usatoday--2020-10-01--'Too hot': GOP allies urge Trump to change tactics for next debate. It's not clear he'll heed the ad

WASHINGTON – The scorching first debate between President Donald Trump and Democratic nominee Joe Biden caused heartburn among some of the president 's allies but little movement toward a new strategy as aides prepare for the next round in Miami , several Republicans close to the campaign told USA TODAY .
Trump 's insult-laced , interruption-heavy approach Tuesday night soured some voters , preliminary polling showed , and allowed Biden to call attention to the president 's chaotic style .
But Trump has long focused on firing up his core supporters .
By that metric , some Republicans said , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hurt .
`` There 's always a lot of second-guessing within a campaign – and plenty of polls say Trump 's demeanor is a 'road closed ' sign to swing voters – but Trump 's not going to hit the exit , '' predicted longtime Republican donor Dan Eberhart , who has given to Trump 's campaign .
`` He 's just going to press the accelerator deeper into the floor . ''
Stump : Trump returns to campaign trail with Minnesota rally after widely panned debate Both candidates claimed victory after the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ only scrambled with Biden but also repeatedly drew moderator Chris Wallace into the mix .
The president told supporters at a rally in Minnesota the next night that he `` took the fight to Biden '' and assured them that `` all of us won big . ''
A Politico/Morning Consult poll Thursday found that half of voters who watched the debate say Biden outperformed Trump compared with 34 % who say the president did better .
A CNBC/Change Research poll found 53 % of likely voters say Biden did a better job @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Biden are scheduled to square off again in Miami on Oct. 15 , then meet for a final time in Nashville on Oct. 22 .
The debate-turned-brawl in Cleveland prompted the Commission on Presidential Debates to announce it would apply `` additional tools '' to enforce its rules .
Some critics want moderators to be able to shut off microphones to prevent the candidates from talking over each other .
The commission has yet to spell out what changes it is considering .
Trump suggested on Twitter Thursday that he might not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ objects to the format , he would have the option of boycotting the final two debates .
His aides did not rule out that possibility .
Warning flags about Trump 's debate performance in Cleveland began waving even before Trump boarded Air Force One for the return flight to Washington , as a number of Republicans openly criticized him for not directly condemning white supremacists – an issue the White House was still working to clean up .
Others questioned his confrontational approach .
GOP reaction : Republicans say Trump should have condemned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ R-Pa. , described Trump as `` hot '' on CNN and said he `` overplayed '' his hand minutes after the debate ended .
Former New Jersey Gov .
Chris Christie , who helped prep Trump for the debate , offered a similar assessment on ABC , saying Trump came in `` too hot . ''
Conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh said he felt Trump `` undermined his own strategy '' in the feisty debate .
Trump senior campaign aide Jason Miller demurred on a question about Christie 's criticism during a call @ @ @ @ @ @ @ former governor is an `` important part of the team '' and is `` never shy about voicing his opinion . ''
Christie did not respond to a request for comment .
Several Republicans privately expressed dismay at Trump 's performance because his nonstop interruptions meant Biden was given little space to make a gaffe , defend his positions or make some other self-inflicted wound .
One Republican strategist who spoke on the condition of anonymity to offer a frank assessment of the president 's performance said Trump would have been better off @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was a missed opportunity , '' the strategist said .
Another White House ally , speaking on the condition of anonymity , said Trump needs to `` dial it back '' in the next debate but questioned whether he would be able to do that .
`` Trump 's personality is baked in , '' the person said .
Trump campaign officials declined to answer specific questions about future strategy , though some predicted the town hall format of the next presidential debate would shift the dynamic .
It 's one thing to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ well-known network anchor but something else to hector voters asking questions , they said .
During his town hall appearance last month on ABC , Trump was mostly deferential to voters posing tough questions on the pandemic and race relations .
He did interrupt Ellesia Blaque , a Kutztown University professor who quizzed Trump on his plans to protect Americans with preexisting health conditions .
`` Please stop and let me finish my question , sir , '' Blaque said in an exchange that was replayed for days on cable television .
Blaque @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to vote for Biden . ''
While voting is well underway , Trump ’ s most effective strategy is to take a page from his playbook four years ago and focus on disqualifying his opponent , said Alex Conant , a Republican strategist who helped prepare Sen. Marco Rubio , R-Fla. , for his debates against Trump during the 2016 Republican primary race .
Trump was relentless in his attacks on Hillary Clinton as a `` crook '' and a creature of the Washington `` swamp '' he pledged to drain .
Debating @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` literally all over the map , '' attacking his intelligence , his family and his record .
`` He needs to settle on a consistent line of attack , '' Conant said .
Another part of Trump ’ s 2016 success was his sense of humor and showmanship – qualities Republicans told Conant the president lacked in Ohio .
“ He was really tough , but he was also pretty funny at times , and he looked like he was enjoying it , ” Conant said of Trump in 2016 .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he just came across so angry .
If he could crack a joke and get people to laugh at Joe Biden , that is going to be much more effective than just the nonstop vitriol . ''
Bickering over the potential for new debate rules set off a last-minute game of chicken between the Trump campaign and the commission Thursday .
Biden campaign officials said the Democrat will attend the next debate , even as some critics questioned the need for additional exchanges .
`` Why would I allow the Debate Commission to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ third Debates when I easily won last time ? ''
Trump tweeted Thursday , hours after White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany declined to commit that Trump would continue to take part in the debates .
Trump aide Miller said `` we do not want any changes '' to the debate rules .
Though he said the president `` planned '' to attend subsequent debates , he did not directly answer a question about whether Trump would not appear if the commission followed through on any rule changes .
Frank Luntz , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ group with independent voters during the first debate , said Trump is probably on safe ground being aggressive for at least part of the debate .
The problem he faces , Luntz said , is when he continues that same combative approach for 90 minutes straight .
`` Someone should have told the president that debates require finesse , not just raw power , '' Luntz said .
`` If Donald Trump does to the town hall what he did to Chris Wallace , he 'll be booed on live television . ''

John Fritze, Courtney Subramanian and David Jackson, USA TODAY

'Too hot': GOP allies urge Trump to change tactics for next debate. It's not clear he'll heed the advice
Show Caption Hide Caption Biden, Trump fact checked on COVID-19, violence, campaigning President Donald Trump and Joe Biden clashed over COVID-19, crime and election integrity during the first presidential debate. USA TODAY
WASHINGTON – The scorching first debate between President Donald Trump and Democratic nominee Joe Biden caused heartburn among some of the president's allies but little movement toward a new strategy as aides prepare for the next round in Miami, several Republicans close to the campaign told USA TODAY.
Trump's insult-laced, interruption-heavy approach Tuesday night soured some voters, preliminary polling showed, and allowed Biden to call attention to the president's chaotic style. But Trump has long focused on firing up his core supporters. By that metric, some Republicans said, his performance may have helped more than hurt.
"There's always a lot of second-guessing within a campaign – and plenty of polls say Trump's demeanor is a 'road closed' sign to swing voters – but Trump's not going to hit the exit," predicted longtime Republican donor Dan Eberhart, who has given to Trump's campaign. "He's just going to press the accelerator deeper into the floor."
Stump: Trump returns to campaign trail with Minnesota rally after widely panned debate
Viewers: Trump-Biden debate ratings fall 13% from 2016's record-setting first debate
Both candidates claimed victory after the 90-minute slugfest, in which Trump not only scrambled with Biden but also repeatedly drew moderator Chris Wallace into the mix. The president told supporters at a rally in Minnesota the next night that he "took the fight to Biden" and assured them that "all of us won big."
A Politico/Morning Consult poll Thursday found that half of voters who watched the debate say Biden outperformed Trump compared with 34% who say the president did better. A CNBC/Change Research poll found 53% of likely voters say Biden did a better job versus 29% for Trump.
Trump and Biden are scheduled to square off again in Miami on Oct. 15, then meet for a final time in Nashville on Oct. 22. The debate-turned-brawl in Cleveland prompted the Commission on Presidential Debates to announce it would apply "additional tools" to enforce its rules.
Some critics want moderators to be able to shut off microphones to prevent the candidates from talking over each other. The commission has yet to spell out what changes it is considering.
Trump suggested on Twitter Thursday that he might not agree to rule changes. If he objects to the format, he would have the option of boycotting the final two debates. His aides did not rule out that possibility.
Too hot?
Warning flags about Trump's debate performance in Cleveland began waving even before Trump boarded Air Force One for the return flight to Washington, as a number of Republicans openly criticized him for not directly condemning white supremacists – an issue the White House was still working to clean up. Others questioned his confrontational approach.
GOP reaction: Republicans say Trump should have condemned white supremacists
Former Sen. Rick Santorum, R-Pa., described Trump as "hot" on CNN and said he "overplayed" his hand minutes after the debate ended. Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who helped prep Trump for the debate, offered a similar assessment on ABC, saying Trump came in "too hot." Conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh said he felt Trump "undermined his own strategy" in the feisty debate.
Trump senior campaign aide Jason Miller demurred on a question about Christie's criticism during a call with reporters on Thursday, saying the former governor is an "important part of the team" and is "never shy about voicing his opinion."
Christie did not respond to a request for comment.
Several Republicans privately expressed dismay at Trump's performance because his nonstop interruptions meant Biden was given little space to make a gaffe, defend his positions or make some other self-inflicted wound. One Republican strategist who spoke on the condition of anonymity to offer a frank assessment of the president's performance said Trump would have been better off letting Biden be Biden.
"Tuesday was a missed opportunity," the strategist said.
Another White House ally, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said Trump needs to "dial it back" in the next debate but questioned whether he would be able to do that.
"Trump's personality is baked in," the person said.
Trump campaign officials declined to answer specific questions about future strategy, though some predicted the town hall format of the next presidential debate would shift the dynamic. It's one thing to be combative with an opponent or a well-known network anchor but something else to hector voters asking questions, they said.
During his town hall appearance last month on ABC, Trump was mostly deferential to voters posing tough questions on the pandemic and race relations. He did interrupt Ellesia Blaque, a Kutztown University professor who quizzed Trump on his plans to protect Americans with preexisting health conditions.
"Please stop and let me finish my question, sir," Blaque said in an exchange that was replayed for days on cable television.
Blaque told CNN, "I'm going to vote for Biden."
Wanted: Humor and finesse
While voting is well underway, Trump’s most effective strategy is to take a page from his playbook four years ago and focus on disqualifying his opponent, said Alex Conant, a Republican strategist who helped prepare Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., for his debates against Trump during the 2016 Republican primary race.
Trump was relentless in his attacks on Hillary Clinton as a "crook" and a creature of the Washington "swamp" he pledged to drain. Debating Biden, Conant said, Trump is "literally all over the map," attacking his intelligence, his family and his record.
"He needs to settle on a consistent line of attack," Conant said.
Another part of Trump’s 2016 success was his sense of humor and showmanship – qualities Republicans told Conant the president lacked in Ohio.
“He was really tough, but he was also pretty funny at times, and he looked like he was enjoying it,” Conant said of Trump in 2016. “At the first debate this year, he just came across so angry. If he could crack a joke and get people to laugh at Joe Biden, that is going to be much more effective than just the nonstop vitriol."
Bickering over the potential for new debate rules set off a last-minute game of chicken between the Trump campaign and the commission Thursday. Biden campaign officials said the Democrat will attend the next debate, even as some critics questioned the need for additional exchanges.
"Why would I allow the Debate Commission to change the rules for the second and third Debates when I easily won last time?" Trump tweeted Thursday, hours after White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany declined to commit that Trump would continue to take part in the debates.
Trump aide Miller said "we do not want any changes" to the debate rules. Though he said the president "planned" to attend subsequent debates, he did not directly answer a question about whether Trump would not appear if the commission followed through on any rule changes.
Frank Luntz, a veteran GOP pollster who conducted a focus group with independent voters during the first debate, said Trump is probably on safe ground being aggressive for at least part of the debate. The problem he faces, Luntz said, is when he continues that same combative approach for 90 minutes straight.
"Someone should have told the president that debates require finesse, not just raw power," Luntz said. "If Donald Trump does to the town hall what he did to Chris Wallace, he'll be booed on live television."


