thewashingtonexaminer--2020-10-08--'Not acceptable': Trump rejects virtual debate against Biden

President Trump declared he will not be participating in next week 's presidential debate given that it is now set to be a virtual event .
Trump said the change , which was announced less than an hour before his phone interview Thursday morning on Fox Business , is `` not acceptable to us . ''
The Commission on Presidential Debates had just released a statement that said the `` debate will take the form of a town meeting , in which the candidates would participate from separate remote locations . ''
Fox Business anchor Maria Bartiromo told Trump about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he would not accept the format change , after which the president said , `` No , I 'm not going to waste my time on a virtual debate .
That 's not what debating is all about .
You sit behind a computer and do a debate .
It 's ridiculous , and then they cut you off whenever they want . ''
Bill Stepien , Trump 's campaign manager , released a statement soon after calling the debate format change `` pathetic . ''
`` For the swamp creatures at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Joe Biden ’ s defense by unilaterally canceling an in-person debate is pathetic .
That ’ s not what debates are about or how they ’ re done , '' he said .
The decision to change the format , which the commission said was made `` to protect the health and safety of all involved with the second presidential debate , '' comes after the president tested positive for COVID-19 last week , just days after he faced off against Democratic nominee Joe Biden in the first debate .
Stepien claimed a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the president has had multiple negative COVID-19 tests , although journalists have raised questions about when exactly he last tested negative .
`` Here are the facts : President Trump will have posted multiple negative tests prior to the debate , so there is no need for this unilateral declaration , '' he said .
`` The safety of all involved can easily be achieved without canceling a chance for voters to see both candidates go head to head .
We ’ ll pass on this sad excuse to bail out Joe Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's campaign said the candidate is looking forward to the virtual debate .
The former vice president previously said the debate should be called off if the president is still testing positive for COVID-19 .
During his Fox Business interview , Trump also chastised the moderator , C-SPAN 's Steve Scully , saying he always thought Scully was a `` nice guy '' but heard he is a `` Never Trumper . ''
That would appear to be in reference to reports that have been published in right-leaning media about Scully doing some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a senator decades ago .

President Trump declared he will not be participating in next week's presidential debate given that it is now set to be a virtual event.
Trump said the change, which was announced less than an hour before his phone interview Thursday morning on Fox Business, is "not acceptable to us."
The Commission on Presidential Debates had just released a statement that said the "debate will take the form of a town meeting, in which the candidates would participate from separate remote locations."
Fox Business anchor Maria Bartiromo told Trump about the statement and asked him again if he would not accept the format change, after which the president said, "No, I'm not going to waste my time on a virtual debate. That's not what debating is all about. You sit behind a computer and do a debate. It's ridiculous, and then they cut you off whenever they want."
Bill Stepien, Trump's campaign manager, released a statement soon after calling the debate format change "pathetic."
"For the swamp creatures at the Presidential Debate Commission to now rush to Joe Biden’s defense by unilaterally canceling an in-person debate is pathetic. That’s not what debates are about or how they’re done," he said.
The decision to change the format, which the commission said was made "to protect the health and safety of all involved with the second presidential debate," comes after the president tested positive for COVID-19 last week, just days after he faced off against Democratic nominee Joe Biden in the first debate.
Stepien claimed a virtual debate should not be necessary because the president has had multiple negative COVID-19 tests, although journalists have raised questions about when exactly he last tested negative.
"Here are the facts: President Trump will have posted multiple negative tests prior to the debate, so there is no need for this unilateral declaration," he said. "The safety of all involved can easily be achieved without canceling a chance for voters to see both candidates go head to head. We’ll pass on this sad excuse to bail out Joe Biden and do a rally instead.”
Biden's campaign said the candidate is looking forward to the virtual debate. The former vice president previously said the debate should be called off if the president is still testing positive for COVID-19.
During his Fox Business interview, Trump also chastised the moderator, C-SPAN's Steve Scully, saying he always thought Scully was a "nice guy" but heard he is a "Never Trumper." That would appear to be in reference to reports that have been published in right-leaning media about Scully doing some intern work for Biden when he was a senator decades ago.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-10-08--Trump turned tables on Pelosi with relief bill reboot, allies say

Allies of President Trump are commending his decision to end talks with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi over a coronavirus relief package , saying the surprise move halted passage of bloated legislation and allowed him to reset negotiations on more favorable terms .
Trump tweeted Tuesday that he had ordered Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin to break off discussions with Pelosi over providing trillions of dollars in economic assistance for individuals and businesses suffering from the pandemic .
In subsequent tweets , Trump said he backed standalone bills to rescue ailing domestic airlines , help teetering small businesses , and send $ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The president ’ s supporters argued the unorthodox maneuver puts Democrats on their heels weeks before Election Day .
“ The president never stops negotiating , and he basically told Pelosi that he ’ s no longer going to negotiate on her terms , ” said Rick Manning , president of the pro-Trump conservative group , Americans for Limited Government .
“ His tweets are telling the public what Pelosi was walking away from : extended unemployment benefits for people who need it and support for small businesses being destroyed by the lockdown.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus relief comes less than one month before a contentious election .
Trump trails Democratic nominee Joe Biden in most public opinion polls and has been forced to quarantine in the White House until he overcomes a bout with COVID-19 , even as time to catch up runs out .
The survey data also points to a possible Democratic takeover of the Senate and potential for House Democrats to increase their majority .
In that context , Trump ’ s decision to cancel negotiations proactively over coronavirus aid nevertheless puzzled some Republican strategists @ @ @ @ @ @ @ runs behind , voters still give him higher marks than Biden on who would better manage the economy .
Enacting bipartisan legislation to keep businesses afloat and help people struggling to pay their bills would play to Trump ’ s strength and seem like a no-brainer for an incumbent president who needs to alter his political trajectory .
“ It does represent a lost opportunity for the president , ” a Republican pollster said .
“ He needs something to shift the numbers , and the clock is ticking .
Breaking off negotiations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ eventually and he signs it , costs him time that he does n't have.
” After Trump and a bipartisan majority in Congress agreed swiftly on multiple coronavirus rescue packages in the spring , disagreement between House Democrats and Senate Republicans stalled more aid .
House Democrats passed a $ 3 trillion bill in May .
But Senate Republicans balked , saying it was too laden with pork for states that were mismanaging their finances .
But Pelosi retained the upper hand because Senate Republicans could not agree on a counteroffer .
Only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1.6 trillion bill negotiated by the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus in Congress , and House Democrats who represent swing districts complained to Pelosi , did the speaker produce a new , $ 2.2 trillion package .
She was negotiating with Mnuchin on a bridge between the two bills when Trump pulled the plug and demanded separate , standalone legislation .
David McIntosh , president of the Trump-aligned Club for Growth , conceded that the president ’ s approach was curious .
“ He doesn ’ t practice the time-honored Washington art of letting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” McIntosh said , alluding to Trump 's sudden change of course .
Pelosi has not indicated any desire to soften her position on the size and scope of the bill , perhaps bolstered by public opinion polls showing Democrats in a stronger position than Republicans .
Biden leads the RealClearPolitics average of national polls by 9.4 percentage points , with Democrats ahead on the generic congressional ballot by 6.6 points .
But McIntosh said Trump made the right move politically — at least as it concerns Senate Republicans , whose three-seat @ @ @ @ @ @ @ McIntosh said that Club for Growth polling has revealed Republican voters in competitive Senate races would be less likely to support the GOP incumbent if he or she backs passage of another massive coronavirus stimulus .
Republican voters are opposed to sending more federal tax dollars to state and local governments , even under the guise of coronavirus aid .
They believe Democratic-run states and cities are using the pandemic as an excuse to collect more federal tax dollars to finance out-of-control spending on liberal priorities .
That view is shared by a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ happens if [ Senate Republicans ] do another bailout , is that it dampens Republican enthusiasm in all these battleground states , ” McIntosh said .
Another Republican operative monitoring congressional races said there has been no backlash from voters to Trump playing hardball with Pelosi in the coronavirus talks .
“ It ’ ll just be more noise , ” this GOP insider said .
“ Nobody who is considering Trump is going to be swayed .
We haven ’ t heard anything on the ground .
”

