Category: 2020 election

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Trump: ‘Little Michael’ Bloomberg Will Fail

Donald Trump told reporters today he’d be “happy” if former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg were to jump in the 2020 presidential election.

“There’s nobody I’d rather run against than Little Michael. I‘ve known Michael Bloomberg for a long time. He said a lot of great things about Trump. But I know Michael. He became just a nothing. He’s not going to do well, but I think he’s going to hurt Biden, actually. But he doesn’t have the magic to do well.

“He’ll spend a lot of money. He has some really big issues, some personal problems, and he’s got a lot of other problems. But I know Michael Bloomberg fairly well. Not too well, but fairly well. Well enough. He will not do well. And if he did run, I’d be happy.”

As much as the Donald loves to talk about how rich he is, Bloomberg – worth more than $52 billion – is really, really rich.

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Former NYC Mayor Mike Bloomberg Weighing A 2020 White House Run

Former New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg

Former New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg
Former New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg
From the New York Times:

Michael R. Bloomberg is actively preparing to enter the Democratic presidential primary and is expected to file paperwork this week designating himself as a candidate in at least one state with an early filing deadline, people briefed on Mr. Bloomberg’s plans said.

Mr. Bloomberg, the former New York City mayor and billionaire businessman, has been privately weighing a bid for the White House for weeks and has not yet made a final decision on whether to run, an adviser said. But in the first sign that he is seriously moving toward a campaign, Mr. Bloomberg has dispatched staffers to Alabama to gather signatures to qualify for the primary there. Though Alabama does not hold an early primary, it has a Friday deadline for candidates to formally enter the race.

A Fox News poll found in late October that Mr. Bloomberg would face more opposition than enthusiasm at the outset of a primary campaign: Presented with Mr. Bloomberg as a hypothetical entrant into the primary, 6 percent of Democratic primary voters said they would definitely support him, while 32 percent said they would never vote for him.

I highly doubt Democrats are clamoring for a 77-year-old billionaire who used to be a Republican to enter the race. That said, Bloomberg would irritate Trump by being in the race if for nothing else than the fact that the former NYC mayor is REALLY, REALLY rich.

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If Trump Shot Someone Would You Vote For Him: “Why Did He Shoot Him?”

Donald Trump supporter Crystal Alisyn Camerota, from CNN’s New Day, chatted with a panel of Pennsylvania voters from swing districts about how Donald Trump is handling the presidency and got some rather stunning responses. Some called Trump’s time in the Oval Office “embarrassing” while others declared he is “fantabulous!” A woman named Crystal, who is still clearly pro-Trump, was asked: “Crystal, is there anything he could do that would make you not vote for him?” Crystal replied “No.” Bringing up the now infamous hypothetical scenario stated by Trump during the 2016 election, Camerota queried, “If he shot someone on 5th avenue, would you vote for him?” Crystal responded asking with a skeptical tone, “Yeah, why did he shoot him?” The Trump voters were also asked about whether pressuring foreign countries to investigate political opponents was appropriate and the ongoing impeachment inquiry.

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Fox News Polls Shows Biden Leading Trump 12+

L-R Former Vice President Joe Biden, Donald Trump
The latest Fox News poll shows:

Biden performs best against Trump (51-39 percent) in hypothetical head-to-head matchups. He leads by 12 points, garners over 50 percent and keeps Trump below 40 percent.

In early October, Biden led by 10 (50-40 percent).

More Democrats (91 percent) back Biden than Republicans (86 percent) support Trump, and 88 percent of 2016 Trump voters would stick with him, while 91 percent of Clinton voters would support Biden.

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New Poll: 49 Percent Support Impeaching/Removing Trump From Office

The results of a new NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll shows 49 percent of American voters support impeaching and removing Donald Trump from the presidency while 46 percent oppose. That’s an increase in support of impeachment by 6 points in a month, while the opposition has dropped 3 points. The poll also shows former Vice President Joe Biden would beat Trump in a hypothetical head-to-head matchup by 9 points. Sen. Elizabeth Warren would also trump the Trumpster by an 8 point margin. Meanwhile, the Donald’s approval/disapproval rating has pretty much remained in the same range: 45 percent give Trump a thumbs-up while a majority of 53 percent disapprove of the job he’s doing. When you dive into the details, though, 31 percent say they ‘strongly’ approve versus 45 percent who say they ‘strongly’ disapprove. Here are the full results of the poll.