usatoday--2020-10-01--Federal judge halts work of Trump's national law enforcement commission after NAACP complaint

A federal judge Thursday halted the work of a national law enforcement advisory commission authorized by President Donald Trump as part of a legal challenge to the group 's composition and claims that it lacked representation from police reform and civil rights groups .
The order issued by U.S. District Judge John Bates comes weeks before the Presidential Commission on Law Enforcement and the Administration of Justice was due to deliver to Attorney General William Barr its findings on challenges facing local police .
While the The commission was directed to produce a `` fresh evaluation of the salient issues @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they protect , '' civil rights advocates claimed that it has served to support `` unfounded yet repeated public assertions '' by the president and the attorney general that there is lack of respect for police .
`` That purpose is evident in the composition of the commission , which is stacked with members that are exclusively from a law enforcement background , '' the NAACP Defense & Educational Fund Inc. claimed in its initial complaint .
`` Not a single member of the commission is a defense attorney , criminologist or other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ health or addiction-recovery treatment provider , offender reentry coordinator , social worker , or formerly incarcerated individual . ''
Bates , in a 45-page opinion , concluded that the government had not met its obligation to `` ensure transparency and fairly balanced ( committee ) membership ... during this time of great turmoil over racial injustice and allegations of police misconduct . ''
`` The attorney general stressed the need to hear from a diversity of backgrounds and perspectives such as “ community organizations , civic leadership , civil rights and victim ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , academia , social service organizations , and other entities that regularly interact with American law enforcement , '' Bates wrote .
`` Despite these stated goals , however , the commission ’ s membership consists entirely of current and former law enforcement officials . ''
The judge also took issue with the commission 's proceedings , describing them as `` far from transparent . ''
`` Especially in 2020 , when racial justice and civil rights issues involving law enforcement have erupted across the nation , one may legitimately question whether it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with little diversity of experience examine , behind closed doors , the sensitive issues facing law enforcement and the criminal justice system in America today , '' Bates wrote .
Siding with the NAACP , the judge said the commission 's operations are governed by the Federal Advisory Committee Act ( FACA ) , which requires a `` fairly balanced '' array of viewpoints to be aired in publicly-noticed , open meetings .
The government has argued that the law does not apply to the commission , but on Thursday the court rejected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the FACA are satisfied , the court ordered that all `` commission proceedings be halted and no work product released ... '' The Justice Department had no immediate comment Thursday .
The NAACP lauded the ruling as an `` important step in the right direction . ''
`` The country has been demanding accountability for police misconduct and violence , and clamoring for a re-imagined notion of public safety for many months following the police killings of George Floyd , Breonna Taylor , and countless other Black people , '' said Sherrilyn Ifill @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` Any federal committee designed to make recommendations about law enforcement must include representation from people and communities impacted by police violence , civil rights organizations , the criminal defense bar , and other stakeholders.
” More : Decision in Breonna Taylor shooting sparks protests around the nation More : Activists see progress after George Floyd 's death but say more must be done

Federal judge halts work of Trump's national law enforcement commission after NAACP complaint
Show Caption Hide Caption Trump: Some police who shoot unarmed suspects 'choke' like golfers While discussing the shooting of Jacob Blake on 'The Ingraham Angle,' President Trump said some police officers who shoot unarmed suspects 'choke.' USA TODAY
A federal judge Thursday halted the work of a national law enforcement advisory commission authorized by President Donald Trump as part of a legal challenge to the group's composition and claims that it lacked representation from police reform and civil rights groups.
The order issued by U.S. District Judge John Bates comes weeks before the Presidential Commission on Law Enforcement and the Administration of Justice was due to deliver to Attorney General William Barr its findings on challenges facing local police.
While the The commission was directed to produce a "fresh evaluation of the salient issues affecting American law enforcement and the communities they protect," civil rights advocates claimed that it has served to support "unfounded yet repeated public assertions" by the president and the attorney general that there is lack of respect for police.
"That purpose is evident in the composition of the commission, which is stacked with members that are exclusively from a law enforcement background," the NAACP Defense & Educational Fund Inc. claimed in its initial complaint. "Not a single member of the commission is a defense attorney, criminologist or other relevant academic, public-health practitioner, mental health or addiction-recovery treatment provider, offender reentry coordinator, social worker, or formerly incarcerated individual."
Bates, in a 45-page opinion, concluded that the government had not met its obligation to "ensure transparency and fairly balanced (committee) membership ... during this time of great turmoil over racial injustice and allegations of police misconduct."
"The attorney general stressed the need to hear from a diversity of backgrounds and perspectives such as “community organizations, civic leadership, civil rights and victim’s rights organizations, criminal defense attorneys, academia, social service organizations, and other entities that regularly interact with American law enforcement," Bates wrote. "Despite these stated goals, however, the commission’s membership consists entirely of current and former law enforcement officials."
The judge also took issue with the commission's proceedings, describing them as "far from transparent."
"Especially in 2020, when racial justice and civil rights issues involving law enforcement have erupted across the nation, one may legitimately question whether it is sound policy to have a group with little diversity of experience examine, behind closed doors, the sensitive issues facing law enforcement and the criminal justice system in America today," Bates wrote.
Siding with the NAACP, the judge said the commission's operations are governed by the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA), which requires a "fairly balanced" array of viewpoints to be aired in publicly-noticed, open meetings.
The government has argued that the law does not apply to the commission, but on Thursday the court rejected that position.
Until the provisions of the FACA are satisfied, the court ordered that all "commission proceedings be halted and no work product released..."
The Justice Department had no immediate comment Thursday.
The NAACP lauded the ruling as an "important step in the right direction."
"The country has been demanding accountability for police misconduct and violence, and clamoring for a re-imagined notion of public safety for many months following the police killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and countless other Black people," said Sherrilyn Ifill, the group's president and director-counsel. "Any federal committee designed to make recommendations about law enforcement must include representation from people and communities impacted by police violence, civil rights organizations, the criminal defense bar, and other stakeholders.”
More: Decision in Breonna Taylor shooting sparks protests around the nation
More: Activists see progress after George Floyd's death but say more must be done


usatoday--2020-10-01--Biden and Trump campaigns schedule major TV buys in Ohio, now rated a 'toss-up' state