Allies of President Trump are commending his decision to end talks with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi over a coronavirus relief package, saying the surprise move halted passage of bloated legislation and allowed him to reset negotiations on more favorable terms.
Trump tweeted Tuesday that he had ordered Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin to break off discussions with Pelosi over providing trillions of dollars in economic assistance for individuals and businesses suffering from the pandemic. In subsequent tweets, Trump said he backed standalone bills to rescue ailing domestic airlines, help teetering small businesses, and send $1,200 stimulus checks to the unemployed. The president’s supporters argued the unorthodox maneuver puts Democrats on their heels weeks before Election Day.
“The president never stops negotiating, and he basically told Pelosi that he’s no longer going to negotiate on her terms,” said Rick Manning, president of the pro-Trump conservative group, Americans for Limited Government. “His tweets are telling the public what Pelosi was walking away from: extended unemployment benefits for people who need it and support for small businesses being destroyed by the lockdown.”
The tussle over another round of coronavirus relief comes less than one month before a contentious election. Trump trails Democratic nominee Joe Biden in most public opinion polls and has been forced to quarantine in the White House until he overcomes a bout with COVID-19, even as time to catch up runs out. The survey data also points to a possible Democratic takeover of the Senate and potential for House Democrats to increase their majority.
In that context, Trump’s decision to cancel negotiations proactively over coronavirus aid nevertheless puzzled some Republican strategists. Even in polls where the president runs behind, voters still give him higher marks than Biden on who would better manage the economy. Enacting bipartisan legislation to keep businesses afloat and help people struggling to pay their bills would play to Trump’s strength and seem like a no-brainer for an incumbent president who needs to alter his political trajectory.
“It does represent a lost opportunity for the president,” a Republican pollster said. “He needs something to shift the numbers, and the clock is ticking. Breaking off negotiations, even if Congress does pass something eventually and he signs it, costs him time that he doesn't have.”
After Trump and a bipartisan majority in Congress agreed swiftly on multiple coronavirus rescue packages in the spring, disagreement between House Democrats and Senate Republicans stalled more aid. House Democrats passed a $3 trillion bill in May. But Senate Republicans balked, saying it was too laden with pork for states that were mismanaging their finances. But Pelosi retained the upper hand because Senate Republicans could not agree on a counteroffer.
Only after Trump voiced support for a $1.6 trillion bill negotiated by the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus in Congress, and House Democrats who represent swing districts complained to Pelosi, did the speaker produce a new, $2.2 trillion package. She was negotiating with Mnuchin on a bridge between the two bills when Trump pulled the plug and demanded separate, standalone legislation.
David McIntosh, president of the Trump-aligned Club for Growth, conceded that the president’s approach was curious.
“He doesn’t practice the time-honored Washington art of letting the other side walk into a trap,” McIntosh said, alluding to Trump's sudden change of course.
Pelosi has not indicated any desire to soften her position on the size and scope of the bill, perhaps bolstered by public opinion polls showing Democrats in a stronger position than Republicans. Biden leads the RealClearPolitics average of national polls by 9.4 percentage points, with Democrats ahead on the generic congressional ballot by 6.6 points.
But McIntosh said Trump made the right move politically — at least as it concerns Senate Republicans, whose three-seat majority is hanging by a thread. McIntosh said that Club for Growth polling has revealed Republican voters in competitive Senate races would be less likely to support the GOP incumbent if he or she backs passage of another massive coronavirus stimulus.
Republican voters are opposed to sending more federal tax dollars to state and local governments, even under the guise of coronavirus aid. They believe Democratic-run states and cities are using the pandemic as an excuse to collect more federal tax dollars to finance out-of-control spending on liberal priorities. That view is shared by a majority of Senate Republicans.
“What happens if [Senate Republicans] do another bailout, is that it dampens Republican enthusiasm in all these battleground states,” McIntosh said.
Another Republican operative monitoring congressional races said there has been no backlash from voters to Trump playing hardball with Pelosi in the coronavirus talks. “It’ll just be more noise,” this GOP insider said. “Nobody who is considering Trump is going to be swayed. We haven’t heard anything on the ground.”


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-10-08--Trump, trailing in polls, bets on his base

Less than a month out from the election , President Trump is settling scores and serving up red meat to his base .
He is of the pandemic that robbed him of the economic boom that once looked likely to propel him to a second term ; related to the Russia investigation that supporters feared would hound him from office ; and with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on a new COVID-19 assistance package that might have juiced economic numbers before Election Day .
Instead , Trump is pressing forward with a Supreme Court nomination before the end of the year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a Washington Examiner/YouGov poll .
But as another round of national and swing-state polls show the president trailing Democratic challenger Joe Biden , some are questioning the strategy behind boosting Trump ’ s appeal with voters who are already likely to be in his camp .
“ Trump 's team has clearly made the calculated decision to appeal directly and full-throatedly to his base , ” said veteran Republican strategist and pollster Frank Luntz .
“ The problem with that misguided strategy is that it will only get you to 47 % of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to win , he needs the support of a few 2016 Clinton voters as well.
” “ Gee , look : He 's tweeting again about something only a narrow segment of Republicans care about or even think is an issue , ” commented columnist Damon Linker .
“ It 's like he only wants votes from the 5 million people who watch Hannity every night.
” Even among Trump voters , there is a split between people who like him because of his combativeness and those who simply want conservative policies rather @ @ @ @ @ @ @ increasingly liberal Democratic Party .
“ Trump ’ s base has never been rock solid , ” tweeted GOP pollster Patrick Ruffini .
“ His Strongly Approve doesn ’ t beat his Somewhat Approve by that much .
They have significant problems with his tweeting and demeanor .
It ’ s just not enough to make them vote Democrat.
” The president has fallen behind Biden among voters aged 65 and up , a key GOP constituency , in a number of polls .
He could use shoring up among Catholics .
And @ @ @ @ @ @ @ battleground states , where he is down nearly 5 points in the RealClearPolitics polling average .
Biden is leading by 9.4 points in the same average nationally , with the last six national polls included showing him winning between 51 % and 57 % of the vote to Trump ’ s 40 % to 43 % .
Barring a polling malfunction that vastly exceeds the industry ’ s problems in 2016 , Trump has a lot of ground to make up and little time to do it .
Yet on Tuesday , hours @ @ @ @ @ @ @ posted an all-caps tweet accusing Biden , Barack Obama , and “ Crooked Hillary ” Clinton of a “ treasonous plot ” that should render the Democratic nominee ineligible to run this year .
“ Absolutely , they seem focused on voters they already have , but isn ’ t that the story of the entire Trump presidency and campaign ?
” said Republican strategist Christian Ferry .
“ It is why they have never grown their support and base and remain stuck in the mud.
” Ferry has joined other John McCain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ year , but GOP operatives who want Trump to win share this view .
“ At the end of the day , it ’ s about math , ” said one who requested anonymity to speak candidly .
“ They don ’ t seem to be doing addition over there.
” Conservative commentator Erick Erickson shared with his readers Clinton ’ s leads in Florida , Pennsylvania , Wisconsin , Michigan , and North Carolina on Oct. 7 four years ago .
Biden ’ s leads are slightly larger , but the point @ @ @ @ @ @ @ still time for a lot to change .
Trump ended up winning all of those states in 2016 .
Others point out that the Trump campaign is in important states .
If the pandemic dents turnout , especially among Biden ’ s senior citizen supporters , in a way that mail-in voting doesn ’ t entirely offset , a base-centric strategy led by a president telling supporters not to let the coronavirus `` dominate '' them could potentially pay dividends .
“ President Trump ’ s focus on fighting coronavirus , rebuilding the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has expanded his base of support with Americans from every corner of the nation , '' said Trump campaign deputy national press secretary Samantha Zager .
`` While Joe Biden chooses to see our country as something to be ashamed of , surrendering to COVID , the mob , and our allies abroad , President Trump is running a campaign on boundless optimism and faith in the American way of life , which includes a roaring , post-COVID economy and the opportunity for many people to pursue their version of the American dream.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the finish line nears .
“ Not just for the White House , ” said the GOP operative , “ but for down-ballot races too .
”

Less than a month out from the election, President Trump is settling scores and serving up red meat to his base. He is projecting defiance of the pandemic that robbed him of the economic boom that once looked likely to propel him to a second term, declassifying material related to the Russia investigation that supporters feared would hound him from office, and breaking off negotiations with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on a new COVID-19 assistance package that might have juiced economic numbers before Election Day.
Instead, Trump is pressing forward with a Supreme Court nomination before the end of the year, a move that splits the public , according to a Washington Examiner/YouGov poll. But as another round of national and swing-state polls show the president trailing Democratic challenger Joe Biden, some are questioning the strategy behind boosting Trump’s appeal with voters who are already likely to be in his camp.
“Trump's team has clearly made the calculated decision to appeal directly and full-throatedly to his base,” said veteran Republican strategist and pollster Frank Luntz. “The problem with that misguided strategy is that it will only get you to 47% of the vote. If he actually wants to win, he needs the support of a few 2016 Clinton voters as well.”
“Gee, look: He's tweeting again about something only a narrow segment of Republicans care about or even think is an issue,” commented columnist Damon Linker. “It's like he only wants votes from the 5 million people who watch Hannity every night.”
Even among Trump voters, there is a split between people who like him because of his combativeness and those who simply want conservative policies rather than turning the government over to an increasingly liberal Democratic Party.
“Trump’s base has never been rock solid,” tweeted GOP pollster Patrick Ruffini. “His Strongly Approve doesn’t beat his Somewhat Approve by that much. They have significant problems with his tweeting and demeanor. It’s just not enough to make them vote Democrat.”
The president has fallen behind Biden among voters aged 65 and up, a key GOP constituency, in a number of polls. He could use shoring up among Catholics. And Trump needs to do better in the battleground states, where he is down nearly 5 points in the RealClearPolitics polling average. Biden is leading by 9.4 points in the same average nationally, with the last six national polls included showing him winning between 51% and 57% of the vote to Trump’s 40% to 43%.
Barring a polling malfunction that vastly exceeds the industry’s problems in 2016, Trump has a lot of ground to make up and little time to do it. Yet on Tuesday, hours before the vice presidential debate, he posted an all-caps tweet accusing Biden, Barack Obama, and “Crooked Hillary” Clinton of a “treasonous plot” that should render the Democratic nominee ineligible to run this year.
“Absolutely, they seem focused on voters they already have, but isn’t that the story of the entire Trump presidency and campaign?” said Republican strategist Christian Ferry. “It is why they have never grown their support and base and remain stuck in the mud.”
Ferry has joined other John McCain presidential campaign alumni in endorsing Biden this year, but GOP operatives who want Trump to win share this view. “At the end of the day, it’s about math,” said one who requested anonymity to speak candidly. “They don’t seem to be doing addition over there.”
Conservative commentator Erick Erickson shared with his readers Clinton’s leads in Florida, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Michigan, and North Carolina on Oct. 7 four years ago. Biden’s leads are slightly larger, but the point was also to illustrate that there is still time for a lot to change. Trump ended up winning all of those states in 2016.
Others point out that the Trump campaign is beating the Democrats at voter registration in important states. If the pandemic dents turnout, especially among Biden’s senior citizen supporters, in a way that mail-in voting doesn’t entirely offset, a base-centric strategy led by a president telling supporters not to let the coronavirus "dominate" them could potentially pay dividends.
“President Trump’s focus on fighting coronavirus, rebuilding the economy, and defending law and order has expanded his base of support with Americans from every corner of the nation," said Trump campaign deputy national press secretary Samantha Zager. "While Joe Biden chooses to see our country as something to be ashamed of, surrendering to COVID, the mob, and our allies abroad, President Trump is running a campaign on boundless optimism and faith in the American way of life, which includes a roaring, post-COVID economy and the opportunity for many people to pursue their version of the American dream.”
But many Republicans are nervous as the finish line nears. “Not just for the White House,” said the GOP operative, “but for down-ballot races too.”


