Ballotpedia's Daily Presidential News Briefing - September 21, 2015
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Ballotpedia's Daily Presidential Briefing was sponsored by the Leadership Project for America. | ||||
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Monday's Leading Stories
- According to a national CNN/ORC survey conducted in the three days following last week’s Republican debate, Carly Fiorina rose from 3 percent support in early September to 15 percent support this weekend. She was in second place behind Donald Trump who registered 24 percent support. Scott Walker plunged to less than .5 percent support. Ben Carson and Marco Rubio were the most liked candidates with 65 percent and 57 percent favorability, respectively. (CNN, Poll Data)
- On Sunday, Ben Carson stated he did not believe Islam was “consistent with the Constitution.” He said, “I would not advocate that we put a Muslim in charge of this nation. I absolutely would not agree with that.” He noted, however, that Congress was a “different story” and he would consider voting for a Muslim legislator. (CNN)
- The Wall Street Journal reported on Friday that Joe Biden is “more likely than not to enter” the 2016 presidential race. Sources close to Biden’s team claim it has now shifted its focus to the timing of Biden’s announcement to guarantee he can participate in the first Democratic debate on October 13. (The Wall Street Journal)
Democrats
- Debbie Wasserman Schultz, chair of the Democratic National Committee (DNC), contended with the growing call to increase the number of Democratic debates while speaking at the New Hampshire Democratic Party state convention on Saturday. As audience members chanted “more debates,” Wasserman Schultz “appeared to grow frustrated” and said, “Enough is enough! We have a job to do. Let’s focus on our task ahead.” (The Wall Street Journal)
Joe Biden
- Jill Biden is “100 percent on-board with” her husband, Joe Biden, running for president, NBC News reported on Sunday. (NBC News)
- Next Saturday, the Bidens will lead the farewell ceremony marking the end of Pope Francis’ visit to Philadelphia. (Philadelphia Sun Times)
Hillary Clinton
- Speaking about the Syrian refugee crisis on Sunday, Hillary Clinton said, “We're facing the worst refugee crisis since the end of World War II. I would like to see us move from what is a good start, with 10,000, to 65,000 and begin immediately to put into place the mechanisms for vetting the people that we would take in." She added that the U.S. should increase sanctions against Russia if it aids Hezbollah in Syria. (The Huffington Post)
- Clinton again criticized Donald Trump for not correcting a supporter who suggested President Obama was “not even an American” and a Muslim. Clinton said, “He knew or he should have known that what that man was asking was out of bounds. It was untrue, and he should have from the beginning repudiated that kind of rhetoric, that level of hatefulness. … I would call on him and all the candidates to stop this descent into the kind of hateful, mean-spirited divisive rhetoric we’ve seen too much of.” (Boston Herald)
- In an interview on Sunday, Clinton said she was being “as transparent as possible – more than anyone else ever has been” regarding her use of a private email server while secretary of state. “I’m sorry that I made a choice that has raised all of these questions because I don’t like reading that people have questions about what I did and how I did it. I’m proud of the work we did at the State Department,” she said. (The Daily Beast)
- Clinton is expected to release her prescription drug policy this week providing “a key fix” to Obamacare and the management of prescription drug costs. (Boston Herald)
Lawrence Lessig
- In his speech before the New Hampshire Democratic Party state convention on Saturday, Lawrence Lessig emphasized the role of large donors in the current election cycle. He said, “America looks to her government and sees not themselves reflected in what Congress does, but someone else. … They see a Congress bending over backwards to make calls to their funders. Indeed we know, the political scientists have shown us, that what our Congress does has no relation to the views of the average voter. Our Congress, our democracy, is responsive to the few, not the many. How could it be otherwise, when 400 families have given 1/2 the money in this election so far.” (Huffington Post)
Martin O’Malley
- On Saturday, Martin O’Malley declined to make the Democratic debate schedule the focal point of his speech at the New Hampshire Democratic Party state convention. “The theme of my campaign is not about process. It’s about the actions that we need to take to help rebuild the American dream, and make wages go up rather than down,” O’Malley said. (BuzzFeed)
- O’Malley defended the “zero tolerance” policing policies he supported as mayor of Baltimore and governor of Maryland. “We had a horrible problem in our city with the proliferation of open air drug markets. People wanted them shut down, so that’s what we did. Yes, enforcement levels spiked. But we saved about 1,000 lives, probably,” O’Malley said. (ThinkProgress)
Bernie Sanders
- U.S. Rep. Alcee Hastings (D-Fla.) said he and “most members” of the Democratic Party don not believe Bernie Sanders is electable. Hastings, a Hillary Clinton supporter, added, “Some argue, and I do, that Ralph Nader cost us [the 2000] election … and I don't have time for that. And I think that's what members are saying: That I don't have time for fringes, at this point. And that's where Bernie is, and it's regrettable.” (The Hill)
- Sanders distinguished how he has tapped into the “general anger” of voters as compared to Donald Trump, saying, “I think that what Trump is doing is appealing to the baser instincts among us: xenophobia and, frankly, racism—describing an entire group of people, in this case, Mexicans, as rapists or as criminals. I think that is disgraceful and not something we should be doing in 2015.” (TIME)
