Email Insights: Donald Trump says Hillary Clinton has failed America’s vets
With no holds barred and in one of his lengthiest campaign emails to date, presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump goes for the jugular on his opponent Hillary Clinton’s history with veterans, saying under her “failed leadership, too many of our nation’s finest died waiting to receive medical help from injuries suffered protecting our country.” Lumping Clinton and the Barack Obama administration together, Trump cites several examples of how he believes veterans have been mistreated and ignored the past eight years. Pointing out Clinton’s “refusal to acknowledge the ‘widespread’ and ‘systemic failures’ that exist in our VA is only intensifying the problems.” Read Trump’s entire email below: The Clinton/Obama era has been disastrous for our nation’s veterans. Under their failed leadership, too many of our nation’s finest died waiting to receive medical help from injuries suffered protecting our country. Clinton’s refusal to acknowledge the “widespread” and “systemic failures” that exist in our VA is only intensifying the problems. As Americans we need to demand more from our public officials to serve our heroes as they served us. The Clinton/Obama way of enriching bureaucrats who fail our veterans is wrong. THE VETERANS AFFAIRS SENATE REPORT SHOWS “SYSTEMATIC FAILURES” AT VETERANS AFFAIRS MEDICAL CENTERS In May, A Senate Investigation Revealed Widespread “Systemic Failures” By The Veteran Affairs Inspector General’s Review of the Veteran Affairs Medical Center In Tomah, Wis…” “A Senate investigation of poor health care at a Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Tomah, Wis., found systemic failures in a VA inspector general’s review of the facility that raise questions about the internal watchdog’s ability to ensure adequate health care for veterans nationwide … One of the biggest failures identified by Senate investigators was the inspector general’s decision not to release its investigation report, which concluded two providers at the facility had been prescribing alarming levels of narcotics.” (Donovan Slack, “Senate Investigation finds ‘Systemic’ Failures at VA Watchdog,” USA TODAY , 05/31/16) The Probe Found The VA’s Inspector General “Discounted Key Evidence and Witness Testimony, Needlessly Narrowed Its Inquiry and Has No Standard For Determining Wrongdoing.” “The probe by the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee found the inspector general’s office, which is charged with independently investigating VA complaints, discounted key evidence and witness testimony, needlessly narrowed its inquiry and has no standard for determining wrongdoing.” (Donovan Slack, “Senate Investigation finds ‘Systemic’ Failures at VA Watchdog,” USA TODAY , 05/31/16) “One of The Biggest Failures” Was That The VA IG Failed to Release an Investigative Report That Would Have Forced VA Officials to Publicly Address the Excessive Prescription of Narcotics at The Facility. One of the biggest failures identified by Senate investigators was the inspector general’s decision not to release its investigation report, which concluded two providers at the facility had been prescribing alarming levels of narcotics. The facility’s chief of staff at the time was David Houlihan, a physician veterans had nick-named ‘candy man’ because he doled out so many pills. Releasing the report would have forced VA officials to publicly address the issue and ensured follow up by the inspector general to make sure the VA took action. Instead, the inspector general’s office briefed local VA officials and closed the case.” (Donovan Slack, “Senate Investigation finds ‘Systemic’ Failures At VA Watchdog,” USA TODAY , 05/31/16) The Chief of Staff at A VA Facility Was Nick-Named “Candy Man” For Prescribing So Many Pills. “The facility’s chief of staff at the time was David Houlihan, a physician veterans had nick-named ‘candy man’ because he doled out so many pills. Releasing the report would have forced VA officials to publicly address the issue and ensured follow up by the inspector general to make sure the VA took action. Instead, the inspector general’s office briefed local VA officials and closed the case.” (Donovan Slack, “Senate Investigation finds ‘Systemic’ Failures at VA Watchdog,” USA TODAY , 05/31/16) The Investigation Raised Concerns That The VA’s Watchdog Is Able to Ensure “Adequate Health Care For Veterans Nationwide.” “A Senate investigation of poor health care at a Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Tomah, Wis., found systemic failures in a VA inspector general’s review of the facility that raise questions about the internal watchdog’s ability to ensure adequate health care for veterans nationwide.” (Donovan Slack, “Senate Investigation finds ‘Systemic’ Failures at VA Watchdog,” USA TODAY , 05/31/16) According to The Report, In Three Months “The VA Investigated And Substantiated A Majority Of The Allegations That The VA OIG Could Not Substantiate After Several Years.” “‘In just three months, the VA investigated and substantiated a majority of the allegations that the VA OIG could not substantiate after