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-10-08--Susan Page is exactly how the moderators of the next two debates should perform

Whatever you want to say about the general election debates so far , one thing is certain : The remaining two should have Susan Page as moderator .
And if the commission ca n't do that , then the future moderators should study what she did and replicate it to a T. I hope Chris Wallace is at this very moment doing a slow-motion play-by-play of Page 's expert handling of the event so that if he were given the opportunity to moderate another presidential debate , he wo n't moan for 48 hours about how disrespected he was .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ do .
She was authoritative and gave it her best shot at asking provocative questions , keeping time , and moving the discussion .
Most remarkable was her flexibility with the rules .
Yes , of course , there are ground rules that stipulate how a debate should go .
Each side gets an allotted amount to speak , there are supposed to be no interruptions , and the topic at hand is supposed to be the focus of every answer .
But the reality is that , like politics , debates are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ competing for power .
Why would n't it be ?
Viewers can understand that , and while they may not hearing two individuals talk over one another for a brief period of time , it 's far better than to have a third person , a nonfactor as far as the election goes , chiming in like Wallace at the first debate to say , `` Guys .
Guys .
Guys .
Guys .
Listen .
Listen .
Listen .
Please .
Please .
Please .
Guys . ''
Page on occasion had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attempt to get them back on topic .
But she could also tell when one of them was going over time but about to make a point worth hearing .
Points worth hearing are what these events are about .
Without a contrast between the candidates , there is no purpose in doing this .
Page was excellent .
I hope the moderators for the next two debates were watching and taking notes .

Whatever you want to say about the general election debates so far, one thing is certain: The remaining two should have Susan Page as moderator. And if the commission can't do that, then the future moderators should study what she did and replicate it to a T.
I hope Chris Wallace is at this very moment doing a slow-motion play-by-play of Page's expert handling of the event so that if he were given the opportunity to moderate another presidential debate, he won't moan for 48 hours about how disrespected he was.
Page did exactly what a moderator should do. She was authoritative and gave it her best shot at asking provocative questions, keeping time, and moving the discussion. Most remarkable was her flexibility with the rules.
Yes, of course, there are ground rules that stipulate how a debate should go. Each side gets an allotted amount to speak, there are supposed to be no interruptions, and the topic at hand is supposed to be the focus of every answer.
But the reality is that, like politics, debates are necessarily messy. It's two people competing for power. Why wouldn't it be? Viewers can understand that, and while they may not hearing two individuals talk over one another for a brief period of time, it's far better than to have a third person, a nonfactor as far as the election goes, chiming in like Wallace at the first debate to say, "Guys. Guys. Guys. Guys. Listen. Listen. Listen. Please. Please. Please. Guys."
Page on occasion had to corral Harris and Pence in an attempt to get them back on topic. But she could also tell when one of them was going over time but about to make a point worth hearing.
Points worth hearing are what these events are about. Without a contrast between the candidates, there is no purpose in doing this.
Page was excellent. I hope the moderators for the next two debates were watching and taking notes.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-10-08--Fly on Mike Pence's head captivates viewers during vice presidential debate

Mike Pence was under pressure to create buzz for the Trump campaign during the vice presidential debate — just not this kind of buzz .
During the latter half of the debate in Salt Lake City , Utah , what appeared to be a house fly landed on Vice President Mike Pence and remained on his head for close to two minutes .
Twitter erupted as the fly sat perched on Pence 's white hair , with viewers helpless to do anything about it .
Even the Biden campaign was quick to seize on the viral moment , releasing a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fly swatter .
Pence also dealt with what Twitter users called a `` zombie eye , '' as his left eye appeared to be bloodshot throughout most of the debate .
Pence and Democratic vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris traded jabs on a number of topics ranging from the Trump administration 's handling of the coronavirus pandemic to whether or not Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden would move to pack the Supreme Court if he is victorious in November .
Adam Meldrum , founder and president of AdVictory and a senior adviser to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an eye on tools that measure online tone conversation about candidates and the debate .
“ It was kind of a more substanced and structured debate , and that ’ s something that people want to see and say they want to see .
The massive amount of attention that you saw online , and the massive spike in interest , literally all revolved the fly landing on Mike Pence ’ s head . ''
“ When you look at what people want , and what they talk about , and what interests @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is often not what they say it usually is .
”

Mike Pence was under pressure to create buzz for the Trump campaign during the vice presidential debate — just not this kind of buzz.
During the latter half of the debate in Salt Lake City, Utah, what appeared to be a house fly landed on Vice President Mike Pence and remained on his head for close to two minutes. Twitter erupted as the fly sat perched on Pence's white hair, with viewers helpless to do anything about it.
Even the Biden campaign was quick to seize on the viral moment, releasing a picture of the Democratic candidate clutching a fly swatter.
WATCH: A fly appears to land on VP Mike Pence's head. #VPDebate pic.twitter.com/pMWBxdlwgm — The Hill (@thehill) October 8, 2020
Pence also dealt with what Twitter users called a "zombie eye," as his left eye appeared to be bloodshot throughout most of the debate.
Pence and Democratic vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris traded jabs on a number of topics ranging from the Trump administration's handling of the coronavirus pandemic to whether or not Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden would move to pack the Supreme Court if he is victorious in November.
The deep state planted a bug on @VP. The illegal spying is really out of control. — Senator Rand Paul (@RandPaul) October 8, 2020
Adam Meldrum, founder and president of AdVictory and a senior adviser to the Republican fundraising platform WinRed, kept an eye on tools that measure online tone conversation about candidates and the debate.
“It was kind of a more substanced and structured debate, and that’s something that people want to see and say they want to see. The massive amount of attention that you saw online, and the massive spike in interest, literally all revolved the fly landing on Mike Pence’s head."
“When you look at what people want, and what they talk about, and what interests them, and what sparks attention, is often not what they say it usually is.”
Total time a fly sat on Mike Pence's head: two minutes pic.twitter.com/PtI0rKSi5I — Timothy Burke (@bubbaprog) October 8, 2020
Everyone in America just thought a fly was on their TV for a second @BarstoolNewsN pic.twitter.com/D3amwdHWLU — Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) October 8, 2020
Pitch in $5 to help this campaign fly. https://t.co/CqHAId0j8t pic.twitter.com/NbkPl0a8HV — Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) October 8, 2020


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-10-08--Pence and Harris strike calmer tone than presidential debate but sharply contest the issues

The vice presidential debate was much calmer and more conventional than the first meeting of the major party presidential nominees , but California Sen. Kamala Harris and Vice President Mike Pence nevertheless differed mightily on the issues , launched sharp attacks at each other , and , particularly in the case of Pence , stepped on each others ' allotted time .
Harris assailed the Trump administration on the pandemic , while Pence cast the Democratic ticket as far more radical than advertised .
`` The American people have witnessed what is the greatest failure of any presidential administration in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Harris said of President Trump ’ s coronavirus response in her first answer Wednesday night .
“ We need to save our country , and Joe Biden is the best leader to do that .
And frankly , this administration has forfeited their right to reelection because of this.
” Harris accused the Trump administration of a coronavirus cover-up , citing veteran journalist Bob Woodward ’ s recent book .
“ I want to ask you : How calm were you when you were hunting for toilet paper ?
How calm were you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their grandparents because you were afraid they could kill them ?
” she demanded .
Pence , who leads the administration ’ s coronavirus task force , quickly defended Trump ’ s restrictions on travel from China and pointed out that Biden opposed them .
`` When I look at their plan that talks about advancing testing , creating new PPE , developing a vaccine , it looks a little bit like plagiarism , which is something Joe Biden knows a little bit about , '' he said .
The vice president also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ using a hypothetical vaccine based on Trump ’ s say-so as opposed to Dr. Anthony Fauci ’ s .
`` The fact that you continue to undermine public confidence in a vaccine , if a vaccine emerges during the Trump administration , I think is unconscionable , ” Pence declared .
“ Senator , I just ask you : Stop playing politics with people ’ s lives.
” Pence portrayed Harris as the “ most liberal senator , ” further to the left than Bernie Sanders , and hammered Biden ’ s economic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Deal .
“ Joe Biden will raise taxes on day one , ” he said .
Tying Harris to Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez , Pence said , “ You were the first senator to sign on to sponsor the Green New Deal . ''
Pence said that Biden would ban fracking , abolish fossil fuels , and abort the post-lockdown economic recovery with new taxes and regulations .
He said 11.6 million jobs have been added back to the economy and hailed the $ 4 trillion economic relief package Trump signed into law .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Harris shot back .
“ That is a fact.
” She also argued that Biden wouldn ’ t raise taxes on anyone making less than $ 400,000 , prompting Pence to point out they had committed to repealing the Trump tax cuts .
Both Pence and Harris were more selective about when they interrupted than Trump and Biden , though they did not always answer the questions as posed .
Neither initially answered questions about abortion .
Pence used a question about preexisting conditions under Obamacare to demand to know whether Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ position with in a new Washington Examiner/YouGov poll .
Harris replied to her question by saying President Abraham Lincoln waited until after an election to fill a court vacancy , in reference to Trump 's election-year nomination of Judge Amy Coney Barrett .
Wednesday ’ s vice presidential debate took place in Salt Lake City against the backdrop of Trump ’ s COVID-19 diagnosis .
The candidates were separated by plexiglass , a feature requested by the Democrats that served as a reminder of the pandemic .
Since Trump tested positive for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s lead expanding .
Pence ’ s task was to try to make the campaign more of a binary choice involving the Democratic ticket rather than just a referendum on Trump .
“ Lost the trade war with China ?
” Pence asked incredulously .
“ Joe Biden never fought it.
” He called Harris , the first black major-party vice presidential nominee and a former prosecutor , and Biden a “ great insult ” to American law enforcement with their claims of systemic racism .
“ This is a president who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Pence said of Trump .
He later told Harris , “ You did nothing for criminal justice reform in California.
” “ I will not sit here and be lectured by the vice president on what it means to enforce the laws of the United States , ” Harris responded .
The senator took issue with the failure to bring charges against police officers involved in Breonna Taylor 's death in Kentucky .
Pence defended the grand jury in the case .
Both condemned the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis police @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ban on chokeholds and Pence dinging Democrats for blocking South Carolina Republican Sen. Tim Scott 's police reform bill .
Otherwise , Harris prosecuted the usual case against Trump , talking about everything from the reported Russian bounties on U.S. service members in Afghanistan to Charlottesville to “ isolationism.
” The debate closed with a voter question , read by moderator Susan Page , about the ugliness and incivility in politics .
Pence hailed the cross-ideological friendship between the late Supreme Court Justices Antonin Scalia and Ruth Bader Ginsburg as a good example @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could reach across the aisle , subtly contrasting his empathy with that of Trump .
“ Joe Biden has known pain , '' she said , alluding to the deaths of family members the Democratic presidential nominee has endured .
`` He has known suffering .
And he has also known love.
” A second presidential debate is scheduled for Oct. 15 .