Ohio was considered a solid GOP state by many after it gave Donald Trump an 8-point victory in 2016 and chose Republicans for all statewide executive offices in 2018 .
But now , one of the nation 's most respected political prognosticators has officially moved the Buckeye State into `` toss-up '' status for the 2020 presidential race .
As a seeming confirmation , the campaigns of both former Vice President Joe Biden and President Donald Trump are launching major TV ad buys next week as Ohioans begin early voting .
Yes , that means Ohioans screens are going to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in previous election cycles when the battleground status of Ohio was never in doubt .
The change , said Larry Sabato , director of the University of Virginia 's Center for Politics , comes `` both because of the broad improvements Biden has made with white voters in many different places and also because of more recent polling showing the presidential race very competitive in each state .
... Operatives on both sides in Ohio have found the president struggling mightily in key suburban areas . ''
Biden might be `` turning back @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with Midwestern states such as Ohio and Iowa `` better targets than those emerging battlefields of the Sun Belt . ''
Other political gurus are finding the same thing .
`` Biden is winning back some of the Obama-Trump white working-class voters who flocked to Trump four years ago , '' said Nate Silver in FiveThirtyEight.com .
Silver acknowledged fears of Biden backers that Trump could again win the Electoral College despite losing the popular vote , and that there could be a large polling error in Trump ’ s favor .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Electoral College once he has a popular vote margin of 5 points or more .
But , he ’ s a fairly heavy favorite with a 3- to 5-point margin , and has roughly break-even odds with a 2- to 3-point margin , '' Silver said .
Read more : Joe Biden launches whistle-stop tour in Cleveland after ugly debate with Donald Trump But Biden needs a cushion in the polls to assure victory : `` A 7-point Biden lead on Election Day could , indeed , turn into a 2-point Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Electoral College . ''
For the first time , Sabato is projecting Biden with at least 270 electoral votes , the number needed to win .
Other toss-up states are Florida , Iowa , Arizona and North Carolina .
Although Biden had been airing ads in Toledo and Youngstown stations while Trump remains dark , the Democrat 's commercials now will appear on outlets in Columbus , Cleveland and Cincinnati .
Trump has not aired ads in Ohio for several weeks , although viewers may see national ads from both candidates .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s back in Ohio , ” said Toni Webb , the Biden campaign 's Ohio director .
`` For two days , Joe Biden spoke directly with hardworking families who have been betrayed and lied to by President Trump — and who have lost jobs , health care , and even the communities they love as a result .
Daniel Lusheck , spokesman for Trump 's Ohio campaign , took issue with the latest projection and Biden 's Ohio strategy .
`` Crystal Ball may be well on its way to having @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as well as 2016 , and Joe Biden is welcome to waste money in the Buckeye State because it will never make up for his vote for NAFTA and betrayal of Ohio workers , '' Lusheck said .
During a coronavirus briefing Tuesday , Ohio Gov .
Mike DeWine responded to a question about the presidential race .
`` I never bought into this argument that Ohio 's become a Republican state .
I mean , Ohio 's a swing state , '' the governor said .
`` I think ( Trump 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ohio .
I think it will be close , but I think he will win .
`` But sure , we 'll see .
Ohio is certainly in play . ''
Biden is planning three different ads starting Tuesday : Benefits , What It Means to Serve and New Start , which tells viewers `` this is our chance to put the darkness of the past four years behind us . ''
Biden made a pair of Ohio appearances Wednesday during an old-school whistle-stop train tour in Cleveland , Alliance and western Pennsylvania @ @ @ @ @ @ @ whole day , '' he told reporters at the final stop .
`` I felt good about what 's happened the last couple days , and it looks like based on , not our polling , independent polling , that we 're making — we 're picking up an awful lot of the folks who used to be Democrats -- they ’ re coming back home .
”

Biden and Trump campaigns schedule major TV buys in Ohio, now rated a 'toss-up' state
Show Caption Hide Caption Is Ohio still a Swing State? Ohio has long been a bellwether in presidential elections. But that may be changing. A look at Ohio's changing population and election tendencies. Michael Nyerges, Cincinnati Enquirer
COLUMBUS – Welcome back, battleground Ohio.
Ohio was considered a solid GOP state by many after it gave Donald Trump an 8-point victory in 2016 and chose Republicans for all statewide executive offices in 2018. But now, one of the nation's most respected political prognosticators has officially moved the Buckeye State into "toss-up" status for the 2020 presidential race.
As a seeming confirmation, the campaigns of both former Vice President Joe Biden and President Donald Trump are launching major TV ad buys next week as Ohioans begin early voting.
Yes, that means Ohioans screens are going to be filled with campaign ads just like in previous election cycles when the battleground status of Ohio was never in doubt.
The change, said Larry Sabato, director of the University of Virginia's Center for Politics, comes "both because of the broad improvements Biden has made with white voters in many different places and also because of more recent polling showing the presidential race very competitive in each state. ... Operatives on both sides in Ohio have found the president struggling mightily in key suburban areas."
Biden might be "turning back the clock slightly to 2012," with Midwestern states such as Ohio and Iowa "better targets than those emerging battlefields of the Sun Belt."
Other political gurus are finding the same thing. "Biden is winning back some of the Obama-Trump white working-class voters who flocked to Trump four years ago," said Nate Silver in FiveThirtyEight.com.
Silver acknowledged fears of Biden backers that Trump could again win the Electoral College despite losing the popular vote, and that there could be a large polling error in Trump’s favor.
"Biden is only truly safe to win the Electoral College once he has a popular vote margin of 5 points or more. But, he’s a fairly heavy favorite with a 3- to 5-point margin, and has roughly break-even odds with a 2- to 3-point margin," Silver said.
Read more: Joe Biden launches whistle-stop tour in Cleveland after ugly debate with Donald Trump
But Biden needs a cushion in the polls to assure victory: "A 7-point Biden lead on Election Day could, indeed, turn into a 2-point Biden popular vote win where Trump narrowly wins the Electoral College."
For the first time, Sabato is projecting Biden with at least 270 electoral votes, the number needed to win. Other toss-up states are Florida, Iowa, Arizona and North Carolina.
Although Biden had been airing ads in Toledo and Youngstown stations while Trump remains dark, the Democrat's commercials now will appear on outlets in Columbus, Cleveland and Cincinnati. Trump has not aired ads in Ohio for several weeks, although viewers may see national ads from both candidates.
“The wind is at Joe Biden’s back in Ohio,” said Toni Webb, the Biden campaign's Ohio director. "For two days, Joe Biden spoke directly with hardworking families who have been betrayed and lied to by President Trump — and who have lost jobs, health care, and even the communities they love as a result.
Daniel Lusheck, spokesman for Trump's Ohio campaign, took issue with the latest projection and Biden's Ohio strategy.
"Crystal Ball may be well on its way to having the worst political predictions of 2020, as well as 2016, and Joe Biden is welcome to waste money in the Buckeye State because it will never make up for his vote for NAFTA and betrayal of Ohio workers," Lusheck said.
Read more: Ohio Democrats dominating absentee ballot requests, possibly creating election night angst
During a coronavirus briefing Tuesday, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine responded to a question about the presidential race.
"I never bought into this argument that Ohio's become a Republican state. I mean, Ohio's a swing state," the governor said. "I think (Trump's) going to win this time in Ohio. I think it will be close, but I think he will win.
"But sure, we'll see. Ohio is certainly in play."
Read more: How to motivate Ohio voters? Trump making visits, Biden running ads
Biden is planning three different ads starting Tuesday: Benefits, What It Means to Serve and New Start, which tells viewers "this is our chance to put the darkness of the past four years behind us."
Biden made a pair of Ohio appearances Wednesday during an old-school whistle-stop train tour in Cleveland, Alliance and western Pennsylvania.
“I felt good about the whole day," he told reporters at the final stop. "I felt good about what's happened the last couple days, and it looks like based on, not our polling, independent polling, that we're making — we're picking up an awful lot of the folks who used to be Democrats -- they’re coming back home.”
drowland@dispatch.com; @darreldrowland


usatoday--2020-10-01--Trump's campaign has a massive door-knocking operation. Biden's is just getting started. Will it mat