several years,’ the committee report notes.” (Donovan Slack, “Senate Investigation finds ‘Systemic’ Failures at VA Watchdog,” USA TODAY , 05/31/16) AN INTERNAL VA INVESTIGATION ALSO FOUND WIDESPREAD PROBLEMS An Internal Department of Veterans Affairs Investigation Found That Schedulers Routinely Misreported When Patients Actually Wanted to See a doctor or Receive Care, Making It Impossible to Track Delays. “An internal Department of Veterans Affairs investigation found that schedulers in Texas routinely misreported when patients actually wanted to see a doctor or get some other type of care, making it impossible to track delays in the care they received.” (Will Weissert, “Internal VA Report Finds Misleading Wait Time Data in Texas,” The Associated Press , 3/10/16) The Report Tracked Problems in Clinics and Medical Facilities in Central and South Texas. “The report released Tuesday by the VA’s Office of Inspector General tracks problems in clinics and medical facilities in central and South Texas.” (Will Weissert, “Internal VA Report Finds Misleading Wait Time Data in Texas,” The Associated Press , 3/10/16) According to The Report, Schedulers Listed the First Available Date That a Patient Could Be Seen as The Date That a Patient Had Wanted to Be Seen. “According to the report, schedulers often listed the first available date that a patient could be seen as the date that a patient had wanted to be seen. This meant there was no way to track how much longer those seeking care waited to get it.” (Will Weissert, “Internal VA Report Finds Misleading Wait Time Data in Texas,” The Associated Press , 3/10/16) VA Employees Reported That They Sometimes Engaged in Misleading Scheduling at The Behest of
Alabama business roundup: Headlines from across state – 7/12/16 edition
Which major Alabama company is getting a new look for the first time in 20 years? How much have new home sales gone up over last year? Which manufacturing company is priming for a production ramp-up? Answers to all of these questions and more in today’s business roundup: AL.com: Alabama business owners treat Mobile area police officers to lunch A group of Alabama business owners in Mobile decided to treat every police officer to a free buffet style lunch at Moe’s Original Barbecue in Downtown Mobile Tuesday (July 12) afternoon. Brian Birdsong, Co-owner of Moe’s Original Barbecue said the motivation behind the random act of kindness came from the tragic Dallas police shootings last week. “Just seems like to the rest of the world they are not getting a good rap on things so we just wanted to show our support,” said Birdsong. Birdsong says Austin Key, Vice President of Bugmaster pest control reached out to him after the police officers shootings and wanted to do something in Mobile to lift officers spirits. With tensions high between community members and police after several police involved shootings across the country, including the death of 19 year-old Michael Moore in Mobile Key says something good needed to be done. “We told Moe’s just set up the buffet lines and from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. it’s on us,” said Key The business owners invited officer’s from Mobile County and Baldwin County to stop in for lunch. Patrons and kids at the restaurant took the time to give hugs to officers as they enjoyed lunch and stopped to take pictures. Birdsong says the response from the community during the lunch hour rush was all positive. “The response has been all positive little kids coming up to them thanking them and I’ve thanked them and they’ve been very appreciative of it,” said Birsong. T-shirts supporting the Mobile Police Department and the Mobile Sheriff’s Office were for sale during the event. The restaurants owners said the proceeds from the T-shirt sales will be donated to both police departments. Alabama News Center: Airbus Alabama primes for production ramp-up Now that the first Alabama-made airplanes are rolling off the assembly line at the Airbus manufacturing plant in Mobile and taking to the skies, the big question is: What’s next? Plenty. In fact, the global plane maker has only just begun to make its mark on Mobile and Alabama, according to business leaders and market forecasts that show a robust, long-term demand for the passenger jets produced there. Airbus continues to ramp up production and expects the $600 million factory at Mobile Aeroplex at Brookley to turn out between 40 and 50 A320 Family aircraft each year by 2018. Worldwide, there’s an anticipated demand for more than 20,000 single-aisle planes over the next 20 years. The U.S. is the world’s largest market for such aircraft, and the vast majority of those built in Mobile will be delivered to customers in North America. “I think we can all take great comfort in knowing that the Airbus book of orders is so healthy for the next 20 years,” said Bill Sisson, president and CEO of the Mobile Area Chamber of Commerce. “Certainly, we will see aircraft production reach capacity rates as quickly as possible in order to meet the demand,” he added. “The more aircraft that are delivered per month from Mobile will mean more supplier and service provider opportunities