The vice presidential debate was much calmer and more conventional than the first meeting of the major party presidential nominees, but California Sen. Kamala Harris and Vice President Mike Pence nevertheless differed mightily on the issues, launched sharp attacks at each other, and, particularly in the case of Pence, stepped on each others' allotted time.
Harris assailed the Trump administration on the pandemic, while Pence cast the Democratic ticket as far more radical than advertised.
"The American people have witnessed what is the greatest failure of any presidential administration in the history of our country,” Harris said of President Trump’s coronavirus response in her first answer Wednesday night. “We need to save our country, and Joe Biden is the best leader to do that. And frankly, this administration has forfeited their right to reelection because of this.”
Harris accused the Trump administration of a coronavirus cover-up, citing veteran journalist Bob Woodward’s recent book. “I want to ask you: How calm were you when you were hunting for toilet paper? How calm were you when your children couldn’t see their grandparents because you were afraid they could kill them?” she demanded.
Pence, who leads the administration’s coronavirus task force, quickly defended Trump’s restrictions on travel from China and pointed out that Biden opposed them. "When I look at their plan that talks about advancing testing, creating new PPE, developing a vaccine, it looks a little bit like plagiarism, which is something Joe Biden knows a little bit about," he said.
The vice president also seized on Harris’s skepticism of using a hypothetical vaccine based on Trump’s say-so as opposed to Dr. Anthony Fauci’s. "The fact that you continue to undermine public confidence in a vaccine, if a vaccine emerges during the Trump administration, I think is unconscionable,” Pence declared. “Senator, I just ask you: Stop playing politics with people’s lives.”
Pence portrayed Harris as the “most liberal senator,” further to the left than Bernie Sanders, and hammered Biden’s economic agenda as derivative of the Green New Deal. “Joe Biden will raise taxes on day one,” he said. Tying Harris to Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Pence said, “You were the first senator to sign on to sponsor the Green New Deal."
Pence said that Biden would ban fracking, abolish fossil fuels, and abort the post-lockdown economic recovery with new taxes and regulations. He said 11.6 million jobs have been added back to the economy and hailed the $4 trillion economic relief package Trump signed into law.
“Joe Biden will not ban fracking,” Harris shot back. “That is a fact.” She also argued that Biden wouldn’t raise taxes on anyone making less than $400,000, prompting Pence to point out they had committed to repealing the Trump tax cuts.
Both Pence and Harris were more selective about when they interrupted than Trump and Biden, though they did not always answer the questions as posed. Neither initially answered questions about abortion. Pence used a question about preexisting conditions under Obamacare to demand to know whether Biden would pack the Supreme Court, a position with little support in a new Washington Examiner/YouGov poll. Harris replied to her question by saying President Abraham Lincoln waited until after an election to fill a court vacancy, in reference to Trump's election-year nomination of Judge Amy Coney Barrett.
Wednesday’s vice presidential debate took place in Salt Lake City against the backdrop of Trump’s COVID-19 diagnosis. The candidates were separated by plexiglass, a feature requested by the Democrats that served as a reminder of the pandemic. Since Trump tested positive for the illness, public polling has shown Biden’s lead expanding. Pence’s task was to try to make the campaign more of a binary choice involving the Democratic ticket rather than just a referendum on Trump.
“Lost the trade war with China?” Pence asked incredulously. “Joe Biden never fought it.” He called Harris, the first black major-party vice presidential nominee and a former prosecutor, and Biden a “great insult” to American law enforcement with their claims of systemic racism. “This is a president who cherishes all of the American people,” Pence said of Trump. He later told Harris, “You did nothing for criminal justice reform in California.”
“I will not sit here and be lectured by the vice president on what it means to enforce the laws of the United States,” Harris responded. The senator took issue with the failure to bring charges against police officers involved in Breonna Taylor's death in Kentucky. Pence defended the grand jury in the case. Both condemned the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis police custody, with Harris calling for a ban on chokeholds and Pence dinging Democrats for blocking South Carolina Republican Sen. Tim Scott's police reform bill.
Otherwise, Harris prosecuted the usual case against Trump, talking about everything from the reported Russian bounties on U.S. service members in Afghanistan to Charlottesville to “isolationism.”
The debate closed with a voter question, read by moderator Susan Page, about the ugliness and incivility in politics. Pence hailed the cross-ideological friendship between the late Supreme Court Justices Antonin Scalia and Ruth Bader Ginsburg as a good example. Harris praised Biden as someone who could reach across the aisle, subtly contrasting his empathy with that of Trump. “Joe Biden has known pain," she said, alluding to the deaths of family members the Democratic presidential nominee has endured. "He has known suffering. And he has also known love.”
A second presidential debate is scheduled for Oct. 15.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-10-08--Kamala Harris misleads on Trump's coronavirus 'hoax' comment after multiple fact checks

Democratic vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris claimed that President Trump called the coronavirus a `` hoax '' in the early months of the pandemic .
`` On Jan. 28 , '' Harris said , `` the vice president and the president were informed about the nature about this pandemic .
They were informed that it ’ s lethal in consequence , that it is airborne , that it will affect young people . ''
`` They didn ’ t tell you .
Can you imagine if you knew on Jan. 28 as opposed to March 13 what they knew ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and they covered it up .
The president said it was a 'hoax . '
” The Associated Press reported in September that the claim , repeatedly used by former Vice President Joe Biden 's campaign , is misleading .
Trump 's full quotation was in regard to Democratic leaders ' response to the coronavirus , not the virus itself .
“ Now the Democrats are politicizing the coronavirus , ” Trump said during a campaign rally .
“ You know that , right ?
Coronavirus .
They ’ re politicizing it.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the House impeachment proceedings , he said , “ They tried the impeachment hoax .
[ ... ] And this is their new hoax.
” The claim resurfaced among Democrats after Trump announced on Friday that he had tested positive for COVID-19 .

Democratic vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris claimed that President Trump called the coronavirus a "hoax" in the early months of the pandemic.
"On Jan. 28," Harris said, "the vice president and the president were informed about the nature about this pandemic. They were informed that it’s lethal in consequence, that it is airborne, that it will affect young people."
"They didn’t tell you. Can you imagine if you knew on Jan. 28 as opposed to March 13 what they knew?" she asked. “They knew, and they covered it up. The president said it was a 'hoax.'”
The Associated Press reported in September that the claim, repeatedly used by former Vice President Joe Biden's campaign, is misleading.
Trump's full quotation was in regard to Democratic leaders' response to the coronavirus, not the virus itself.
“Now the Democrats are politicizing the coronavirus,” Trump said during a campaign rally. “You know that, right? Coronavirus. They’re politicizing it.” After bringing up the Russia investigation and the House impeachment proceedings, he said, “They tried the impeachment hoax. [...] And this is their new hoax.”
The claim resurfaced among Democrats after Trump announced on Friday that he had tested positive for COVID-19.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-10-08--Trump and Pence try to push Biden and Harris into the arms of the Left