WASHINGTON – Every week since August , President Donald Trump 's campaign says , volunteers knock on more than 1 million doors around the country .
With a little more than 30 days before the election , Joe Biden 's team launched its door-to-door campaign just this week .
The president 's campaign is betting that even during a pandemic , face to face voter contact will give Trump an edge .
But the Biden camp is making a different calculation .
The candidates ' treatment of the coronavirus pandemic – which Trump asserts is `` behind us '' and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shaped how both of their campaigns have been reaching out to voters .
Both are deluging the airwaves and the internet with ads , but they have been vastly at odds when it comes to individual voter contact .
The Trump campaign believes the personal touch gives them an edge to persuade and mobilize voters .
“ President Trump and his campaign have always placed incredible value in connecting directly with voters and right now , we ’ re the only campaign asking people for their vote in person , '' said Samantha @ @ @ @ @ @ @ campaign , said last week prior to Biden 's announcement .
`` ... We ’ re firing on all cylinders with ads , targeted visits to key states , and our massive ground game operation.
” As of Wednesday , the campaign said it has knocked on nearly 17.3 million doors ( with a goal of 30 million by the election ) and made more than 91 million phone calls .
Four years ago , the campaign knocked on more than 21.6 million doors and dialed nearly 11 million homes .
More : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nearly 500 retired top military , national security officials But Biden 's campaign , careful not to undermine the former vice president 's message of social distancing during the pandemic , has said it can be just as effective through phone banks , virtual programs and smaller person-to-person efforts that result in fewer but more meaningful contacts with voters .
Even so , as the campaign heads for the homestretch and early voting has already begun in more than two dozen states states , the campaign is expanding face-to-face efforts while still hewing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ voter contact operation is the most innovative and technologically advanced of any presidential campaign in history ; and it has been thriving in this unprecedented environment – especially in terms of the most important metric : meaningful conversations with voters , ” Biden campaign manager Jen O'Malley Dillon said in a statement .
“ We 're now expanding on our strategy in a targeted way that puts the safety of communities first and foremost and helps us mobilize voters who are harder to reach by phone now that we 're in the final @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dialed-in and ready to make their voices heard , ” she continued .
The Associated Press first reported the new Biden campaign efforts .
A massive ground game – one that includes door-knocking , face-to-face events , and heavy community presence – could help mobilize voters to the polls .
But it 's not expected to do much to sway folks on the fence .
Despite the often massive effort to persuade undecided voters , University of California-Berkeley researchers David Broockman and Joshua Kalla found that voter outreach efforts have practically `` zero @ @ @ @ @ @ @ More : FBI warns delayed election results could be exploited by foreign actors spreading disinformation '' The circumstances in which citizens ’ political choices appear manipulable appear to be exceedingly rare in the elections that matter most , '' they wrote in their 2017 analysis .
In addition , there are fewer minds to change than there were four years ago .
Political analysts predict that the number of voters unable to decide until the last minute will be smaller in 2020 than four years ago .
In 2016 , the historic unpopularity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ many voters hemming and hawing up to the end .
Ultimately , that group swung heavily for Trump .
More : Trump claims during Nevada campaign rally that Democrats are trying to 'rig ' upcoming election In a Monmouth University poll in early September , 81 % of registered voters nationally said they had made a choice in the presidential race and were certain about it .
Another 11 % have picked a candidate but could still change their mind .
And 8 % were undecided .
Four years ago in late August @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of likely voters were sure about who they were backing , 16 % were leaning toward a candidate but not locked in , and 18 % were undecided .
Through Wednesday , the Trump campaign is reporting it ’ s already made about 116 million “ voter contacts ” through phone banks and door knocking efforts – more than three times the number achieved four years ago during the entire campaign .
Key battleground states have seen a flurry of voter outreach , according to the campaign , including : In addition , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sessions and “ MAGA Meet-ups ” have attracted tens of thousands of participants .
Bu not all voter outreach works , said Rita Kirk , a professor at Southern Methodist University in Dallas who studies political messaging .
“ The most effective means of door knocking is neighbor to neighbor .
If it ’ s someone who lives near you , it seems more personal , ” she said .
“ One of the reasons door knocking is effective is that it reminds voters to vote and , if they merely say they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ likely to actually do it .
Getting that verbal commitment can help increase turnout.
” Where do Americans stand on election issues ?
Let them tell you how they feel about this policy But Kirk said canvassing during a pandemic can backfire .
“ If residents have isolated themselves to feel safe , it may be that the intrusion of someone coming to your door may result in a negative reaction , ” she said .
Amid the pandemic , the Biden campaign has focused on a digital campaign , including hosting video @ @ @ @ @ @ @ social media , in addition to doing virtual phone banking and continuing to buy radio and TV ads .
But as Election Day draws near in these final weeks , the Biden campaign is now entering a new phase of in-person canvassing , where there will be face-to-face contact with voters while still following health guidelines in each state .
The Biden campaign expects hundreds of volunteers to participate in these efforts , with them focusing on voter education , like early voting and get out to vote efforts .
For example in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ last 36 hours said they would be interested in doing in-person events .
Over the last several weeks , the campaign has also opened more than 100 voter activation centers in lieu of traditional campaign organizing offices in at least 17 battleground states .
Volunteers will be able to pick up lawn signs , borrowed cell phones to make calls to voters and campaign literature to drop off in voters ’ mailboxes in lieu of traditional door knocking .
In September in Wisconsin , the campaign set up distribution centers in parking lots @ @ @ @ @ @ @ locations to pick up campaign materials to continue to organize in their communities .
The campaign has been slowly implementing the new phase of their in-person campaigning over the past several days , which is n't limited to door-to-door canvassing .
Last weekend in Philadelphia , almost two hundred volunteers distributed campaign literature around early voting locations .
Volunteers are also heading to college campuses , like the University of Michigan this week and schools in Florida this weekend , to help register students to vote .
The campaign is also relying on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
People can volunteer through the campaign by reaching out to family , friends or whoever is in their contact list on their phone to persuade them to vote .
That is where the campaign is hoping to fill the gap with undecided voters who are n't swayed by the digital aspects of the campaign .
`` I think that 's where we really have to dig in on is peer-to-peer and relational organizing , making sure that people who are engaged are then talking to their friends who are not engaged , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ envelope with how we do relational and friend-to-friend conversations , ” said Biden States Director Jenn Ridder .
More : Supreme Court , coronavirus , race among the topics for the first presidential debate Sept. 29 The Democratic National Committee is also confident that their mostly digital campaign tactics have not hindered voter outreach .
`` Across the battleground states , Democrats are running direct voter contact field campaigns that allow us to have effective and meaningful conversations with voters , and to do so safely , '' said David Bergstein , director @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` And the fact is that over the course of this campaign , our field operations have crushed the Republicans in basically every key fields metric . ''
As of September in Florida , Democrats lead Republicans with more than 700,000 mail-in ballot requests .
In other key battleground states of North Carolina and Pennsylvania , Democrats have a roughly 3-to-1 advantage of Republicans in absentee ballot requests , according to Politico .
`` We 're beating them in voter registration , we 're beating them in metrics like vote-by-mail requests , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also allowed us to beat the Republicans in key races that have happened during coronavirus , '' Bergstein said .
The confirmation battle in Congress to replace Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg could help Democrats , including Biden , mobilize voters , given the outrage among liberals over Trump 's efforts to fill the seat quickly with a conservative rather than wait for the next president to make the choice .
In Arizona , the progressive organization Indivisible Project said it expanded the number of phone banking shifts as a result .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mark Kelly unseat Republican Sen. Martha McSally , but Biden is a likely beneficiary , too .
More : Trump says he wants to fill Supreme Court seat quickly in case justices need to settle election dispute “ The energy is unbelievable .
It ’ s people who are grieving , it ’ s people who Ruth Bader Ginsburg was a hero of theirs , it ’ s people who can ’ t bear the idea of her replacement being somebody who wouldn ’ t uphold in values , ” said Indivisible Co-Executive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ manifest in pressure on these senators , and it will manifest in electoral outcomes as well.
” Other progressive organizations aimed at young voters , especially voters of color , are launching similar efforts amid Ginsburg 's death .
The Movement For Black Lives ’ Electoral Justice Project , Working Families Party and United We Dream also began a joint initiative called “ The Frontline ” , to activate 250,000 voters for the election .
The groups are turning to texting and phone calls to get people in key areas , like Philadelphia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vote .
`` Justice Ginsburg 's passing and we just saw this over the past 48 hours , has been a unique opportunity to bring folks together across race and across sectors and across movements , '' said Maurice Mitchell , national director of Working Families Party .
Hours after Ginsburg 's death was announced , Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez , D-N.Y. , went live on Instagram to encourage her supporters to make sure they 're registered to vote , have a plan to vote and gave them homework to reach out to at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ go out to vote .
Ocasio-Cortez also during her live , which reached up to 45,000 , specifically gave a message to her supporters who do not vote .
`` This year , this election , voting for someone – voting for Joe Biden is not about whether you agree with him , it ’ s a vote to let our Democracy live another day , '' she said .
`` That 's what this is about . ''
Conservatives see the vacancy as a mobilizing effort as well .
More : Voting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg When Trump won four years ago , national exit polls showed that 21 % of voters described Supreme Court appointments as their top issue .
Among those voting for Trump , 26 % listed is as their `` most important factor '' compared to 18 % of Clinton voters .
The Susan B. Anthony List , an anti-abortion advocacy group that backs Trump and GOP senators in swing states , is adding at least another $ 1 million to ongoing voter outreach efforts as a result @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trying to persuade and mobilize contact roughly 7 million voters in key states such as Florida , Pennsylvania and Michigan .
`` This is a moment that the pro-life grassroots ( movement ) has been waiting for , '' said Mallory Quigley , a spokesperson for the organization .
`` I anticipate this open seat will fuel similar turnout ( a 2016 ) .
It is very energizing for not only pro-life Republican base voters but also many people who are considered swing voters . ''

