those who caucused this year, 35% self-identified as first-timers, compared to 57% in 2008. And although more young people participated in the caucuses this year, over 10,000 fewer of them were those under the age of 25.
And even the few voters who are registering for the first time this year are leaning Republican, a remarkable feat signaling that the GOP's new get-out-the-vote operation is paying dividends. In Iowa, where a new poll shows Trump narrowly leading Biden, Republicans overtook Democrats in active voter registrations.
Democrats, delighted by the polls currently showing Biden on the path to win well over 300 electoral votes in November, remain nervous by the trend but say there is still much time to make up for lost ground.
"While COVID had a substantial impact on voter registration among likely Democratic voters, the registration gap is not only surmountable, with smart, data-driven organizing progressives can make up for lost time, expand the electorate and engage more Americans in the voting franchise," the liberal-leaning data firm TargetSmart wrote in a memo.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-07-29--RNC warns of 'disaster' after CBS mail-in voting experiment reveals potential problems

Concerns about the integrity of mail-in voting prompted CBS This Morning to conduct an experiment by sending out mock ballots to a fake local election office , and the results were less than encouraging .
In the experiment , a P.O .
Box was set up by the show 's co-host Tony Dokoupil to represent a local election office .
A few days after the initial ballots were mailed , 100 more were sent , and only 97 % of the original batch had arrived after a week , and 21 % of the second batch had not materialized after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 3 % of votes not being counted in a close election could have a significant impact .
Other inconsistencies were found as well , including the post office 's initial inability to find the ballots when Dokoupil went to pick them up and other mail not associated with the experiment being delivered to his box .
The fake ballots used the same size envelope , same class of mail , and were even folded the same way to approximate the weight , although real ballots do have a logo that is intended to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ replicate .
Democrats across the country have been pushing for expanded mail-in voting citing coronavirus concerns .
But Dokoupil ’ s experiment raises concerns , considering that nearly half of the states in the country allow voters to request ballots less than a week before the election .
The United States Postal Service recommends voters send out mail-in ballots at least one week prior to the due date .
`` We 're gon na see somewhere between probably 80 and 100 million voters receiving their ballot that way , '' former Arizona election @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have pushed back against universal vote-by-mail , arguing that the process is ripe for fraud , citing and a study showing that over the last decade .
The Republican National Committee took notice of Dokoupil ’ s experiment , posting the news segment on an official Twitter account .
“ Local news ’ experiment in mail-in voting ends in disaster : ‘ I just don ’ t trust the mail , ’ ” the tweet said .

Concerns about the integrity of mail-in voting prompted CBS This Morning to conduct an experiment by sending out mock ballots to a fake local election office, and the results were less than encouraging.
In the experiment, a P.O. Box was set up by the show's co-host Tony Dokoupil to represent a local election office. A few days after the initial ballots were mailed, 100 more were sent, and only 97% of the original batch had arrived after a week, and 21% of the second batch had not materialized after four days.
CBS points out that 3% of votes not being counted in a close election could have a significant impact.
Other inconsistencies were found as well, including the post office's initial inability to find the ballots when Dokoupil went to pick them up and other mail not associated with the experiment being delivered to his box.
The fake ballots used the same size envelope, same class of mail, and were even folded the same way to approximate the weight, although real ballots do have a logo that is intended to expedite them that CBS was unable to replicate.
[Read more: Republican nightmare: Trump vote-by-mail demonizing driving down GOP participation]
Democrats across the country have been pushing for expanded mail-in voting citing coronavirus concerns. But Dokoupil’s experiment raises concerns, considering that nearly half of the states in the country allow voters to request ballots less than a week before the election. The United States Postal Service recommends voters send out mail-in ballots at least one week prior to the due date.
"We're gonna see somewhere between probably 80 and 100 million voters receiving their ballot that way," former Arizona election official Tammy Patrick told Dokoupil.
Republicans have pushed back against universal vote-by-mail, arguing that the process is ripe for fraud, citing over a thousand voter fraud convictions and a study showing that 28 million mail-in ballots are unaccounted for over the last decade.
The Republican National Committee took notice of Dokoupil’s experiment, posting the news segment on an official Twitter account.
“Local news’ experiment in mail-in voting ends in disaster: ‘I just don’t trust the mail,’” the tweet said.