President Trump and Vice President Mike Pence took very different debate approaches but had one strategy in common : seeing how far to the left the Democratic ticket of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris was willing to go .
Pence regularly hammered Harris , a California Democrat who was the most liberal senator , on the Green New Deal .
Trump tried to draw Biden out on defunding the police and other “ law and order ” themes .
Both Republicans sought to get their opponents to admit they would “ pack ” the Supreme Court , a proposal with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The strategy was to present the Democrats as far more radical , and much less centrist , than advertised .
Failing that , Pence , and especially Trump , hoped to drive a wedge between Biden and his most left-wing supporters .
In 2016 , some Bernie Sanders voters stayed home , voted for third-party candidates like Green Party nominee Jill Stein , or even cast ballots for Trump .
So far , Biden and Harris have mostly responded by rejecting their opponents ’ efforts to tie them to the most liberal elements @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vice president has disavowed defunding the police and has stepped up criticism of the more violent racial justice protests .
His running mate denied that Biden would back liberal policies that she herself supported when she ran for president in the Democratic primaries .
“ You were the first Senate co-sponsor of the Green New Deal , ” Pence told Harris Wednesday night .
“ And while Joe Biden denied the Green New Deal , Susan , thank you for pointing out , the Green New Deal is on their campaign website .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's essentially the same plan as you co-sponsored with AOC when she submitted it in the Senate.
” Harris went on to deny Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez multiple times .
Every single reference to the Green New Deal was made by either the vice president or debate moderator Susan Page ; Harris never uttered the phrase .
The senator vowed Biden would not raise taxes on anyone making less than $ 400,000 a year , despite a pledge to repeal the Trump tax cuts fully .
“ I will repeat , and the American @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not ban fracking , ” Harris said , with an eye on Pennsylvania 's 20 electoral votes .
“ That is a fact .
That is a fact.
” “ Fracking is bad , actually , ” tweeted Ocasio-Cortez , the New York Democrat who has become popular on the Left .
“ When the queen of the Green New Deal , AOC , thumps you on Twitter just after Vice President Pence calls you out for being all over the map on the issue of fracking , it was just not a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Republican strategist Ford O ’ Connell .
“ It was the type of moment that sows distrust with the voters who will decide this election.
” Trump and Pence have tried especially hard to pin their rivals down on expanding the Supreme Court .
“ If Judge Amy Coney Barrett is confirmed to the Supreme Court of the United States , are you and Joe Biden , if somehow you win this election , going to pack the Supreme Court to get your way ?
” Pence asked Harris directly .
When she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shot back , “ Once again , you gave a nonanswer .
Joe Biden gave a nonanswer.
” '' Harris was annoyed , condescending , smirking , and evasive , '' said Republican strategist Bradley Blakeman .
`` She is not ready to be the leader of the free world . ''
`` Are you going to pack the court ? ''
Trump asked in his debate with Biden .
`` He does n't want to answer the question . ''
Biden demurred and has continued to do so since , saying in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , `` You 'll know my opinion on court-packing when the election is over . ''
Trump succeeded in getting Biden to distance himself from top progressives more forcefully .
“ The fact of the matter is , I beat Bernie Sanders , ” the Democratic nominee said .
“ I am the Democratic Party right now , ” Biden said when Trump brought up the Biden-Sanders “ unity ” plan .
“ The platform of the Democratic Party is what , I , in fact , approved of.
” “ You just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ You just lost the Left .
You agreed with Bernie Sanders on a plan.
” Some Republicans fear this will not work as well as it did against Hillary Clinton four years ago , instead reassuring people that Biden is a centrist .
“ You want them to own socialism , ” said a GOP consultant .
“ So far , they haven ’ t. ” Others hope the Democrats are being too clever by half .
“ It is just not logically compatible for someone to say they like the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ does and be so strongly in favor of green energy in every sector of America ’ s economy , and yet still also be in favor of fracking , ” O ’ Connell said .
“ These two positions are flat-out incompatible , and that was clear to anyone watching or listening .
”

President Trump and Vice President Mike Pence took very different debate approaches but had one strategy in common: seeing how far to the left the Democratic ticket of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris was willing to go.
Pence regularly hammered Harris, a California Democrat who was rated the most liberal senator, on the Green New Deal. Trump tried to draw Biden out on defunding the police and other “law and order” themes. Both Republicans sought to get their opponents to admit they would “pack” the Supreme Court, a proposal with little support in a recent Washington Examiner/YouGov poll.
The strategy was to present the Democrats as far more radical, and much less centrist, than advertised. Failing that, Pence, and especially Trump, hoped to drive a wedge between Biden and his most left-wing supporters. In 2016, some Bernie Sanders voters stayed home, voted for third-party candidates like Green Party nominee Jill Stein, or even cast ballots for Trump.
So far, Biden and Harris have mostly responded by rejecting their opponents’ efforts to tie them to the most liberal elements of the Democratic Party. The former vice president has disavowed defunding the police and has stepped up criticism of the more violent racial justice protests. His running mate denied that Biden would back liberal policies that she herself supported when she ran for president in the Democratic primaries.
“You were the first Senate co-sponsor of the Green New Deal,” Pence told Harris Wednesday night. “And while Joe Biden denied the Green New Deal, Susan, thank you for pointing out, the Green New Deal is on their campaign website. And as USA Today said, it's essentially the same plan as you co-sponsored with AOC when she submitted it in the Senate.”
Harris went on to deny Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez multiple times. Every single reference to the Green New Deal was made by either the vice president or debate moderator Susan Page; Harris never uttered the phrase. The senator vowed Biden would not raise taxes on anyone making less than $400,000 a year, despite a pledge to repeal the Trump tax cuts fully.
“I will repeat, and the American people know, that Joe Biden will not ban fracking,” Harris said, with an eye on Pennsylvania's 20 electoral votes. “That is a fact. That is a fact.”
“Fracking is bad, actually,” tweeted Ocasio-Cortez, the New York Democrat who has become popular on the Left.
“When the queen of the Green New Deal, AOC, thumps you on Twitter just after Vice President Pence calls you out for being all over the map on the issue of fracking, it was just not a good night for Harris,” said Republican strategist Ford O’Connell. “It was the type of moment that sows distrust with the voters who will decide this election.”
Trump and Pence have tried especially hard to pin their rivals down on expanding the Supreme Court. “If Judge Amy Coney Barrett is confirmed to the Supreme Court of the United States, are you and Joe Biden, if somehow you win this election, going to pack the Supreme Court to get your way?” Pence asked Harris directly. When she began talking about Abraham Lincoln, he shot back, “Once again, you gave a nonanswer. Joe Biden gave a nonanswer.”
"Harris was annoyed, condescending, smirking, and evasive," said Republican strategist Bradley Blakeman. "She is not ready to be the leader of the free world."
"Are you going to pack the court?" Trump asked in his debate with Biden. "He doesn't want to answer the question." Biden demurred and has continued to do so since, saying in the battleground state of Arizona on Thursday, "You'll know my opinion on court-packing when the election is over."
Trump succeeded in getting Biden to distance himself from top progressives more forcefully. “The fact of the matter is, I beat Bernie Sanders,” the Democratic nominee said. “I am the Democratic Party right now,” Biden said when Trump brought up the Biden-Sanders “unity” plan. “The platform of the Democratic Party is what, I, in fact, approved of.”
“You just lost the Left,” Trump responded. “You just lost the Left. You agreed with Bernie Sanders on a plan.”
Some Republicans fear this will not work as well as it did against Hillary Clinton four years ago, instead reassuring people that Biden is a centrist. “You want them to own socialism,” said a GOP consultant. “So far, they haven’t.”
Others hope the Democrats are being too clever by half. “It is just not logically compatible for someone to say they like the Green New Deal as much as Harris does and be so strongly in favor of green energy in every sector of America’s economy, and yet still also be in favor of fracking,” O’Connell said. “These two positions are flat-out incompatible, and that was clear to anyone watching or listening.”


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-10-08--Democrat seeking to oust Iowa Republican Sen. Joni Ernst raises $28.7M

Iowa Democrat Theresa Greenfield raised $ 28.7 million in the third quarter for her bid to oust Republican Sen. Joni Ernst , another example of the Democratic fundraising tsunami that could sweep the GOP Senate majority from power .
Iowa is among more than a half-dozen Republican-held Senate seats Democrats have put in play this year with help from grassroots liberals who have donated tens of millions of dollars to their campaigns .
In Colorado , Democratic challenger John Hickenlooper hauled in $ 22.6 million in July , August , and September for his race against Republican Sen. Cory Gardner @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Al Gross , running as a Democrat , raised $ 9 million for his campaign to unseat Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan .
Senate Republicans also are on defense in Arizona , Georgia , Kansas , Maine , Mississippi , and North Carolina .
However , in North Carolina , Democratic challenger Cal Cunningham is under fire for revelations that he engaged in multiple extramarital affairs , complicating his bid against Republican Sen. Thom Tillis .
Cunningham raised a whopping $ 28.3 million in the third quarter — before news of his indiscretions surfaced @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also are reporting robust third-quarter numbers .
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell , up for reelection in Kentucky , raised $ 15.6 million .
And in Michigan , where Republicans are in striking distance of picking off Democratic Sen. Gary Peters , GOP nominee John James raised $ 14 million .
Peters also reported raising $ 14 million in the third quarter .

Iowa Democrat Theresa Greenfield raised $28.7 million in the third quarter for her bid to oust Republican Sen. Joni Ernst, another example of the Democratic fundraising tsunami that could sweep the GOP Senate majority from power.
Iowa is among more than a half-dozen Republican-held Senate seats Democrats have put in play this year with help from grassroots liberals who have donated tens of millions of dollars to their campaigns. In Colorado, Democratic challenger John Hickenlooper hauled in $22.6 million in July, August, and September for his race against Republican Sen. Cory Gardner. And, in Alaska, independent Al Gross, running as a Democrat, raised $9 million for his campaign to unseat Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan.
Senate Republicans also are on defense in Arizona, Georgia, Kansas, Maine, Mississippi, and North Carolina. However, in North Carolina, Democratic challenger Cal Cunningham is under fire for revelations that he engaged in multiple extramarital affairs, complicating his bid against Republican Sen. Thom Tillis. Cunningham raised a whopping $28.3 million in the third quarter — before news of his indiscretions surfaced.
In some marquee contests, Republicans also are reporting robust third-quarter numbers. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, up for reelection in Kentucky, raised $15.6 million. And in Michigan, where Republicans are in striking distance of picking off Democratic Sen. Gary Peters, GOP nominee John James raised $14 million. Peters also reported raising $14 million in the third quarter.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-10-08--Trump rushing letters to seniors to promote drug vouchers: Report

President Trump is pushing the Department of Health and Human Services to rush letters to seniors alerting them of the administration 's plans to award Medicare recipients $ 200 each to purchase prescription drugs .
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services , inside HHS , is spearheading the $ 8 billion program in conjunction with the White House .
It is unclear if the $ 200 credit-card style vouchers can be produced and delivered to the nation ’ s 39 million Medicare users before Election Day , as Trump had hoped .
So in addition , the administration is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that could hit mailboxes next week .
“ The goal is to begin the test by distributing cards starting in October 2020 , ” read a draft proposal of the prescription drug voucher plan obtained by Politico , which first reported the story .
Trump trails Democratic nominee Joe Biden by 9.7 percentage points nationally , according to the RealClearPolitics average of recent polls .
The former vice president is maintaining a smaller but still durable lead of 4.6 points in battleground states .
Biden ’ s advantage is built on substantial support @ @ @ @ @ @ @ age group Trump won four years ago with 52 % of the vote .
The president ’ s struggles with this group come after eight months of the coronavirus pandemic that has proven most deadly for older people and dissatisfaction with his leadership on the issue .
Trump , currently recovering from his bout with COVID-19 , released a pre-recorded video from the White House Thursday urging seniors not to be afraid of contracting the coronavirus and promising that a cure was forthcoming .
“ We have medicines right now , and I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
“ We ’ re taking care of our seniors — you ’ re not vulnerable , but they like to say the vulnerable , but you ’ re the least vulnerable.
” Democrats are criticizing Trump ’ s plan to provide $ 200 drug vouchers to seniors as election-year politics .
The White House has said the president is delivering on his promise to lower the costs of prescription drugs for seniors and all Americans .