Ledyard King and Rebecca Morin, USA TODAY

Trump's campaign has a massive door-knocking operation. Biden's is just getting started. Will it matter?
Show Caption Hide Caption Election 2020 Facts: What is mail-in voting? People have been voting by mail in the U.S. for close to a hundred years, but it's never been as big an issue as it is in the 2020 election. This is the start of a five-part animation series by The Associated Press, Election 2020 Facts (Sept. 21) AP
WASHINGTON – Every week since August, President Donald Trump's campaign says, volunteers knock on more than 1 million doors around the country. With a little more than 30 days before the election, Joe Biden's team launched its door-to-door campaign just this week.
The president's campaign is betting that even during a pandemic, face-to-face voter contact will give Trump an edge. But the Biden camp is making a different calculation.
The candidates' treatment of the coronavirus pandemic – which Trump asserts is "behind us" and Biden warns is getting worse – has shaped how both of their campaigns have been reaching out to voters.
Trump's contraction of COVID-19 and his resulting quarantine has sidelined him from the campaign trail for the immediate future. His campaign has already cancelled a rally planned in Florida Friday and jeopardized four other upcoming rallies – two in Wisconsin Saturday and two in Arizona (one Monday, the other Tuesday).
"Trump is a high-energy president with a giant personality," said Dan Eberhart, an energy company executive and GOP fundraiser. "Without his persona, the campaign is missing its energy source to run its (get-out-the-vote program) and cash machine."
Both are deluging the airwaves and the internet with ads, but they have been vastly at odds when it comes to individual voter contact.
The Trump campaign believes the personal touch gives them an edge to persuade and mobilize voters.
“President Trump and his campaign have always placed incredible value in connecting directly with voters and right now, we’re the only campaign asking people for their vote in person," said Samantha Zager, a spokeswoman for the Trump campaign, said last week prior to Biden's announcement. "... We’re firing on all cylinders with ads, targeted visits to key states, and our massive ground game operation.”
As of Wednesday, the campaign said it has knocked on nearly 17.3 million doors (with a goal of 30 million by the election) and made more than 91 million phone calls. Four years ago, the campaign knocked on more than 21.6 million doors and dialed nearly 11 million homes.
More: Joe Biden endorsed, Trump excoriated by nearly 500 retired top military, national security officials
But Biden's campaign, careful not to undermine the former vice president's message of social distancing during the pandemic, has said it can be just as effective through phone banks, virtual programs and smaller person-to-person efforts that result in fewer but more meaningful contacts with voters.
Even so, as the campaign heads for the homestretch and early voting has already begun in more than two dozen states states, the campaign is expanding face-to-face efforts while still hewing to virus safety guidelines.
More: Here's what Trump's positive COVID-19 test means for the 2020 election campaign
"Our voter contact operation is the most innovative and technologically advanced of any presidential campaign in history; and it has been thriving in this unprecedented environment – especially in terms of the most important metric: meaningful conversations with voters,” Biden campaign manager Jen O'Malley Dillon said in a statement.
“We're now expanding on our strategy in a targeted way that puts the safety of communities first and foremost and helps us mobilize voters who are harder to reach by phone now that we're in the final stretch and now that Americans are fully dialed-in and ready to make their voices heard,” she continued. The Associated Press first reported the new Biden campaign efforts.
Overstating importance of voter outreach?
A massive ground game – one that includes door-knocking, face-to-face events, and heavy community presence – could help mobilize voters to the polls. But it's not expected to do much to sway folks on the fence.
Despite the often massive effort to persuade undecided voters, University of California-Berkeley researchers David Broockman and Joshua Kalla found that voter outreach efforts have practically "zero" effect on winning over voters.
More: FBI warns delayed election results could be exploited by foreign actors spreading disinformation
"The circumstances in which citizens’ political choices appear manipulable appear to be exceedingly rare in the elections that matter most," they wrote in their 2017 analysis.
In addition, there are fewer minds to change than there were four years ago.
Political analysts predict that the number of voters unable to decide until the last minute will be smaller in 2020 than four years ago. In 2016, the historic unpopularity of Trump and Democrat Hillary Clinton had many voters hemming and hawing up to the end. Ultimately, that group swung heavily for Trump.
More: Trump claims during Nevada campaign rally that Democrats are trying to 'rig' upcoming election
In a Monmouth University poll in early September, 81% of registered voters nationally said they had made a choice in the presidential race and were certain about it. Another 11% have picked a candidate but could still change their mind. And 8% were undecided.
Four years ago in late August, that same survey found 66% of likely voters were sure about who they were backing, 16% were leaning toward a candidate but not locked in, and 18% were undecided.
Trump campaign targeting voters in swing states
Through Wednesday, the Trump campaign is reporting it’s already made about 116 million “voter contacts” through phone banks and door knocking efforts – more than three times the number achieved four years ago during the entire campaign.
Key battleground states have seen a flurry of voter outreach, according to the campaign, including:
Arizona: 5.6 million voter contacts.
Florida: 17.2 million voter contacts.
Michigan: 5.5 million voter contacts.
Minnesota: 3.4 million voter contacts.
Nevada: 2.6 million voter contacts.
North Carolina: 7 million voter contacts.
Pennsylvania: 8.7 million voter contacts.
Wisconsin: 10.4 million voter contacts.
In addition, the campaign reports that scores of training sessions and “MAGA Meet-ups” have attracted tens of thousands of participants.
Bu not all voter outreach works, said Rita Kirk, a professor at Southern Methodist University in Dallas who studies political messaging.
“The most effective means of door knocking is neighbor to neighbor. If it’s someone who lives near you, it seems more personal,” she said. “One of the reasons door knocking is effective is that it reminds voters to vote and, if they merely say they intend to vote, they are more likely to actually do it. Getting that verbal commitment can help increase turnout.”
But Kirk said canvassing during a pandemic can backfire.
“If residents have isolated themselves to feel safe, it may be that the intrusion of someone coming to your door may result in a negative reaction,” she said.
Biden's battleground state effort
Amid the pandemic, the Biden campaign has focused on a digital campaign, including hosting video events and reaching out to voters via social media, in addition to doing virtual phone banking and continuing to buy radio and TV ads.
But as Election Day draws near in these final weeks, the Biden campaign is now entering a new phase of in-person canvassing, where there will be face-to-face contact with voters while still following health guidelines in each state.
The Biden campaign expects hundreds of volunteers to participate in these efforts, with them focusing on voter education, like early voting and get out to vote efforts. For example in Pennsylvania, over 6,000 volunteers in the last 36 hours said they would be interested in doing in-person events.
Over the last several weeks, the campaign has also opened more than 100 voter activation centers in lieu of traditional campaign organizing offices in at least 17 battleground states. Volunteers will be able to pick up lawn signs, borrowed cell phones to make calls to voters and campaign literature to drop off in voters’ mailboxes in lieu of traditional door knocking.
In September in Wisconsin, the campaign set up distribution centers in parking lots across the state and texted voters the locations to pick up campaign materials to continue to organize in their communities.
The campaign has been slowly implementing the new phase of their in-person campaigning over the past several days, which isn't limited to door-to-door canvassing.
Last weekend in Philadelphia, almost two hundred volunteers distributed campaign literature around early voting locations. Volunteers are also heading to college campuses, like the University of Michigan this week and schools in Florida this weekend, to help register students to vote.
The campaign is also relying on what they’re calling relational organizing. People can volunteer through the campaign by reaching out to family, friends or whoever is in their contact list on their phone to persuade them to vote.
That is where the campaign is hoping to fill the gap with undecided voters who aren't swayed by the digital aspects of the campaign.
"I think that's where we really have to dig in on is peer-to-peer and relational organizing, making sure that people who are engaged are then talking to their friends who are not engaged, and that we’re pushing the envelope with how we do relational and friend-to-friend conversations,” said Biden States Director Jenn Ridder.
More: Supreme Court, coronavirus, race among the topics for the first presidential debate Sept. 29
The Democratic National Committee is also confident that their mostly digital campaign tactics have not hindered voter outreach.
"Across the battleground states, Democrats are running direct voter contact field campaigns that allow us to have effective and meaningful conversations with voters, and to do so safely," said David Bergstein, director of Battleground State Communications for the DNC. "And the fact is that over the course of this campaign, our field operations have crushed the Republicans in basically every key fields metric."
As of September in Florida, Democrats lead Republicans with more than 700,000 mail-in ballot requests. In other key battleground states of North Carolina and Pennsylvania, Democrats have a roughly 3-to-1 advantage of Republicans in absentee ballot requests, according to Politico.
"We're beating them in voter registration, we're beating them in metrics like vote-by-mail requests, and significantly. Our field tactics have also allowed us to beat the Republicans in key races that have happened during coronavirus," Bergstein said.
Supreme Court fight adds 'energy' to both sides' effort
The confirmation battle in Congress to replace Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg could help Democrats, including Biden, mobilize voters, given the outrage among liberals over Trump's efforts to fill the seat quickly with a conservative rather than wait for the next president to make the choice.
In Arizona, the progressive organization Indivisible Project said it expanded the number of phone banking shifts as a result. The effort is aimed at helping Democrat Mark Kelly unseat Republican Sen. Martha McSally, but Biden is a likely beneficiary, too.
More: Trump says he wants to fill Supreme Court seat quickly in case justices need to settle election dispute
“The energy is unbelievable. It’s people who are grieving, it’s people who Ruth Bader Ginsburg was a hero of theirs, it’s people who can’t bear the idea of her replacement being somebody who wouldn’t uphold in values,” said Indivisible Co-Executive Director Leah Greenberg. “That will manifest in pressure on these senators, and it will manifest in electoral outcomes as well.”
Other progressive organizations aimed at young voters, especially voters of color, are launching similar efforts amid Ginsburg's death.
The Movement For Black Lives’ Electoral Justice Project, Working Families Party and United We Dream also began a joint initiative called “The Frontline”, to activate 250,000 voters for the election. The groups are turning to texting and phone calls to get people in key areas, like Philadelphia and Milwaukee, to get out to vote.
"Justice Ginsburg's passing and we just saw this over the past 48 hours, has been a unique opportunity to bring folks together across race and across sectors and across movements," said Maurice Mitchell, national director of Working Families Party.
Hours after Ginsburg's death was announced, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., went live on Instagram to encourage her supporters to make sure they're registered to vote, have a plan to vote and gave them homework to reach out to at least five people to persuade them to go out to vote.
Ocasio-Cortez also during her live, which reached up to 45,000, specifically gave a message to her supporters who do not vote.
"This year, this election, voting for someone – voting for Joe Biden is not about whether you agree with him, it’s a vote to let our Democracy live another day," she said. "That's what this is about."
Conservatives see the vacancy as a mobilizing effort as well.
More: Voting groups report surge in registrations after death of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg
When Trump won four years ago, national exit polls showed that 21% of voters described Supreme Court appointments as their top issue. Among those voting for Trump, 26% listed is as their "most important factor" compared to 18% of Clinton voters.
The Susan B. Anthony List, an anti-abortion advocacy group that backs Trump and GOP senators in swing states, is adding at least another $1 million to ongoing voter outreach efforts as a result of the vacancy. The group is trying to persuade and mobilize contact roughly 7 million voters in key states such as Florida, Pennsylvania and Michigan.
"This is a moment that the pro-life grassroots (movement) has been waiting for," said Mallory Quigley, a spokesperson for the organization. "I anticipate this open seat will fuel similar turnout (a 2016). It is very energizing for not only pro-life Republican base voters but also many people who are considered swing voters."


usatoday--2020-10-01--How a Supreme Court justice gets nominated, confirmed, opposed and filibustered

How a Supreme Court justice gets nominated , confirmed , opposed and filibustered The Supreme Court is a vital component @ @ @ @ @ 's how the process works to nominate , confirm , and oppose a potential justice @

How a Supreme Court justice is nominated, confirmed, and opposed
The Supreme Court is a vital component of our democracy. Here's how the process works to nominate, confirm, and oppose a potential justice.
Just the FAQs, USA TODAY


usatoday--2020-10-01--Republicans move forward with plan to investigate presidential election in Pennsylvania

