238 days until Election Day
Convention Dates: Republican July 18-21, 2016, Democratic July 25-28, 2016
Weekly Headlines:
- Ben Carson endorses Donald Trump
- Kasich ahead in Ohio, Trump up big in Florida
- Obama warns against campaign anger
Press Clips:
In Ohio, Clinton opposes Obama auto parts trade standard (Lincoln Star Journal 3/12/16)
Hillary Clinton wants stricter rules on auto imports than the Obama administration negotiated in a sweeping Pacific trade deal that’s a major priority for the White House. Under the Trans-Pacific Partnership, automobiles could be imported tax-free into the U.S. even if most parts in those vehicles were made in countries that are not in the trade alliance. That’s drawn opposition from auto-state senators, such as Ohio Democrat Sherrod Brown, who say it would encourage manufacturers to use cheaper parts from China, which is not part of the agreement.
Breaking down the GOP map (Politico 3/13/16)
Welcome to what might be the most decisive day of the 2016 GOP campaign. Depending on Tuesday’s results, one or more of the remaining candidates might be forced to drop out. And Donald Trump might be unstoppable. If Trump rolls to victories in Florida and Ohio – the first states on the calendar this year that award every last delegate to the statewide winner – his lead becomes all but insurmountable. Without home-state wins, Marco Rubio and John Kasich would have little cause to continue on.
Five things to know about the Florida Primary (USA Today 3/11/16)
The presidential primaries were supposed to be settled by now. By mid-March, it was assumed, Jeb Bush would be well on his way to clinching the Republican nomination and Hillary Clinton would have rolled over independent Sen. Bernie Sanders on her way to the Democratic general-election ballot. Florida voters weren’t expected to have much of a say. But Donald Trump’s sustained surge confounded expectations among Republicans, and Sanders stunned the Clinton campaign with primary and caucus victories in nine states.
Candidates weaponize free trade issue (Politico 3/12/16)
Hillary Clinton hardened her stance against the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement Saturday in a last-ditch effort to prevent Democratic rival Bernie Sanders from riding a wave of populist anger to another victory Tuesday in a key industrial state. Her comments at a Youngstown, Ohio rally ratcheted up her criticism of a deal she once backed as secretary of state and are the latest assault on the pact by candidates of both parties seeking to harness voter backlash against free trade.
Secret Service swarm Trump at Ohio rally (Politico 3/12/16)
Donald Trump was swarmed by four secret service agents on stage during a rally in Vandalia, Ohio, on Saturday morning after an apparent security breach. The Republican frontrunner looked momentarily panicked and moved quickly away from the lectern as four agents rushed him and created a circle around him. The breach was reportedly from an unidentified man who tried to get through the security barrier. “I was ready for him, but it’s much easier if the cops do it, don’t we agree?” Trump later told the crowd. The rest of the rally proceeded without incident.
Sanders aides dispute Clinton claim that senator was absent in ’90s health care Rights (CNN 3/12/16)
Hillary Clinton on Saturday questioned where Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders was when she was fighting for expanding health care as first lady in 1993 and 1994. “We are going to pull together and stay together and stand up against those powerful forces. And I always get a little chuckle when I hear my opponent talking about doing it,” Clinton said at an event here. “Well, I don’t know where he was when I was trying to get health care in ’93 and ’94, standing up the insurance companies, standing up against the drug companies.” The problem: Sanders attended an event with her to push health care reform in 1993 and introduced his own single-payer health care plan in March of that year. And Clinton wrote him a hand-written thank-you note for his work on the issue in 1993.
Trump Chicago rally postponed amid scenes of chaos (Politico 3/11/16)
Raucous protests shut down a planned Donald Trump rally Friday night before the Republican presidential front runner even appeared, sparking scenes of chaos inside and outside the arena that the candidate said infringed his right to freedom of speech.
More than 30 minutes after the event was supposed to start, a representative stepped to the lectern to announce that the event was being canceled for safety considerations. That set off an eruption of cheers and screams from hundreds of people who revealed themselves to be protesters: “We stopped Trump! We stopped Trump!” they said, jumping, shouting and tearing up Trump signs.
Conservatives Face an Impossible Choice (The Atlantic 3/12/16)
The accelerating likelihood that Donald Trump will win the Republican presidential nomination outright thrusts an agonizing dilemma on Republican politicians. Leave aside their own personal feelings about Trump. The most likely consequence of a Trump nomination is a severe Republican defeat in November, and not a defeat for Trump alone. Some significant number of Republicans just won’t vote for Trump. When people don’t want to vote for the top of a ticket, they often stay home altogether, dooming every close race lower down on the ticket. Republicans have Senate seats at risk in Florida, Illinois, New Hampshire, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin—sufficient to put the Republican majority in question.