President Trump is pushing the Department of Health and Human Services to rush letters to seniors alerting them of the administration's plans to award Medicare recipients $200 each to purchase prescription drugs.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, inside HHS, is spearheading the $8 billion program in conjunction with the White House. It is unclear if the $200 credit-card style vouchers can be produced and delivered to the nation’s 39 million Medicare users before Election Day, as Trump had hoped. So in addition, the administration is sending letters to seniors promoting the effort that could hit mailboxes next week.
“The goal is to begin the test by distributing cards starting in October 2020,” read a draft proposal of the prescription drug voucher plan obtained by Politico, which first reported the story.
Trump trails Democratic nominee Joe Biden by 9.7 percentage points nationally, according to the RealClearPolitics average of recent polls. The former vice president is maintaining a smaller but still durable lead of 4.6 points in battleground states. Biden’s advantage is built on substantial support from voters 65 and older, an age group Trump won four years ago with 52% of the vote.
The president’s struggles with this group come after eight months of the coronavirus pandemic that has proven most deadly for older people and dissatisfaction with his leadership on the issue. Trump, currently recovering from his bout with COVID-19, released a pre-recorded video from the White House Thursday urging seniors not to be afraid of contracting the coronavirus and promising that a cure was forthcoming.
“We have medicines right now, and I call them a cure,” Trump said. “We’re taking care of our seniors — you’re not vulnerable, but they like to say the vulnerable, but you’re the least vulnerable.”
Democrats are criticizing Trump’s plan to provide $200 drug vouchers to seniors as election-year politics. The White House has said the president is delivering on his promise to lower the costs of prescription drugs for seniors and all Americans.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-10-08--Trump virtual debate rejection is a gamble likely to help Biden ride poll lead to Election Day

President Trump ’ s knee-jerk refusal to participate in a virtual debate format is a gamble that could help Joe Biden run out the clock and ride his poll lead through Election Day on Nov. 3 .
Conventional campaign wisdom is that candidates lagging in the polls have more to gain from debates than those in the lead do .
Trump lags nearly 10 points behind the former vice president and Democratic presidential nominee in the RealClearPolitics of national polls and falls behind in nearly every average of polls in competitive states .
But about a half-hour after the Commission @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it would change next week 's scheduled town hall debate to a virtual format , Trump , in a 55-minute Fox Business interview , declared that he was “ not going to waste my time on a virtual debate.
” The commission cited health concerns .
Trump had just two days after he debated the Democratic presidential nominee , potentially exposing Biden to the virus .
Trump ’ s quick decision to skip the debate baffled political observers and strategists .
“ Trump should want a debate as soon as possible and as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Conant of the Republican firm Firehouse Strategies .
“ Not having a debate next week hurts only one campaign — the one that 's losing.
” “ The only way he 's going to make up ground is by getting voters to focus on Biden ’ s shortcomings .
That 's really hard to do without debates , ” Conant added .
A fast-moving , public between the two presidential campaigns .
The Biden campaign , hoping to showcase the former vice president connecting with voters in an expected contrast to Trump , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be pushed back a week to Oct. 22 if Trump refuses to participate in an Oct. 15 virtual version .
That would conflict , though , with the third and final scheduled debate on Oct. 22 , a planned one-on-one event .
Trump 's campaign suggested postponing both remaining debates a week : Move the Oct. 15 debate to Oct. 22 and the Oct. 22 one to Oct. 29 .
If Trump ’ s team was successful in pushing Biden to debate less than a week before the Nov. 3 election , it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ still be fresh in voters ’ minds .
Trump , whose continuous interruption of Biden in the first debate earned him bipartisan criticism , could follow the trend of other incumbent presidents and perform better in further debates .
Biden ’ s team , though , rejected that proposal .
“ Trump 's erratic behavior does not allow him to rewrite the calendar , and pick new dates of his choosing , ” top Biden aide Kate Bedingfield said in a statement .
“ Donald Trump can show up , or he can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” By Thursday afternoon , ABC News announced that it would host a single-candidate town hall with Biden on Oct. 15 , the day of the scheduled virtual debate , essentially shutting the door to the possibility of Trump reversing course to participate in a virtual debate .
Now , it seems the most likely results are either only one more debate instead of two , or none at all if the candidates can ’ t come to an agreement .
In addition to the downside of missing a debate against Biden , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ losing an entire news cycle to a debate about the debates , ” adding that it “ is n't convincing people to vote against Biden.
” “ Biden would love to drag out this conversation about debates for the rest of the auction , ” Conant said .

President Trump’s knee-jerk refusal to participate in a virtual debate format is a gamble that could help Joe Biden run out the clock and ride his poll lead through Election Day on Nov. 3.
Conventional campaign wisdom is that candidates lagging in the polls have more to gain from debates than those in the lead do. Trump lags nearly 10 points behind the former vice president and Democratic presidential nominee in the RealClearPolitics average of national polls and falls behind in nearly every average of polls in competitive states.
But about a half-hour after the Commission on Presidential Debates announced early Thursday morning that it would change next week's scheduled town hall debate to a virtual format, Trump, in a 55-minute Fox Business interview, declared that he was “not going to waste my time on a virtual debate.”
The commission cited health concerns. Trump had tested positive for the coronavirus just two days after he debated the Democratic presidential nominee, potentially exposing Biden to the virus.
Trump’s quick decision to skip the debate baffled political observers and strategists.
“Trump should want a debate as soon as possible and as often as possible,” said Alex Conant of the Republican firm Firehouse Strategies. “Not having a debate next week hurts only one campaign — the one that's losing.”
“The only way he's going to make up ground is by getting voters to focus on Biden’s shortcomings. That's really hard to do without debates,” Conant added.
A fast-moving, public debate over debates ensued between the two presidential campaigns.
The Biden campaign, hoping to showcase the former vice president connecting with voters in an expected contrast to Trump, proposed that the town hall-style debate format be pushed back a week to Oct. 22 if Trump refuses to participate in an Oct. 15 virtual version.
That would conflict, though, with the third and final scheduled debate on Oct. 22, a planned one-on-one event. Trump's campaign suggested postponing both remaining debates a week: Move the Oct. 15 debate to Oct. 22 and the Oct. 22 one to Oct. 29.
If Trump’s team was successful in pushing Biden to debate less than a week before the Nov. 3 election, it could help Trump. The debate would still be fresh in voters’ minds. Trump, whose continuous interruption of Biden in the first debate earned him bipartisan criticism, could follow the trend of other incumbent presidents and perform better in further debates.
Biden’s team, though, rejected that proposal. “Trump's erratic behavior does not allow him to rewrite the calendar, and pick new dates of his choosing,” top Biden aide Kate Bedingfield said in a statement. “Donald Trump can show up, or he can decline again. That's his choice.”
By Thursday afternoon, ABC News announced that it would host a single-candidate town hall with Biden on Oct. 15, the day of the scheduled virtual debate, essentially shutting the door to the possibility of Trump reversing course to participate in a virtual debate.
Now, it seems the most likely results are either only one more debate instead of two, or none at all if the candidates can’t come to an agreement.
In addition to the downside of missing a debate against Biden, Conant pointed out that Trump is “losing an entire news cycle to a debate about the debates,” adding that it “isn't convincing people to vote against Biden.”
“Biden would love to drag out this conversation about debates for the rest of the auction,” Conant said.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-10-08--Biden says country will know his opinion on court-packing 'when the election is over'

Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden said he wo n't reveal his opinion on expanding the Supreme Court until after the election .
Speaking to reporters on Thursday , the former vice president said , `` You 'll know my opinion on court-packing when the election is over . ''
`` It 's a great question , '' he said .
`` And I do n't blame you for asking it , but you know the moment I answer that question , the headline in every one of your papers will be about that other than focusing on what 's happening @ @ @ @ @ @ @ There 's never been a court appointment once an election has begun . ''
Biden has repeatedly refused to give his opinion on the topic , saying that if he did , it would `` become the issue . ''
Others in his party have suggested that expanding the court would be the right action for Congress to take if Republicans ultimately secure the placement of Judge Amy Coney Barrett .
Many Democrats have said that , after the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg , it was dishonest of Republicans to move @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to hold a vote on Judge Merrick Garland in 2016 .

Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden said he won't reveal his opinion on expanding the Supreme Court until after the election.
Speaking to reporters on Thursday, the former vice president said, "You'll know my opinion on court-packing when the election is over."
"It's a great question," he said. "And I don't blame you for asking it, but you know the moment I answer that question, the headline in every one of your papers will be about that other than focusing on what's happening now. The election has begun. There's never been a court appointment once an election has begun."
Biden has repeatedly refused to give his opinion on the topic, saying that if he did, it would "become the issue."
Others in his party have suggested that expanding the court would be the right action for Congress to take if Republicans ultimately secure the placement of Judge Amy Coney Barrett.
Many Democrats have said that, after the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, it was dishonest of Republicans to move forward with a nominee given their unwillingness to hold a vote on Judge Merrick Garland in 2016.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-10-08--Texas mayoral candidate charged with hundreds of felonies relating to voter fraud

A Texas mayoral candidate has been arrested and charged with 109 felonies related to voter fraud .
The Denton County Sheriff 's Office arrested Zul Mirza Mohamed , a candidate for mayor in Carrollton , Texas , on Tuesday and charged him with 25 counts of unlawful possession of a ballot without the request of the voter and 84 counts of fraudulent use of a mail ballot application .
The investigation into Mohamed began on Sept. 23 , after the Denton County Elections Office alerted the sheriff ’ s department of possible fraudulent activities when absentee ballots were requested to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ facility and were informed that they had not requested ballots .
Police then surveilled the box , which was rented with a fake driver 's license and student identification card .
Mohamed allegedly picked up the ballots on Oct. 7 , and a search warrant was issued for Mohamed ’ s home .
The ballots and fraudulent license were found by police in his bedroom .
The sheriff ’ s office said that several of the ballots were opened .
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton alleged that Mohamed was “ in the process @ @ @ @ @ @ @ applications for neighboring Dallas County ” at the time of his arrest .
Paxton commended the agencies involved in the investigation , which included the attorney general ’ s election fraud unit .
“ Mail ballots are inherently insecure and vulnerable to fraud , and I am committed to safeguarding the integrity of our elections , ” Paxton wrote .
“ My office is prepared to assist any Texas county in combating this form of fraud.
” “ Voter fraud is a serious and widespread issue and can not be tolerated , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ The fact an actual candidate for public office would engage in these activities is appalling .
We will continue to aggressively investigate allegations of voter fraud . ''
Unlawful possession of a ballot carries a sentence of between two and twenty years in prison , while a charge of fraudulent use of a mail ballot carries a sentence of two to 10 years .
Mohamed faces 20 years in a state prison if convicted .

A Texas mayoral candidate has been arrested and charged with 109 felonies related to voter fraud.
The Denton County Sheriff's Office arrested Zul Mirza Mohamed, a candidate for mayor in Carrollton, Texas, on Tuesday and charged him with 25 counts of unlawful possession of a ballot without the request of the voter and 84 counts of fraudulent use of a mail ballot application.
The investigation into Mohamed began on Sept. 23, after the Denton County Elections Office alerted the sheriff’s department of possible fraudulent activities when absentee ballots were requested to a P.O. Box that allegedly belonged to a nursing home .
Investigators contacted residents at the facility and were informed that they had not requested ballots. Police then surveilled the box, which was rented with a fake driver's license and student identification card.
Mohamed allegedly picked up the ballots on Oct. 7, and a search warrant was issued for Mohamed’s home. The ballots and fraudulent license were found by police in his bedroom. The sheriff’s office said that several of the ballots were opened.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton alleged that Mohamed was “in the process of stuffing envelopes with additional mail ballot applications for neighboring Dallas County” at the time of his arrest. Paxton commended the agencies involved in the investigation , which included the attorney general’s election fraud unit.
“Mail ballots are inherently insecure and vulnerable to fraud, and I am committed to safeguarding the integrity of our elections,” Paxton wrote. “My office is prepared to assist any Texas county in combating this form of fraud.”
“Voter fraud is a serious and widespread issue and cannot be tolerated," Sheriff Tracy Murphree said in a statement. “The fact an actual candidate for public office would engage in these activities is appalling. We will continue to aggressively investigate allegations of voter fraud."
Unlawful possession of a ballot carries a sentence of between two and twenty years in prison, while a charge of fraudulent use of a mail ballot carries a sentence of two to 10 years. Mohamed faces 20 years in a state prison if convicted.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-10-08--ABC schedules town hall with Biden on night when debate was supposed to take place

ABC News scheduled a town hall with Joe Biden on the night the second presidential debate was supposed to take place .
The network announced the news on Thursday about the Oct. 15 event after President Trump said that he would not be willing to participate in a virtual debate .
The Commission on Presidential Debates determined earlier on Thursday that the second debate would be held online because of concerns about the coronavirus .
`` The second presidential debate will take the form of a town meeting , in which the candidates would participate from separate remote locations , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump told Fox Business that he was unwilling to participate in a debate with that format .
`` No , I 'm not going to waste my time on a virtual debate , '' he said .
`` That 's not what debating is all about .
You sit behind a computer and do a debate .
It 's ridiculous , and then they cut you off whenever you want . ''
Trump has also said that he might hold a rally on Oct. 15 instead .
The commission has another debate scheduled @ @ @ @ @ @ @ appear willing to participate in a debate of some form on that date .

ABC News scheduled a town hall with Joe Biden on the night the second presidential debate was supposed to take place.
The network announced the news on Thursday about the Oct. 15 event after President Trump said that he would not be willing to participate in a virtual debate.
The Commission on Presidential Debates determined earlier on Thursday that the second debate would be held online because of concerns about the coronavirus.
"The second presidential debate will take the form of a town meeting, in which the candidates would participate from separate remote locations," it said in a statement.
Trump told Fox Business that he was unwilling to participate in a debate with that format.
"No, I'm not going to waste my time on a virtual debate," he said. "That's not what debating is all about. You sit behind a computer and do a debate. It's ridiculous, and then they cut you off whenever you want."
Trump has also said that he might hold a rally on Oct. 15 instead.
The commission has another debate scheduled for Oct. 22, and both campaigns appear willing to participate in a debate of some form on that date.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-10-08--Trump to host 'virtual rally' with Rush Limbaugh on Friday

A top conservative radio host whose adamant support of President Trump helped galvanize his election in 2016 scored a virtual visit from the commander in chief himself .
On his radio show Thursday afternoon , Rush Limbaugh said Trump will join him on the airwaves Friday as part of a `` virtual rally . ''
“ I ’ m thrilled to announce that our commander in chief , President Donald Trump , will be right here tomorrow hosting the largest virtual rally in radio history , ” Limbaugh said during his show on Thursday .
“ It will be special @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to it.
” Trump has been eager to resume campaigning only a week after he tested positive for COVID-19 a week ago , and Limbaugh 's show provides an opportunity for the president to address his supporters remotely .
Trump participated in his first TV interview since getting sick with Fox Business anchor Maria Bartiromo on Thursday morning , when he said he would not participate in a virtual debate against Joe Biden next week .
Limbaugh , who , according to Talkers Magazine , broadcasts to more than 15 million daily listeners @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in 2016 and has been credited with using his large reach to influence the 2016 election in the president 's favor .
Trump awarded Limbaugh the Presidential Medal of Freedom during February 's State of the Union speech following news that the conservative radio host had been diagnosed with lung cancer .

A top conservative radio host whose adamant support of President Trump helped galvanize his election in 2016 scored a virtual visit from the commander in chief himself.
On his radio show Thursday afternoon, Rush Limbaugh said Trump will join him on the airwaves Friday as part of a "virtual rally."
“I’m thrilled to announce that our commander in chief, President Donald Trump, will be right here tomorrow hosting the largest virtual rally in radio history,” Limbaugh said during his show on Thursday. “It will be special, and I am really looking forward to it.”
Trump has been eager to resume campaigning only a week after he tested positive for COVID-19 a week ago, and Limbaugh's show provides an opportunity for the president to address his supporters remotely. Trump participated in his first TV interview since getting sick with Fox Business anchor Maria Bartiromo on Thursday morning, when he said he would not participate in a virtual debate against Joe Biden next week.
Limbaugh, who, according to Talkers Magazine, broadcasts to more than 15 million daily listeners, was an ardent supporter of Trump in 2016 and has been credited with using his large reach to influence the 2016 election in the president's favor.
Trump awarded Limbaugh the Presidential Medal of Freedom during February's State of the Union speech following news that the conservative radio host had been diagnosed with lung cancer.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-10-08--Pence puts Trump center stage as he launches Operation MAGA

BOULDER CITY , Nevada — An outdoor crowd , an airport , and a thumping soundtrack .
Substitute Air Force One for a dramatic mountain backdrop and the result was a reset of the Trump campaign as Vice President Mike Pence took the stage for the first rally since the president was diagnosed with COVID-19 .
“ A lot of talk this morning on TV about who won the debate , ” said Pence of the previous night ’ s showdown with Sen. Kamala Harris .
“ I think when you compare the Biden-Harris agenda with what President Donald Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for America , there 's no question who won the debate .
It was a classic Pence moment .
Asked to become the face of Operation MAGA , as the campaign sends surrogates out across the country in place of a quarantining candidate , Pence made sure his audience knew the most important name on the ballot .
“ We ’ re here for one reason , and one reason only , and that is that Nevada and America need four more years of Donald Trump in the White House , ” he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Nevada.
” Officials admit that they are weaker with the president confined to the White House but insist that Pence has long been the president ’ s strongest , most effective surrogate .
For the vice president , it is an opportunity to test drive his own appeal — more measured and more fiscally conservative — to a Trump base he will need if he is to realize his own presidential ambitions in 2024 .
The appearance in Boulder City came ahead of a second appearance in Arizona later in the day @ @ @ @ @ @ @ battlegrounds in the Nov. 3 election .
The Biden campaign is all in on Arizona , which Trump won by 3.5 points last time around , targeting a state where changing demographics could help deliver 11 electoral college votes to the blue column .
A Reuters/Ipsos poll published this week gave Biden a two-point advantage .
Trump had two rallies planned in the state this week before his COVID-19 diagnosis ended all travel plans .
Meanwhile , the Trump campaign sees Nevada as a pick-up opportunity .
Trump lost here to Clinton by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ polls suggest he faces a tough challenge to turn things around .
However , senior aides wonder whether the COVID-19 pandemic might hobble the powerful Democratic ground game .
The Las Vegas unions are known for driving turnout on Election Day , but their usual door-knocking , canvassing , and busing operations have been limited by the risk of infection .
The impact of the pandemic was on show earlier at Boulder City Municipal Airport .
Local authorities limited the crowd to 250 .
Seats were spaced six feet apart .
But few @ @ @ @ @ @ @ made for a smaller event than the president ’ s recent airport rallies , but the themes were the same , and the audience frequently broke in with chants of “ Four more years , ” a cry echoed by the vice president .
“ We need to decide right here and right now that Joe Biden will never be president of the United States of America , ” said Pence , who had bounded on to the stage with a series of fist pumps .
“ We are going to re-elect President @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tim Murtaugh , Trump 2020 communications director , said Pence had always been Trump ’ s most effective surrogate .
And he said his close relationship with the president contrasted with the atmosphere in the opposition camp .
“ We don ’ t see that unity on the Biden-Harris ticket because , I think , very fresh in everyone ’ s mind is the fact that it wasn ’ t very long ago that Kamala Harris was on stage in a Democrat debate labeling quite forcefully Joe Biden ’ s policies as racist @ @ @ @ @