A day after President Donald J. Trump in a fiery debate questioned election integrity in Pennsylvania , state House Republicans pushed a plan out of committee to investigate the presidential election .
The resolution to create the Select Committee on Election Integrity would give lawmakers the power “ to investigate , review and make recommendations concerning the regulation and conduct of the 2020 election.
” The new committee would be composed of five members — three Republicans , because they are the majority party , and two Democrats — who would be chosen by House Speaker Bryan Cutler , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would have the authority to subpoena election officials , the U.S. postal service and examine aspects of the election , even while voting and counting are in process .
But Rep. Garth Everett , a Republican from Lycoming County who leads the House State Government Committee , said the goal is to do that work after Election Day .
“ The intent of the resolution would be to do this post-election , and look and see what was good , what was bad , what we can do better , '' he said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ House State Government Committee 15-10 and is expected to get a House floor vote Thursday .
'Bad things happen in Philadelphia ' : How Pa. landed in the presidential debate 6 times More : Could Pa. 's GOP legislature send Trump slate to Electoral College ?
No , say lawmakers , experts Democrats opposed the resolution and raised concerns about Republicans starting partisan investigations before Election Day .
“ Democracies die slowly , ” said Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta , a Democrat from Philadelphia who was a featured rising star during the Democratic National @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this bill would be a fatal blow to our democracy.
” Rep. Pam DeLissio , a Democrat from Montgomery County , said she thinks her constituents would have `` grave and serious concerns '' that these investigations would be conducted in a manner that could interfere with the election .
Everett said his committee would not have the power to change any laws and would only be able to investigate and make recommendations .
But House Minority Leader Frank Dermody , a Democrat from Allegheny County , said the new panel is a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ last thing the House of Representative should be doing right now.
” “ With ... no apparent limitation on their breadth , there ’ s a real potential for serious harm to the ongoing election , '' Dermody said .
`` As this is currently written , it ’ s even possible the committee could try to impound uncounted ballots . ''
Gov .
Tom Wolf in a statement Wednesday called it `` a partisan attack '' that undermines election integrity .
`` The House Republicans are not only walking in lockstep with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and put the results of the election in question , they are also taking steps to take the authority to administer elections away from the Department of State , '' Wolf said .
He said the `` unprecedented attack on non-partisan election administrators '' comes at a time when state officials should be instilling confidence in Pennsylvania elections .
`` Despite the best efforts of the House Republicans , Pennsylvania will administer our elections safely and securely , '' Wolf said .
`` And we will stand up to House Republicans ’ partisan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ benefit themselves and their political schemes . ''
Candy Woodall is a reporter for the USA Today Network .
She can be reached at 717-480-1783 or on Twitter at @ candynotcandace .
This coverage is only possible with support from our readers .
Sign up today for a digital subscription .

Candy Woodall, USA TODAY Network Pennsylvania Capitol Bureau

Republicans move forward with plan to investigate presidential election in Pennsylvania
Show Caption Hide Caption PA Secretary of State Responds "Completely Inaccurate" Trump Claims PA Secretary of State Responds "Completely Inaccurate" Trump Claims Bucks County Courier Times
A day after President Donald J. Trump in a fiery debate questioned election integrity in Pennsylvania, state House Republicans pushed a plan out of committee to investigate the presidential election.
The resolution to create the Select Committee on Election Integrity would give lawmakers the power “to investigate, review and make recommendations concerning the regulation and conduct of the 2020 election.”
The new committee would be composed of five members — three Republicans, because they are the majority party, and two Democrats — who would be chosen by House Speaker Bryan Cutler, a Republican from Lancaster.
Together, they would have the authority to subpoena election officials, the U.S. postal service and examine aspects of the election, even while voting and counting are in process.
But Rep. Garth Everett, a Republican from Lycoming County who leads the House State Government Committee, said the goal is to do that work after Election Day.
“The intent of the resolution would be to do this post-election, and look and see what was good, what was bad, what we can do better," he said.
The measure on Wednesday passed the House State Government Committee 15-10 and is expected to get a House floor vote Thursday.
'Bad things happen in Philadelphia': How Pa. landed in the presidential debate 6 times
More: Could Pa.'s GOP legislature send Trump slate to Electoral College? No, say lawmakers, experts
Democrats opposed the resolution and raised concerns about Republicans starting partisan investigations before Election Day.
“Democracies die slowly,” said Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta, a Democrat from Philadelphia who was a featured rising star during the Democratic National Convention. “And I think that this bill would be a fatal blow to our democracy.”
Rep. Pam DeLissio, a Democrat from Montgomery County, said she thinks her constituents would have "grave and serious concerns" that these investigations would be conducted in a manner that could interfere with the election.
Everett said his committee would not have the power to change any laws and would only be able to investigate and make recommendations.
But House Minority Leader Frank Dermody, a Democrat from Allegheny County, said the new panel is a “power grab” and “the last thing the House of Representative should be doing right now.”
“With ... no apparent limitation on their breadth, there’s a real potential for serious harm to the ongoing election," Dermody said. "As this is currently written, it’s even possible the committee could try to impound uncounted ballots."
Gov. Tom Wolf in a statement Wednesday called it "a partisan attack" that undermines election integrity.
"The House Republicans are not only walking in lockstep with President Trump to try to sow chaos and put the results of the election in question, they are also taking steps to take the authority to administer elections away from the Department of State," Wolf said.
He said the "unprecedented attack on non-partisan election administrators" comes at a time when state officials should be instilling confidence in Pennsylvania elections.
"Despite the best efforts of the House Republicans, Pennsylvania will administer our elections safely and securely," Wolf said. "And we will stand up to House Republicans’ partisan efforts to interfere in our elections to benefit themselves and their political schemes."
Candy Woodall is a reporter for the USA Today Network. She can be reached at 717-480-1783 or on Twitter at @candynotcandace. This coverage is only possible with support from our readers. Sign up today for a digital subscription.


usatoday--2020-10-01--Men for Trump vs. women for Biden: Which voting group could swing Pennsylvania?