at Brookley and beyond.” Farnborough mission Sisson and others from the Mobile area are part of the Alabama economic development team that is promoting the state at the Farnborough International Airshow in London this week. The Alabama delegation at the industry’s most important trade event is being led by Gov. Robert Bentley. “Our work at the Farnborough Airshow will be about continuing to build a strong network with Airbus suppliers and a great opportunity to evangelize about the strength of doing business in Mobile,” Sisson said. “As the world’s newest aviation center, it is our region’s golden opportunity to market on the world stage. We’re doing that and will continue to foster the full development of Mobile’s fastest-growing business sector.” The region already has been successful in landing new business tied to Airbus. A recent example is UTC Aerospace Systems, which in May announced an expansion of its Baldwin County aerostructures plant. The company plans a $30 million facility that will supply jet engine systems to the Airbus plant, creating 260 jobs. Continue reading: https://alabamanewscenter.com/2016/07/12/airbus-alabama-primes-production-ramp/ AL.com: Alabama Business Confidence Wanes, but Remains Positive for Third Quarter 2016 The Alabama Business Confidence Index™ (ABCI) came in at an optimistic 52.4 on the third quarter 2016 survey conducted by the Center for Business and Economic Research in UA’s Culverhouse College of Commerce. Business confidence decreased 2.8 points since last quarter and panelists remain less optimistic than a year ago when the ABCI registered 54.8. All component indexes except for capital expenditures decreased this quarter, but most remain in solidly positive territory. Panelists continue to see expansion in the Alabama economy, but are somewhat pessimistic about the national economy. The outlook for the state economy fell to a still quite confident 52.8, while the national economy index remained near the neutral mark with a slightly negative 49.0. Almost 30 percent of panelists expect stronger economic growth in the state this quarter and 52 percent expect the state’s economy to perform about the same as last quarter. In comparison, about 25 percent expect increased U.S. economic growth and almost 49 percent think growth will continue at about the same pace. The sales index remains on top of the list at 54.9 even after a 4.9 points drop, while expectations for capital expenditures increased slightly to 53.4. Pace of job growth and profits are expected to improve moderately or stay stable. Firms in construction, professional, scientific, and technical services, as well as in finance, insurance, and real estate are the most optimistic this quarter, all posting index levels of 54 or more. Retailers, however, continue to have the most negative outlook. The four largest metro
Luther Strange reviews complaints over ‘no guns allowed’ signs in Tuscaloosa, Birmingham and Clay
Signs banning guns at various locations across the state have been removed following a series of complaints concerning possible unlawful prohibitions of firearms in Tuscaloosa, Birmingham and Clay, Alabama Attorney General Luther Strange said Monday. Signs banning guns at the Tuscaloosa Public Library, Birmingham’s Boutwell Auditorium and Railroad Park and Clay City Hall have been removed after AG Strange reviewed and investigated each complaint, where appropriate, worked with the public entity to achieve compliance with state law. After the removal and assurances residents’ rights to carry would not be abridged, no further action was deemed necessary by Strange. Strange’s Monday announcement is among nearly 30 similar statements he has made since July 2015 after investigating formal complaints about violations of Alabama’s firearms law by state government entities. Each complaint triggers a review from the state attorney general. The results of the attorney general’s investigations are summarized below, along with links to his determinations. Tuscaloosa Public Library The Attorney General’s Office reviewed a complaint that the Tuscaloosa Public Library failed to comply with Alabama law because it prohibited firearms. After the Attorney General communicated with the Tuscaloosa Public Library, the signs prohibiting firearms were removed. Because the signs are removed, the Attorney General has determined that no further action is required. City of Birmingham The Attorney General’s Office reviewed a complaint that the City of Birmingham failed to comply with Alabama law because it prohibited firearms at Boutwell Auditorium and Railroad Park. After the Attorney General communicated with the City, the signs prohibiting firearms were removed. Because the signs are removed, the Attorney General has determined that no further action is required. City of Clay The Attorney General’s Office reviewed a complaint that the City of Clay failed to comply with Alabama law because it prohibited firearms at City Hall. After the Attorney General communicated with the City, the signs prohibiting firearms were removed. Because the signs are removed, the Attorney General has determined that no further action is required.