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Beto O’Rourke Exits 2020 Presidential Race

Former Rep. Beto O’Rourke is leaving the 2020 presidential race
Former Rep. Beto O’Rourke is dropping out of the 2020 presidential campaign. From The Daily Beast:

Former Rep. Beto O’Rourke (D-TX) is ending his presidential campaign after struggling for months to gain sustained momentum, as the crowded Democratic primary thins out less than 100 days until the Iowa caucus.

“Though it is difficult to accept, it is clear to me now that this campaign does not have the means to move forward successfully,” O’Rourke wrote in a Medium post announcing his move on Friday.

“My service to the country will not be as a candidate or as the nominee. Acknowledging this now is in the best interests of those in the campaign; it is in the best interests of this party as we seek to unify around a nominee, and it is in the best interests of the country.”

Rumors about O’Rourke’s candidacy began shortly after his Senate campaign concluded. But for months, he put off making a decision, leaving top Democratic operatives who may have signed on with him to look elsewhere. The entrance into the race of South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg, perceived to occupy the same lane for a young, fresh-faced outsider, appeared to further dull the allure of O’Rourke’s bid.

For months, people in Democratic circles have urged O’Rourke to run for Sen. John Cornyn’s (R-TX) seat. Within minutes of O’Rourke’s announcement, “Run For Senate” began to trend on Twitter. We shall see.

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Democratic Race Tightens Ahead Of Iowa Caucuses

Photo of Sen. Bernie Sanders, Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Mayor Pete Buttigieg

L-R Sen. Bernie Sanders, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, Mayor Pete Buttigieg
The latest New York Times/Siena College poll shows the Democratic field tightening in the 2020 Iowa caucuses race as Sen. Elizabeth Warren holds a slight lead over Sen. Bernie Sanders while Mayor Pete Buttigieg is surging to third past former Vice President Joe Biden. From the New York Times:

Ms. Warren appears to have solidified her gains in the first voting state while Mr. Buttigieg has climbed quickly to catch up with Mr. Sanders and overtake Mr. Biden, the one-time front-runner. Ms. Warren is drawing support from 22 percent of likely caucusgoers, while Mr. Sanders is at 19 percent, followed by Mr. Buttigieg at 18 percent and Mr. Biden at 17 percent.

The survey is full of alarming signs for Mr. Biden, who entered the race in April at the top of the polls in Iowa and nationally.

He is still in the lead in most national polls, but his comparatively weak position in the earliest primary and caucus states now presents a serious threat to his candidacy. And Mr. Biden’s unsteadiness appears to have opened a path in the race for other Democrats closer to the political middle, particularly Mr. Buttigieg.

(image via NY Times)
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Half Of Voters Are Ready For Gay Prez But Aren’t So Sure About Neighbors

Mayor Pete Buttigieg (image via Instagram)

Mayor Pete Buttigieg (image via Instagram)
Mayor Pete Buttigieg (image via Instagram)
With Mayor Pete Buttigieg moving up in several polls in the Democratic primary, a new survey by Politico/Morning Consult queried voters about the prospects of a gay presidential candidate at the ballot box. Voters were asked, “Do you think you are ready for a president who is gay or lesbian?” The results show 50 percent are definitely or probably good to go with a gay president (33 percent ‘Yes, definitely,’ 17 percent ‘Yes, probably’). On the flip side, 37 percent indicated they are probably or definitely not ready for a gay commander in chief (13 percent ‘No, probably not,’ 24 percent ‘No, definitely not’). Thirteen percent didn’t know how they felt. However, when asked if America is ready for a gay president, folks weren’t as confident. On the plus side, 40 percent felt the country is definitely or probably ready for a gay president (19 percent and 21 percent respectively). But 45 percent responded either probably not or definitely not (21 percent and 24 percent respectively). Similar to the initial question, 15 percent weren’t sure.

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Together, we can accomplish anything.