But on June 28 , 2016 , Republican presidential nominee Donald J. Trump arrived in the old steel mill town and promised he would bring back steel , coal and the working-class jobs of a bygone era .
It was what some voters had waited decades to hear , especially blue-collar voters in Monessen who still talked about how the Wheeling-Pittsburgh steel mill helped to build the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco .
Like many old Rust Belt towns in southwestern Pennsylvania , there 's more nostalgia in Monessen than jobs .
Closed businesses still line many streets , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ community Monessen used to be .
Wheeling-Pittsburgh once employed more than 2,000 workers , and Monessen was once home to more than 20,000 people .
Now , the population is about a third of that .
The median household income is about $ 27,000 .
On that June day four years ago , Trump traded in his usual campaign slogan of `` Make America Great Again '' for an amended one .
`` We 're going to make America wealthy again , '' Trump said at Alumisource , a recycling plant that used @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 35 people .
“ It will be American steel that sends our skyscrapers soaring , soaring into the sky.
” A crowd of about 200 watched at Alumisource and thousands more watched at home , as all of Trump 's stops were covered by cable news networks then .
`` It sounded pretty good to me , '' said Carl Domito , a 78-year-old Trump supporter and retired laborer in Westmoreland County who watched from home .
`` I think he said what a lot of people had been waiting to hear .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' Monessen is still a Democratic city in Westmoreland County , but the rest of the county has turned red since Trump was elected .
In 2016 , Democrats had a 10,000 voter advantage .
Four years later , Republicans have a 10,000 voter advantage , including thousands of men who have switched parties to support the president .
A big part of Trump 's appeal among men is his promise to bring back jobs , according to Peter Navarro , the White House director of trade and manufacturing policy .
Four years @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hillary Clinton supported NAFTA and China entering the World Trade Organization — two policies he said killed the middle class and moved American jobs overseas .
`` The legacy of Pennsylvania steelworkers lives in the bridges , railways and skyscrapers that make up our great American landscape , '' Trump said .
`` But our workers ' loyalty was repaid with betrayal . ''
Trump is repeating that message this year when he visits old mill towns in Pennsylvania , but now he 's assigning blame to his 2020 Democratic challenger Joe Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ focusing less on coal and steel industries , which continue to lose jobs .
Instead , he is making the Pennsylvania energy fight about fracking , which he claims Biden wants to ban .
Biden during a Pittsburgh campaign stop this month said he does not want to ban fracking .
Biden in Pa. : 'Do I look like a radical socialist with a soft spot for rioters ? '
Navarro , in an interview with the USA TODAY Network 's Pennsylvania Capitol Bureau , said Trump kept his promises that he made @ @ @ @ @ @ @ jobs plan in Monessen .
`` Biden voted for NAFTA .
He voted for including China in the World Trade Organization , '' Navarro said .
`` Those two decisions led to hemorrhaging of thousands of factories and millions of manufacturing jobs . ''
The Trump economy was creating jobs before the pandemic hit .
But since then , 4.7 million jobs have been lost , according to the U.S. Department of Labor .
Trump now owns the biggest employment decline of any president in modern history , but Navarro is pointing to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's remembering the tax cuts , deregulation , bigger defense budget and trade deals that he said led to a time of prosperity .
`` There were historic low rates of unemployment , including for Blacks , Hispanics , veterans , women , '' Navarro said .
`` That was our plan . ''
The spread of COVID-19 thwarted that plan .
`` We had to lock down the economy , but we are fighting our way back , '' he said .
That includes manufacturing personal protective equipment , vaccines and testing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is clear in the election , Navarro said .
`` Biden likes 'made in China , ' '' he said .
`` Trump wants 'made in America . '
'' More : ' I do n't really remember the Obama presidency ' : Why Trump and Biden debate matters in Pa. More : Ginsburg 's death is raising the stakes in the Pa. presidential election : 'It 's enormous' More : Biden said he will win Scranton .
Trump said he will only lose if it 's rigged .
Who 's right ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ poll , but he 's still getting his highest marks on the economy , and his most reliable support is among white , working-class men 50 and older in southwest and northeast Pennsylvania .
Bill Woodward , an 82-year-old retired telephone worker in Bucks County , is one of those voters .
He voted for Democrats in his younger years but has voted for Republicans for decades .
Woodward said he will be voting for Trump `` without a doubt . ''
`` Just look at what he 's done for the stock @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Democrats just want more government and more taxes .
That would be a disaster for the country . ''
Another disaster has been the Democratic viewpoint on the pandemic , he said .
`` Shutting down America is totally wrong , '' Woodward said .
`` Trump has not wanted to shut America down , and I commend him for that .
The president has done a good job during the pandemic against all the bickering . ''
If Trump wins Pennsylvania again , it will be because of strong support among older @ @ @ @ @ @ @ men who used to vote for Democrats , but in the last 10 years started to vote for Republicans .
“ They felt left behind by the Democratic Party , economically and culturally , ” said Terry Madonna , pollster and political scientist at Franklin & Marshall College .
The largest demographic of these voters helped Trump win the Steeler Country corner of the state , including Beaver , Fayette , Washington , Westmoreland and Greene counties .
Allegheny County , where Pittsburgh is , reliably voted for a Democrat , as did @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which had voted for Obama four years earlier , and he lost Scranton only by a few thousand votes .
“ Trump ’ s probably going to live or die politically on the economy , '' Madonna said .
`` He will have to make the argument to blue collar workers that he ’ s made things better.
” Biden supporters are n't as concerned about which promises Trump might have kept before the coronavirus created a new normal .
They are focused on the biggest promise he did n't keep .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' said Cheryl Gregorio , a 63-year-old retiree in Luzerne County .
`` Not even close . ''
She points to the biggest public health crisis in 100 years that shut down Pennsylvania for months .
The racial injustice and protests that filled city streets .
The steady flow of news that yields more questions than answers about the president 's character and judgment , including recently revealed information about his tax records .
Gregorio will be voting for Biden this year because she 's looking for a candidate who is civil @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the country . ''
Sarah Eagan , a 23-year-old Montgomery County resident and Pennsylvania press secretary for NextGen America , said Biden is a better choice for her and other young voters .
The issues that matter most to them include affordable health care , affordable college , and racial equity and justice .
Biden CNN town hall in Pa.:3 takeaways from a battle between Scranton and Park Avenue '' The more we learn about Biden , the more we like and we think he 's at least willing to listen to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' Eagan said .
`` Trump does n't seem willing to listen . ''
Biden is also the best choice for seniors , according to Addie Hickson , a Philadelphia resident and Black voter in her 80s .
`` Trump has been a mess , '' she said .
`` Hopefully , Biden can get us out of that mess . ''
Hickson voted by mail in the Pennsylvania primary , but she plans to go to her polling place in Philadelphia and cast a ballot in person on Election Day .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she said .
`` I want to know my vote counts immediately . ''
Hickson is telling everyone she sees that they `` better vote this time , '' she said .
`` With the coronavirus and racism , our lives really depend on it . ''
The Pennsylvania Women for Biden/Harris Facebook group has 116,000 members who say similar things daily .
`` If Biden wins the election , it will be on the backs of Pennsylvania women , '' said Jesse White , a Democratic strategist at Perpetual Fortitude , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ released Tuesday show Biden with a 9-point lead in Pennsylvania , thanks in large part to suburban women in the counties that surround Philadelphia .
Biden is appealing to these voters in large margins because of Trump 's handling of the coronavirus and swiftly nominating federal Judge Amy Coney Barrett to fill the Supreme Court vacancy left by the recent death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg .
Clinton had a smaller lead at this point in the race four years ago and she easily won the Philadelphia suburbs in 2016 , including support @ @ @ @ @ @ @ n't enough to offset Trump 's gains in the Rust Belt counties .
That trend of women voters continued in 2018 during a so-called pink wave that sent 110 women to the U.S. House and Senate , including four congresswomen from Pennsylvania .
More : Pennsylvania woman elected to Congress in Pink Wave of 2018 poised to shape Trump 's fate More:126 women are on the ballot in Pa. , and you might be surprised why they 're running “ College-educated women voted in strong numbers in 2016 and 2018 , and in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were able to flip seats , ” Madonna said .
These women make up one of the biggest voting blocs in Pennsylvania , and they ’ re electing women and Democrats , he said .
Madonna expects this trend to continue in November .
Chris Borick , a political science professor and director of the Muhlenberg College Institute of Public Opinion , agrees that college-educated women are an important voting bloc to watch .
In Pennsylvania , where 44,000 votes separated the candidates in 2016 , every vote matters , he said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ most consequential voting group in Pennsylvania , which FiveThirtyEight predicts will be the tipping point in the 2020 election and won by Biden .
`` Pennsylvania women will definitely have a big role in deciding which of these men will win the presidency , '' Borick said .
Candy Woodall is a reporter for the USA Today Network .
She can be reached at 717-480-1783 or on Twitter at @ candynotcandace .
This coverage is only possible with support from our readers .
Sign up today for a digital subscription .