House unanimously approves Bradley Byrne bill supporting HCBU’s
Alabama’s 1st District U.S. Congressman Bradley Byrne reached across the aisle to North Carolina’s 12th District Congressman Alma Adams and introduced the bipartisan H.R.5530: HBCU Capital Financing Improvement Act last month. The bill will help improve infrastructure for our nation’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) by improving access to and oversight of an existing program that enables HBCUs to improve their campuses to better serve their students. The bill quickly made it out of House Education and the Workforce Committee and made it to the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives Monday, where by a unanimous voice vote it was approved. “An important part of helping students succeed is making sure schools and institutions have what they need to serve them well. That’s exactly what H.R. 5530 will do,” said Rep. Byrne, a co-chair of the Bipartisan HBCU Caucus. “The bill reforms a program known as the HBCU Capital Financing Program. Congress created this program to provide Historically Black Colleges and Universities with low-cost capital they can use to make infrastructure improvements. It acts as a loan guarantee program so that these institutions can finance or refinance repairs, renovations, and construction on their campuses.” According to the Republican Policy Committee, H.R. 5530 would improve access to and allow for financial counseling in the Historically Black Colleges and University (HBCU) Capital Financing Program by: Requiring institutions to pay into a “bond insurance fund,” rather than a pooled escrow account as in current law, to better reflect the purpose of the withheld funds; Authorizing the Secretary of Education to provide financial counseling to eligible institutions to prepare them to qualify, apply for, and maintain a capital improvement loan; and Requiring the program’s Advisory Board to provide an annual report to Congress, giving an overview of all the loans awarded by the program, the status and financial condition of at least 10 institutions participating in the program, and any administrative and legislative recommendations they may have for improving the program.
Showtime’s ‘The Circus’ is to politics what ‘Inside the NFL’ is to football
For almost 40 years, “Inside the NFL” has been able to capture the attention of football fans despite airing several days after the action on the field has occurred. While the basic elements of the show are the same as any other sports recap show, featuring highlights of the week’s games and discussion of events around the league, the fact that there are no commercials allows the panel to discuss subjects at length without the normal network time restrictions. In other words, in a sports news environment where ESPN’s SportsCenter is ubiquitous and other outlets’ highlight shows hammer viewers over the heads with one catchphrase-driven recap after another, “Inside the NFL” works because of its stately pace. Of course, having the highlight reels produced by NFL Films, with its lavish production values, also makes “Inside the NFL” must-see TV. Watching the latest episode of Showtime’s “The Circus,” I kept thinking I was watching a more compelling version of “Inside,” except instead of football, the game at the center of the show is politics. Like “Inside, “The Circus” benefits from its all-star panel — Bloomberg reporters Mark Halperin and John Heilemann and strategist Mark McKinnon — being able to take a breath and put the Most Important Week Ever in much-needed context. The show offers the same highlights as “Morning Joe” and “Meet the Press,” but it’s able to tell us, like “Inside the NFL” does with football, which highlights really mattered and which didn’t. The show has the urgency of being shot in real time, but it is assembled and produced after all involved have had time to digest the full scope of the previous seven days. And what a week it was that the latest episode of “The Circus” had to cover, beginning with the FBI’s decision to recommend no prosecution in the controversy surrounding Hillary Clinton’s use of a home-brewed server and ending with the tragic shooting of police officers in Dallas. It was not a slow news week. Yet for Halperin, Heilemann, and to a lesser extent McKinnon, who was caught away from a television during FBI Director James Comey‘s press conference, there is no hyperventilating. They continue to give the sense that this presidential campaign will be a long season. If there’s one element missing from “The Circus,” it’s disagreement between the two lead reporters. Whether it’s over a round of drinks at a New York restaurant or during a very meta-clip of them during “Pardon the Interruption,” err I mean, “With All Due Respect,” (their daily show for Bloomberg), Halperin or Heilemann rarely suggest to the other