A post shared by Pete Buttigieg (@pete.buttigieg) on

But when asked if their neighbors are ready, voters were even more pessimistic. Only 26 percent said they felt their neighbors definitely or probably could embrace a gay president (11 percent and 15 percent respectively). And 46 percent felt the folks next door were either definitely or probably not ready for a gay man in the Oval Office (21 percent and 25 percent respectively). Buttigieg’s sexuality “may be an issue for some voters as he remains in contention for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination,” said Tyler Sinclair, Morning Consult’s vice president. “Notably, 58 percent of Republicans, 32 percent of independents and 22 percent of Democrats say they aren’t ready for a gay or lesbian president,” continued Sinclair. Sinclair also shared the comparative figures for those Americans who are not ready for a female president which are lower and show more progress on that front: 36 percent of Republicans, 15 percent of independents and 8 percent of Democrats. In related news, the New York Times recently wrote that the Buttigieg campaign held focus groups in South Carolina where African-American voters make up a majority of Democratic voters. According to an internal campaign memo, “many of the 24 uncommitted black voters in the groups, men and women of ages 25 to 65, were deeply uncomfortable discussing Mr. Buttigieg’s sexual orientation, the memo said, adding that they felt the mayor was ‘flaunting’ his sexuality by the very mention of having a husband,” reports the Times. I would love to have asked those voters if they felt a straight political candidate mentioning their spouse would come across as ‘flaunting’ their sexuality. #WorkToDo (source: Politico)

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Kamala Harris Claps Back At Trump: “The Only Part Of Criminal Justice You Can Claim Credit For Is The ‘Criminal’ Part”

Sen. Kamala Harris clapped back at Donald Trump on the issue of "criminal" justice

Sen. Kamala Harris clapped back at Donald Trump on the issue of "criminal" justice
L-R Sen. Kamala Harris, Donald Trump
Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA) withdrew from a speaking appearance today at the 2019 Second Step Presidential Justice Forum at Benedict College, a historically black college, after the school honored Donald Trump on Friday. “As the only candidate who attended an [historically black college or university], I know the importance that these spaces hold for young Black Americans,” Harris said in a statement Friday per The Hill. “Today, when it became clear Donald Trump would receive an award after decades of celebrating mass incarceration, pushing the death penalty for innocent Black Americans, rolling back police accountability measures and racist behavior that puts people’s lives at risk … I cannot in good faith be complicit in papering over his record.” Instead, Harris announced she would host a criminal justice roundtable for students from around Columbia, South Carolina. Trump trolled Harris on Saturday called her a “badly failing presidential candidate” and took credit for “producing” and signing into law “major Criminal Justice Reform legislation.” He followed those tweets with a third containing just an ellipsis. #Ok Harris clapped back touting her long career in law and justice adding, “The only part of criminal justice you can claim credit for is the ‘criminal’ part.” Suh-nap!

In regards to all that Trump has “done” for the African-American community, let’s take a look, shall we? • He called for the death penalty for Central Park 5 and never apologized • He won’t endorse, or even say, Black Lives Matter • He defended white supremacists as “fine people” • He demonized black NFL players for taking a knee to bring attention to injustice

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Iowa: Mayor Pete Jumps To Second Place In New Poll

Mayor Pete Buttigieg (screen capture)
Earlier this week, I shared polling results out of Iowa, the first-in-the-nation contest for the Democratic presidential nomination, that showed Mayor Pete Buttigieg had surged into third place. Just days later, a new poll from Iowa State University shows Mayor Pete moving into the number two spot. From the new survey:

Of likely caucus-goers, 20% said Buttigieg is their top choice among the field of Democratic presidential candidates. That moves him to second in the poll – up from fourth in September – just behind Sen. Elizabeth Warren who maintained her lead at 28%.

The Iowa State University/Civiqs poll surveys the same pool of voters each month leading up to the Iowa Caucuses to understand how voter preferences are shifting.

Dave Peterson, a professor and Whitaker Lindgren faculty fellow in political science who organized the poll, says Buttigieg’s ground game in Iowa is paying off.

“You can attribute some of his momentum to basic retail politics. Buttigieg is incredibly well organized and is spending a lot of resources in Iowa. His presence at the Iowa Steak Fry last month was better than any other candidate,” Peterson said.

Former Vice President Joe Biden and Sen. Bernie Sanders were tied for second in the September poll. Sanders is now third with 18% and Biden is fourth at 12%.

After being the top fund-raising Democrat at the end of the second quarter, Team Buttigieg announced it would put that money to good use. In the past months, Buttigieg has opened more field offices in Iowa than any other candidate. While national polls look impressive, the story (if you’re looking for one) happening in primary season is the early states. A good finish in Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina or Nevada could inspire new traction for a candidate. If Buttigieg comes in second in Iowa, that will be a notable development.