Men for Trump vs. women for Biden: Which voting group could swing Pennsylvania?
Show Caption Hide Caption How a contentious election affects a peaceful transition of power What history has shown us about contested elections and peaceful transitions of power. Just the FAQs, USA TODAY
Monessen, Pennsylvania, doesn't get a lot of presidential visits.
But on June 28, 2016, Republican presidential nominee Donald J. Trump arrived in the old steel mill town and promised he would bring back steel, coal and the working-class jobs of a bygone era.
It was what some voters had waited decades to hear, especially blue-collar voters in Monessen who still talked about how the Wheeling-Pittsburgh steel mill helped to build the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco.
Like many old Rust Belt towns in southwestern Pennsylvania, there's more nostalgia in Monessen than jobs. Closed businesses still line many streets, serving as a reminder of the bustling community Monessen used to be.
Wheeling-Pittsburgh once employed more than 2,000 workers, and Monessen was once home to more than 20,000 people. Now, the population is about a third of that. The median household income is about $27,000.
On that June day four years ago, Trump traded in his usual campaign slogan of "Make America Great Again" for an amended one.
"We're going to make America wealthy again," Trump said at Alumisource, a recycling plant that used to be Wheeling-Pittsburgh steel and employs about 35 people. “It will be American steel that sends our skyscrapers soaring, soaring into the sky.”
A crowd of about 200 watched at Alumisource and thousands more watched at home, as all of Trump's stops were covered by cable news networks then.
"It sounded pretty good to me," said Carl Domito, a 78-year-old Trump supporter and retired laborer in Westmoreland County who watched from home. "I think he said what a lot of people had been waiting to hear. He won my vote that day."
Monessen is still a Democratic city in Westmoreland County, but the rest of the county has turned red since Trump was elected.
In 2016, Democrats had a 10,000 voter advantage. Four years later, Republicans have a 10,000 voter advantage, including thousands of men who have switched parties to support the president.
A big part of Trump's appeal among men is his promise to bring back jobs, according to Peter Navarro, the White House director of trade and manufacturing policy.
Four years ago in Monessen, Trump said Democrat Hillary Clinton supported NAFTA and China entering the World Trade Organization — two policies he said killed the middle class and moved American jobs overseas.
"The legacy of Pennsylvania steelworkers lives in the bridges, railways and skyscrapers that make up our great American landscape," Trump said. "But our workers' loyalty was repaid with betrayal."
Trump is repeating that message this year when he visits old mill towns in Pennsylvania, but now he's assigning blame to his 2020 Democratic challenger Joe Biden.
This time around, Trump is focusing less on coal and steel industries, which continue to lose jobs. Instead, he is making the Pennsylvania energy fight about fracking, which he claims Biden wants to ban. Biden during a Pittsburgh campaign stop this month said he does not want to ban fracking.
Biden in Pa.: 'Do I look like a radical socialist with a soft spot for rioters?'
Navarro, in an interview with the USA TODAY Network's Pennsylvania Capitol Bureau, said Trump kept his promises that he made four years ago when he revealed his jobs plan in Monessen.
"Biden voted for NAFTA. He voted for including China in the World Trade Organization," Navarro said. "Those two decisions led to hemorrhaging of thousands of factories and millions of manufacturing jobs."
The Trump economy was creating jobs before the pandemic hit. But since then, 4.7 million jobs have been lost, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.
Trump now owns the biggest employment decline of any president in modern history, but Navarro is pointing to the economy before the coronavirus.
He's remembering the tax cuts, deregulation, bigger defense budget and trade deals that he said led to a time of prosperity.
"There were historic low rates of unemployment, including for Blacks, Hispanics, veterans, women," Navarro said. "That was our plan."
The spread of COVID-19 thwarted that plan.
"We had to lock down the economy, but we are fighting our way back," he said.
That includes manufacturing personal protective equipment, vaccines and testing swabs in the U.S.
And the choice is clear in the election, Navarro said.
"Biden likes 'made in China,'" he said. "Trump wants 'made in America.'"
More: 'I don't really remember the Obama presidency': Why Trump and Biden debate matters in Pa.
More: Ginsburg's death is raising the stakes in the Pa. presidential election: 'It's enormous'
More: Biden said he will win Scranton. Trump said he will only lose if it's rigged. Who's right?
All the president's Pennsylvania men
Trump is losing ground in every Pennsylvania poll, but he's still getting his highest marks on the economy, and his most reliable support is among white, working-class men 50 and older in southwest and northeast Pennsylvania.
Bill Woodward, an 82-year-old retired telephone worker in Bucks County, is one of those voters.
He voted for Democrats in his younger years but has voted for Republicans for decades.
Woodward said he will be voting for Trump "without a doubt."
"Just look at what he's done for the stock market," Woodward said. "Democrats just want more government and more taxes. That would be a disaster for the country."
Another disaster has been the Democratic viewpoint on the pandemic, he said.
"Shutting down America is totally wrong," Woodward said. "Trump has not wanted to shut America down, and I commend him for that. The president has done a good job during the pandemic against all the bickering."
If Trump wins Pennsylvania again, it will be because of strong support among older men, analysts say.
That includes men who used to vote for Democrats, but in the last 10 years started to vote for Republicans.
“They felt left behind by the Democratic Party, economically and culturally,” said Terry Madonna, pollster and political scientist at Franklin & Marshall College.
The largest demographic of these voters helped Trump win the Steeler Country corner of the state, including Beaver, Fayette, Washington, Westmoreland and Greene counties.
Allegheny County, where Pittsburgh is, reliably voted for a Democrat, as did Philadelphia.
But Trump won Erie, which had voted for Obama four years earlier, and he lost Scranton only by a few thousand votes.
“Trump’s probably going to live or die politically on the economy," Madonna said. "He will have to make the argument to blue collar workers that he’s made things better.”
Biden gets big boost from women
Biden supporters aren't as concerned about which promises Trump might have kept before the coronavirus created a new normal.
They are focused on the biggest promise he didn't keep.
"He did not make America great again," said Cheryl Gregorio, a 63-year-old retiree in Luzerne County. "Not even close."
She points to the biggest public health crisis in 100 years that shut down Pennsylvania for months. The racial injustice and protests that filled city streets. The steady flow of news that yields more questions than answers about the president's character and judgment, including recently revealed information about his tax records.
Gregorio will be voting for Biden this year because she's looking for a candidate who is civil and decent to "bring peace to the country."
Sarah Eagan, a 23-year-old Montgomery County resident and Pennsylvania press secretary for NextGen America, said Biden is a better choice for her and other young voters.
The issues that matter most to them include affordable health care, affordable college, and racial equity and justice.
Biden CNN town hall in Pa.: 3 takeaways from a battle between Scranton and Park Avenue
"The more we learn about Biden, the more we like and we think he's at least willing to listen to the things that are important to us," Eagan said. "Trump doesn't seem willing to listen."
Biden is also the best choice for seniors, according to Addie Hickson, a Philadelphia resident and Black voter in her 80s.
"Trump has been a mess," she said. "Hopefully, Biden can get us out of that mess."
Hickson voted by mail in the Pennsylvania primary, but she plans to go to her polling place in Philadelphia and cast a ballot in person on Election Day.
"Too much is at stake," she said. "I want to know my vote counts immediately."
Hickson is telling everyone she sees that they "better vote this time," she said. "With the coronavirus and racism, our lives really depend on it."
Kamala Harris polls higher than Joe Biden among women, Republicans Joe Biden’s newly-announced running mate, Kamala Harris, has the approval of 87 percent of Democrats as the potential VP. Buzz60
The Pennsylvania Women for Biden/Harris Facebook group has 116,000 members who say similar things daily.
"If Biden wins the election, it will be on the backs of Pennsylvania women," said Jesse White, a Democratic strategist at Perpetual Fortitude, a Harrisburg consulting firm.
Two new polls released Tuesday show Biden with a 9-point lead in Pennsylvania, thanks in large part to suburban women in the counties that surround Philadelphia.
Biden is appealing to these voters in large margins because of Trump's handling of the coronavirus and swiftly nominating federal Judge Amy Coney Barrett to fill the Supreme Court vacancy left by the recent death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
Clinton had a smaller lead at this point in the race four years ago and she easily won the Philadelphia suburbs in 2016, including support from Republican women. But it wasn't enough to offset Trump's gains in the Rust Belt counties.
That trend of women voters continued in 2018 during a so-called pink wave that sent 110 women to the U.S. House and Senate, including four congresswomen from Pennsylvania.
More: Pennsylvania woman elected to Congress in Pink Wave of 2018 poised to shape Trump's fate
More: 126 women are on the ballot in Pa., and you might be surprised why they're running
“College-educated women voted in strong numbers in 2016 and 2018, and in 2018 they were a big reason Democrats were able to flip seats,” Madonna said.
These women make up one of the biggest voting blocs in Pennsylvania, and they’re electing women and Democrats, he said.
Madonna expects this trend to continue in November.
Chris Borick, a political science professor and director of the Muhlenberg College Institute of Public Opinion, agrees that college-educated women are an important voting bloc to watch.
In Pennsylvania, where 44,000 votes separated the candidates in 2016, every vote matters, he said.
But analysts agree women might be the most consequential voting group in Pennsylvania, which FiveThirtyEight predicts will be the tipping point in the 2020 election and won by Biden.
"Pennsylvania women will definitely have a big role in deciding which of these men will win the presidency," Borick said.
Candy Woodall is a reporter for the USA Today Network. She can be reached at 717-480-1783 or on Twitter at @candynotcandace.
This coverage is only possible with support from our readers. Sign up today for a digital subscription.


usatoday--2020-10-01--Trump signs bipartisan legislation to avoid government shutdown through election

WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump signed a bipartisan spending measure early Thursday morning to keep the federal government running until after the presidential election in November .
The Senate passed the bill with hours to spare before a government shutdown .
Trump signed the bill minutes after returning from Minnesota , where he held a campaign rally .
The overwhelming 84-10 vote marked a bipartisan push to keep the government funded in the midst of a pandemic that has left many Americans more reliant on the federal government .
The legislation passed hours before the annual spending bill would expire @ @ @ @ @ @ @ money to operate .
It extends government funding levels until Dec. 11 – a month after the election .
Lawmakers added last-minute pandemic relief funding before the bill was approved in the House Sept. 22 , which gave it bipartisan support .
The bill includes billions for a farm bailout program pushed by Republicans as farmers continue to be affected by the Trump administration 's trade policies and the pandemic 's impact on agriculture .
Democrats got more money – $ 8 billion – for pandemic food assistance programs for families .
More @ @ @ @ @ @ @ legislation to Senate days before government set to shutdown More : White House and Congress reach informal deal to avert government shutdown at end of month More : The battle in Congress to replace Ruth Bader Ginsburg dashes hopes for a COVID-19 relief package The two additions marked the only pandemic-related relief in the bill .
Though pressure has mounted for Congress to pass more COVID-19 relief , lawmakers have been at an impasse for months over the size and scope of an aid bill .
Negotiations appeared all but dead , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin have restarted talks .
House Democrats introduced another coronavirus bill Monday with a $ 2 trillion price tag .
It is not likely to be considered by the Republican-controlled Senate .
The last government shutdown from December 2018 to January 2019 was the longest on record , at 35 days .
Stemming from a standoff between Congress and the White House over funding for a wall along the southern U.S. border , it forced about 800,000 federal government workers to take furloughs or go without pay .
Sarah @ @ @ @ @ @ @ George Washington University and a Brookings Institution senior fellow , said it would be a “ catastrophic blow ” to have a shutdown in the middle of the pandemic , especially if workers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and National Institutes of Health were furloughed .
COVID-19 has taken more than 206,000 American lives .
“ Nobody really wants to be blamed for the government shutdown , ” especially so close to an election , she said .

Christal Hayes and John Fritze, USA TODAY

Trump signs bipartisan legislation to avoid government shutdown through election
Show Caption Hide Caption US hits 200,000 COVID deaths as flu season looms ahead The U.S. has reached 200,000 deaths from the coronavirus. Now experts are looking ahead, and the forecast for the fall and winter isn't good. USA TODAY
WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump signed a bipartisan spending measure early Thursday morning to keep the federal government running until after the presidential election in November.
The Senate passed the bill with hours to spare before a government shutdown. Trump signed the bill minutes after returning from Minnesota, where he held a campaign rally.
The overwhelming 84-10 vote marked a bipartisan push to keep the government funded in the midst of a pandemic that has left many Americans more reliant on the federal government.
The legislation passed hours before the annual spending bill would expire at midnight, leaving federal agencies without money to operate. It extends government funding levels until Dec. 11 – a month after the election.
Lawmakers added last-minute pandemic relief funding before the bill was approved in the House Sept. 22, which gave it bipartisan support. The bill includes billions for a farm bailout program pushed by Republicans as farmers continue to be affected by the Trump administration's trade policies and the pandemic's impact on agriculture. Democrats got more money – $8 billion – for pandemic food assistance programs for families.
More: House OKs spending bill, sending legislation to Senate days before government set to shutdown
More: White House and Congress reach informal deal to avert government shutdown at end of month
More: The battle in Congress to replace Ruth Bader Ginsburg dashes hopes for a COVID-19 relief package
The two additions marked the only pandemic-related relief in the bill. Though pressure has mounted for Congress to pass more COVID-19 relief, lawmakers have been at an impasse for months over the size and scope of an aid bill. Negotiations appeared all but dead, but House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin have restarted talks.
House Democrats introduced another coronavirus bill Monday with a $2 trillion price tag. It is not likely to be considered by the Republican-controlled Senate.
The last government shutdown from December 2018 to January 2019 was the longest on record, at 35 days. Stemming from a standoff between Congress and the White House over funding for a wall along the southern U.S. border, it forced about 800,000 federal government workers to take furloughs or go without pay.
Sarah Binder, professor of political science at George Washington University and a Brookings Institution senior fellow, said it would be a “catastrophic blow” to have a shutdown in the middle of the pandemic, especially if workers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and National Institutes of Health were furloughed. COVID-19 has taken more than 206,000 American lives.
“Nobody really wants to be blamed for the government shutdown,” especially so close to an election, she said.
Contributing: Nicholas Wu