that, well, they’re full of crap. As someone who talks politics with hundreds of other people who enjoy talking about politics, I find myself disagreeing as much as I concur — even with those I consider allies or simpatico. It would be refreshing to see one of the two “Game Change boys” say to the other, “No, you’re wrong about that.” In one way, it really doesn’t matter what Halperin, Heilemann, or McKinnon have to say because the visuals of “The Circus” are alone worth tuning in. Showtime gives the 2016 presidential campaign trail the same treatment NFL Films gives Drew Brees or Lambeau Field. Hillary Clinton never looked so good as she does during one of the slow-motion shots of her on “The Circus.” To extend the football metaphor further, I worry that “The Circus,” which now must focus on Clinton and Donald Trump, could turn into an episode of “Inside the NFL” that focused only on the Dallas Cowboys and New England Patriots. Those two teams are probably the most recognizable — and least liked — franchises in the league, just like Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump are the most recognizable — and least liked —politicians in the country. Early episodes of “The Circus” were fun to watch because viewers got to see a side of Ted Cruz that rarely made its way into the mainstream media. Viewers got to meet the energetic Jeb Bush they kept hearing rumors about but never saw on the campaign trail. Viewers got to see all of this and a dozen more characters running for president who, while unable to win elections, were interesting enough to fill up 30 minutes of TV programming. Now all we are left with is Clinton and Trump, the Tom Brady‘s of American politics.
Martin Dyckman: In wake of Bob McDonnell case, Congress needs to close bribery loophole
What might have been only a run-of-the-mill bribery case became a major chapter in Florida history, and a forerunner of a recent deeply disturbing decision at the U.S. Supreme Court. A Ft. Lauderdale labor union local wanted to dig a canal on property it owned. Seeking a shortcut, the president and two henchmen passed $1,000 in cash to a county commissioner. He was wearing a wire. The law was watching. In April 1973, the Florida Supreme Court voted 4-2 to throw out the resulting convictions and prison sentences. The majority concluded that the union would not have needed the commission’s permission after all. As there was no point in bribing the commissioner, there was no crime. Never mind the criminal intent, or the fact that at the time everyone thought a permit was necessary. The two dissenters, Joseph A. Boyd Jr., and Richard Ervin, were the only justices who had held any political office other than judge — Boyd as a Dade County commissioner and Ervin as attorney general. They understood retail politics and the danger of, as Boyd put it, “the scurrilous peddling of one’s influence …” “Because of personal and political connections, public officials can persuade others vested with legal authority to grant favors to people which he (sic) could not personally grant through his own single vote or through the exercise of his official duties,” Boyd protested. The Legislature plugged the enormous hole that case created with Florida’s present law criminalizing unauthorized compensation to an official who either thinks he has a duty in the matter or tries to influence someone else. It also led to the resignation, under threat of impeachment, of Justice David L. McCain, who had cast the decisive vote for the defendants, campaign supporters of his. Earlier, he had tried to fix the case by influencing judges of the lower court that first heard the appeal. I wrote that McCain himself had been bribed. Boyd’s dissent in that old case describes to a precise T what (former) Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell did to earn his recently overturned corruption conviction in federal court. He took $175,000 in loans, gifts and favors — including a Rolex watch for him and $20,000 worth of designer clothing for his wife — from a man named Johnnie Williams, who wanted Virginia’s universities to conduct research studies on a nutritional supplement his company had developed. McDonnell set up a series of meetings between Williams and university officials to help Williams. It didn’t work. The universities politely practiced passive resistance, and McDonnell never actually ordered them to do anything. As the prosecution saw it, however, McDonnell had broken several federal laws just by peddling his influence. But as the U.S. Supreme Court saw it — unanimously — McDonnell had taken no “action,” nor had he agreed to do so, on behalf of Williams. “The District Court,” Chief Justice John Roberts wrote, “should have instructed the jury that merely arranging a meeting or hosting an event to discuss a matter does not count as a decision or action on that matter.” In reversing