BOULDER CITY, Nevada — An outdoor crowd, an airport, and a thumping soundtrack. Substitute Air Force One for a dramatic mountain backdrop and the result was a reset of the Trump campaign as Vice President Mike Pence took the stage for the first rally since the president was diagnosed with COVID-19.
“A lot of talk this morning on TV about who won the debate,” said Pence of the previous night’s showdown with Sen. Kamala Harris. “I think when you compare the Biden-Harris agenda with what President Donald Trump has done and will continue to do for America, there's no question who won the debate.
"President Donald Trump won the debate hands down.”
It was a classic Pence moment. Asked to become the face of Operation MAGA, as the campaign sends surrogates out across the country in place of a quarantining candidate, Pence made sure his audience knew the most important name on the ballot.
“We’re here for one reason, and one reason only, and that is that Nevada and America need four more years of Donald Trump in the White House,” he said. “It’s on, Nevada.”
Officials admit that they are weaker with the president confined to the White House but insist that Pence has long been the president’s strongest, most effective surrogate.
For the vice president, it is an opportunity to test drive his own appeal — more measured and more fiscally conservative — to a Trump base he will need if he is to realize his own presidential ambitions in 2024.
The appearance in Boulder City came ahead of a second appearance in Arizona later in the day. Both states are seen as critical battlegrounds in the Nov. 3 election.
The Biden campaign is all in on Arizona, which Trump won by 3.5 points last time around, targeting a state where changing demographics could help deliver 11 electoral college votes to the blue column. A Reuters/Ipsos poll published this week gave Biden a two-point advantage.
Trump had two rallies planned in the state this week before his COVID-19 diagnosis ended all travel plans.
Meanwhile, the Trump campaign sees Nevada as a pick-up opportunity. Trump lost here to Clinton by 2.4 percentage points in 2016, but polls suggest he faces a tough challenge to turn things around.
However, senior aides wonder whether the COVID-19 pandemic might hobble the powerful Democratic ground game. The Las Vegas unions are known for driving turnout on Election Day, but their usual door-knocking, canvassing, and busing operations have been limited by the risk of infection.
The impact of the pandemic was on show earlier at Boulder City Municipal Airport. Local authorities limited the crowd to 250. Seats were spaced six feet apart. But few in the audience wore masks.
It made for a smaller event than the president’s recent airport rallies, but the themes were the same, and the audience frequently broke in with chants of “Four more years,” a cry echoed by the vice president.
“We need to decide right here and right now that Joe Biden will never be president of the United States of America,” said Pence, who had bounded on to the stage with a series of fist pumps. “We are going to re-elect President Donald Trump for four more years.”
Tim Murtaugh, Trump 2020 communications director, said Pence had always been Trump’s most effective surrogate. And he said his close relationship with the president contrasted with the atmosphere in the opposition camp.
“We don’t see that unity on the Biden-Harris ticket because, I think, very fresh in everyone’s mind is the fact that it wasn’t very long ago that Kamala Harris was on stage in a Democrat debate labeling quite forcefully Joe Biden’s policies as racist,” he said.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-10-08--Election forecaster: Swing-state counties that backed Trump in 2016 present Biden with road to White

Election forecaster: Swing-state counties that backed Trump in 2016 present Biden with road to White House

Democratic nominee Joe Biden 's path to the White House lies in swing-state voters ' hands , according to one election forecaster .
States won narrowly by President Trump in 2016 are likely to determine the outcome of the election next month .
Trump won Michigan , Pennsylvania , Wisconsin , Florida , Arizona , North Carolina , Georgia , Ohio , Texas , and Iowa by less than 10 points , but key counties may turn their support this time around to Biden .
Dave Wasserman , House editor of the nonpartisan Cook Political Report , recently wrote in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bellwether counties that could provide an opening for Biden in November , especially as polls continue to show him leading , both nationally and in key battleground states .
`` To win the White House , Mr. Biden will need to flip some combination of the 10 states Mr. Trump carried by less than 10 points in 2016 , '' Wasserman wrote .
`` Mr. Biden has several paths to victory , and the first three states alone ( Michigan , Pennsylvania , Wisconsin ) , in addition to every state won by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ put him into the Oval Office . ''
Wasserman mentioned five counties in the Frost Belt , including Kent County in Michigan , Erie County in Pennsylvania , and Sauk County in Wisconsin , which all lean toward Biden , as well as Ohio 's Wood County and Iowa 's Marshall County , which are toss-ups .
In the Sun Belt , Maricopa County in Arizona and Pinellas County in Florida lean toward Biden while Peach County in Georgia , New Hanover County in North Carolina , and Collin County in Texas are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Education Secretary Betsy DeVos 's family company Amway , was won by Trump by just 3 points four years after Mitt Romney carried it by 8 points in 2012 .
In the 2018 gubernatorial contest , Democratic Gov .
Gretchen Whitmer won the county by just 4 points .
`` Biden has a strong chance to win it in November , '' Wasserman wrote .
`` Private polls of the third congressional district , which covers much of Kent County , show Mr. Biden with a slight lead . ''
Trump won Erie @ @ @ @ @ @ @ disrupting a trend of Democratic victories for decades .
Wasserman predicted the president will have to win the county again in order to carry Pennsylvania , which has 20 crucial electoral votes .
In Wisconsin , Trump flipped Sauk County by just 0.4 points after it went twice for Barack Obama .
In 2018 , Sauk County went for Democratic Gov .
Tony Evers by 10 points .
`` Mr. Trump ’ s campaign is counting on its door-knocking efforts , in contrast to Mr. Biden ’ s mostly virtual outreach , to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` But Wisconsin ’ s expanding COVID-19 'red zone ' could throw a wrench in the Republican ground game . ''
One county that may give Trump an advantage is Vigo County in Indiana , which is the nation 's only county that has voted for the winner of every presidential race since 1956 , which put Dwight Eisenhower in power .
In 2016 , Vigo County broke for Trump by 15 points , and Wasserman wrote that it is likely he 'll take the county again , even if he loses @ @ @

Democratic nominee Joe Biden's path to the White House lies in swing-state voters' hands, according to one election forecaster.
States won narrowly by President Trump in 2016 are likely to determine the outcome of the election next month. Trump won Michigan, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Florida, Arizona, North Carolina, Georgia, Ohio, Texas, and Iowa by less than 10 points, but key counties may turn their support this time around to Biden.
Dave Wasserman, House editor of the nonpartisan Cook Political Report, recently wrote in a New York Times op-ed about 10 bellwether counties that could provide an opening for Biden in November, especially as polls continue to show him leading, both nationally and in key battleground states.
"To win the White House, Mr. Biden will need to flip some combination of the 10 states Mr. Trump carried by less than 10 points in 2016," Wasserman wrote. "Mr. Biden has several paths to victory, and the first three states alone (Michigan, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin), in addition to every state won by Hillary Clinton, would be enough to put him into the Oval Office."
Wasserman mentioned five counties in the Frost Belt, including Kent County in Michigan, Erie County in Pennsylvania, and Sauk County in Wisconsin, which all lean toward Biden, as well as Ohio's Wood County and Iowa's Marshall County, which are toss-ups.
In the Sun Belt, Maricopa County in Arizona and Pinellas County in Florida lean toward Biden while Peach County in Georgia, New Hanover County in North Carolina, and Collin County in Texas are toss-ups.
Kent County, which houses Education Secretary Betsy DeVos's family company Amway, was won by Trump by just 3 points four years after Mitt Romney carried it by 8 points in 2012. In the 2018 gubernatorial contest, Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer won the county by just 4 points.
"Biden has a strong chance to win it in November," Wasserman wrote. "Private polls of the third congressional district, which covers much of Kent County, show Mr. Biden with a slight lead."
Trump won Erie County by just about 2 points, disrupting a trend of Democratic victories for decades. Wasserman predicted the president will have to win the county again in order to carry Pennsylvania, which has 20 crucial electoral votes.
In Wisconsin, Trump flipped Sauk County by just 0.4 points after it went twice for Barack Obama. In 2018, Sauk County went for Democratic Gov. Tony Evers by 10 points.
"Mr. Trump’s campaign is counting on its door-knocking efforts, in contrast to Mr. Biden’s mostly virtual outreach, to keep it red," Wasserman wrote. "But Wisconsin’s expanding COVID-19 'red zone' could throw a wrench in the Republican ground game."
One county that may give Trump an advantage is Vigo County in Indiana, which is the nation's only county that has voted for the winner of every presidential race since 1956, which put Dwight Eisenhower in power.
In 2016, Vigo County broke for Trump by 15 points, and Wasserman wrote that it is likely he'll take the county again, even if he loses the presidency.