the conviction, the court left an opening to the prosecution to retry McDonnell. But it’s an infinitely slim one. Consider Roberts’s closing remarks: “There is no doubt that this case is distasteful. It may be worse than that. But our concern is not with tawdry tales of Ferraris, Rolexes and ballgown. It is instead with the broader legal implications of the Government’s boundless interpretation of the federal bribery statutes. A more limited interpretation of the term ‘official act’ leaves ample room for prosecuting corruption, while comporting with the text of the statute and the precedent of this Court.” Balderdash. If “official act” is limited to something like a signature on legislation or on a direct order, that’s a loophole wide enough to drag the entire District of Columbia through it, and the Grand Canyon besides. It might even be large enough to let Rep. Corinne Brown of Jacksonville wriggle out of her freshly minted federal corruption indictment. The Roberts opinion reflects either a naiveté or lack of concern with what it’s like in the grubby trenches of retail politics; they crawl with people eager to find and patronize influential politicians who can pull strings with colleagues or regulatory agencies. No one on that court has any real-world experience appropriate to cases like McDonnell’s. Not since Sandra Day O’Connor‘s appointment 35 years ago has there been a justice who ever ran for any office, and she retired 10 years ago. So there was no dissent. It took Jack Abramoff, the celebrated and repentant political fixer, to explain what’s wrong with the McDonnell decision. “When somebody petitioning a public servant for action provides any kind of extra resources—money or a gift or anything — that affects the process,” he told The Washington Post. That is, of course, true of campaign contributions, a million times more so. But the law recognizes a distinction — even if there is no practical difference — between money intended to elect someone and largesse for his personal use. One bridge at a time. Congress needs to do what the Florida Legislature did: make it a crime for someone to offer, or an official to accept, monetary favors for wielding his or her influence. I’m not holding my breath. ___ Martin Dyckman is a retired associate editor of the newspaper now known as the Tampa Bay Times. He lives in suburban Asheville, North Carolina.
Poll: Hillary Clinton struggles to make inroads with young Americans
Hillary Clinton is struggling to make inroads among young Americans who overwhelmingly supported Bernie Sanders during the Democratic presidential primary, a worrisome sign as she tries to reassemble the coalition that twice propelled Barack Obama into the White House. Opinions of Clinton among young Americans vary by race and ethnicity, according to a new GenForward poll of adults ages 18 to 30. The majority of the nation’s younger blacks and Asian-Americans have a favorable impression of Clinton, but the presumptive Democratic nominee struggles with whites and Hispanics. Just 26 percent of young whites and 49 percent of Hispanics have a positive opinion of the former secretary of state. Both groups overwhelmingly say she is not trustworthy. “I just don’t see her being honest and straightforward,” said Alexander Tomas, an 18-year-old Hispanic from Fort Worth, Texas. A recent high school graduate, Tomas supported Sanders in the state’s Democratic primary, but says he’s now undecided about his choice in November’s general election. GenForward is a survey by the Black Youth Project at the University of Chicago with the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. The first-of-its-kind poll pays special attention to the voices of young adults of color, highlighting how race and ethnicity shape the opinions of the country’s most diverse generation. The survey polled all young adults, not necessarily registered or likely voters, but the findings suggest Clinton may struggle to turn out people 18 to 30 to support her candidacy. While Clinton emerged victorious in her unexpectedly tough primary with Sanders, the contest revealed a stunning weakness with such young voters. The GenForward poll found that among those who preferred Sanders in the primaries, only half are prepared to say they’ll back Clinton in her general election face-off with presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump. About a quarter say they won’t support Clinton, and nearly a quarter say they’re not sure. Clinton has made moves in recent days to attract some of Sanders’ loyal young supporters, including unveiling a college affordability plan that would make in-state tuition-free for families making $125,000 or less per year. Sanders proposed free tuition at public higher education institutions for all, a plan supported by three-quarters of young adults, according to the survey. Sanders will formally endorse Clinton on Tuesday during a rally in New Hampshire, a step her campaign sees as an important signal to the Vermont senator’s backers. Clinton spokeswoman Xochitl Hinojosa said the candidate “believes we must do everything we can to make sure that millennial voters have their voice heard in our campaign.” She noted that the campaign recently hired three former Sanders aides to lead an effort to boost outreach to young people. Young people were an important part of the diverse coalition Obama put together during his two successful White House runs. Exit polls found that Obama carried 66 percent of voters 18-30 years old in the 2008 election and 60 percent during his re-election campaign. While Obama carried the majority of younger white voters in 2008, his support dipped to 44 percent in 2012. The president had the overwhelming backing of black and Hispanic voters under 30 in both campaigns, mirroring his overall support from both groups. But the GenForward poll shows weaknesses in Clinton’s support among young Hispanics, who prefer Sanders to Clinton by nearly a 3-to-1 margin. More than 4 in 10 had an unfavorable opinion of Clinton, and they were also more likely to say Clinton is untrustworthy and slightly more likely to say she’s unqualified to be president than young African Americans. Clinton’s support is strongest among young blacks, half of whom consider her honest and trustworthy and two-thirds of whom say they have a favorable opinion of Clinton. Among young Asians, 55 percent view Clinton at least somewhat favorably. While Clinton campaign officials acknowledge their candidate’s disconnect with young people, they see the prospect of a Trump presidency as perhaps the best way to motivate those voters in November. Indeed, the GenForward poll found that Trump’s standing with young people is staggeringly negative. Just 19 percent of young voters have a favorable opinion of the businessman, including 6 percent of African-Americans, 10 percent of Hispanics and 12 percent of Asian-Americans. While Trump performs strongest with young whites, only 27 percent view him favorably. “I’m very afraid of the potential for his presidency,” said Emily Erickson, a 30-year-old from Minneapolis who is planning to vote for Clinton. Erickson, who is interested in social justice and women’s issues, said Trump is “not thoughtful or willing to be intelligent.” But Clinton’s campaign may not simply be able to count on young voters seeing her as the lesser of two evils in a race against Trump. Seven in 10 young voters — including majorities of blacks, whites, Asians and Hispanics — say they are unsatisfied with the race between Clinton and Trump and want the option of a third party candidate. John Davilmar, a 20-year-old from West Palm Beach, Florida, is among those seeking an alternative. Davilmar backed Sanders and is increasingly considering casting his general election vote for Gary Johnson, the former New Mexico governor and Libertarian Party presidential nominee. He says he’s still open to voting for Clinton, but can’t shake the idea that she’s part of the professional political class he distrusts. “So far she’s like a lot of politicians,” Davilmar said. “But at least she’s better than what we would get from Trump.” Republished with permission of the Associated Press.
Jeff Sessions could be a good choice for Donald Trump’s VP
Who presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump will pick as his running mate has been a focal point since the 2016 presidential shifted toward the general election. Campaign insiders say the businessman is likely to pick Indiana Gov. Mike Pence, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie or former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, but Alabama Sen. Jeff Sessions said this week he would answer the call to be Trump’s running mate if asked. But would Trump pick Sessions? The 20-year U.S. Senate veteran has been one of Trump’s most vocal supporters, especially on his plan to build a wall across the U.S.-Mexico border and on trade issues, but it’s hard to see what the Alabama Republican could bring to the ticket, especially with Trump needing to woo Rust Belt voters in his campaign against Hillary Clinton. Sessions was the first senator to back Trump’s bid for the GOP nomination, and he even donned a “Make America Great Again” hat during a Trump rally in Mobile, but he doesn’t have near the name recognition as Christie or Gingrich, nor the Midwest ties of Pence. Trump likely doesn’t need help winning over Deep South voters, either. Of course, Sessions also doesn’t have a black mark like “bridge-gate” or passing anti-LGBTQ rights legislation in the recent past. Trump is expected to pick his running mate Friday, though those close to the campaign say he could make the announcement anytime this week — perhaps after a planned public rally with Pence set for Tuesday.