- Sanders criticized Ben Carson for suggesting he would not support a Muslim candidate for president because of his faith. He said, “You judge candidates for president not on their religion, not on the color of their skin, but on their ideas on what they stand for. … I was very disappointed in Dr. Carson’s statement.” (The Washington Post)
Jim Webb
- During a campaign stop in Iowa on Saturday, Jim Webb said he would continue to support the Renewable Fuel Standard. He also opposed state-by-state regulations governing GMO labeling, “calling it impractical and unnecessary.” (The Des Moines Register)
Republicans
- The New York Times reported on Sunday that Republican Party efforts to “streamline” the nomination process by changing delegate allocation could result in a Donald Trump win even if he does not have majority support. “If Mr. Trump draws one-third of the Republican primary vote, as recent polls suggest he will, that could be enough to win in a crowded field. After March 15, he could begin amassing all the delegates in a given state even if he carried it with only a third of the vote. And the later it gets, the harder it becomes for a lead in delegates to be overcome, with fewer state contests remaining in which trailing candidates can attempt comebacks,” The New York Times noted. (The New York Times)
Jeb Bush
- In contrast to Donald Trump’s silence on the matter of President Obama’s heritage last week, Jeb Bush said on Friday night, “Barack Obama is a talented man — and by the way, he's American, he's Christian. His problem isn't the fact that he was born here or what his faith is. His problem is he's a progressive liberal that tears down anyone that disagrees with him." (MLive.com)
- Bush accused Hillary Clinton’s “political machine” of being behind a new 30-second ad set to air this week suggesting former President George W. Bush did not keep Americans safe. Americans United for Change, a Democratic group founded in 2005, paid for the ad. (The Washington Post)
Chris Christie
- Chris Christie said on Sunday the Pope was “wrong” to recommend opening diplomatic relations with Cuba. “The fact is that his infallibility is on religious matters, not on political ones. And the fact is that for me, I just believe that when you have a government that is harboring fugitives ... that this President could extend diplomatic relations with that country ... is outrageous,” Christie said. (CNN)
- On Friday, Christie said he was comfortable losing potential supporters to Donald Trump at this time. “People aren't voting yet. I'll take it back when people are ready to vote. That's why in politics, you have to be patient." He also said he thought Carly Fiorina “was being rude” during the Republican presidential debate, explaining why he said to her on Wednesday night, “You can interrupt anybody else on this stage, you can’t interrupt me.” (NJ.com)
Ted Cruz
- Ted Cruz said on Saturday he was “very glad” that Donald Trump was running for president. “Donald being in the campaign has focused the issues on illegal immigration. The other major value to Donald being in the race — as if there's one thing Donald knows how to do — is that it's attracted a lot of attention,” Cruz said. (Newsmax)
- Cruz refused to say whether he believed President Obama was a Christian or Muslim on Saturday. “The president's faith is between him and God. I'm not going to speculate on the president's faith. What I will talk about is his policies. And his policies have been profoundly damaging to this country. His policies and this administration's animosity to religious liberty and, in fact, antagonism to Christians has been one of the most troubling aspects of the Obama administration,” said Cruz. (The Huffington Post)
- On Friday, Cruz said that “every” Democratic nominee to the Supreme Court has “put forward votes like a radical leftist nutcase.” He suggested Republican nominees were a mix of justices who “actually honor their oath to defend the Constitution” and “screaming trainwreck disasters.” (Politico)
Carly Fiorina
- Carly Fiorina said the size of the federal government can be reduced by ending some civil servant positions. “When you have a big, bloated bureaucracy that is becoming inept – that’s what’s happening in Washington, D.C. – there are some jobs that have to go away,” she said. According to The Huffington Post, Fiorina would “make sure that any new job openings in the federal government created by retiring baby boomers would not be filled.” (The Huffington Post)
- On Sunday, Fiorina said she was not aware a contractor for Hewlett-Packard was doing business with Iran when she was CEO. "In fact, the SEC investigation proved that neither I nor anyone else in management knew about it," Fiorina said. "When the company discovered this three years after I left, they cut off all ties. The SEC investigated very thoroughly and concluded that no one in management was aware." (Newsmax)
- A Democratic National Committee fundraising email sent to supporters over the weekend named Fiorina as an opponent. “The reviews are in and pundits think Carly Fiorina 'won' Wednesday's GOP Debate. If you want to make sure these 'winning' ideas don't win the White House, add your name,” the email read. (ABC 17 News)
Lindsey Graham
- Lindsey Graham criticized Ben Carson for saying a Muslim should not be president on Sunday. “America is an idea not owned by a particular religion, race or anything else. Out of many comes one. I think Dr. Carson needs to apologize to this young man and every other Muslim serving their country and to the American Muslim community. … We have to partner with people in the faith to destroy radical Islam. And most Muslims throughout the world reject what radical Islam is trying to do to the world and their faith. This is an example to me that Mr. Carson may be a good doctor, but he is not ready to lead a great nation,” Graham said. (Breitbart)
Mike Huckabee
- On Saturday, Mike Huckabee opposed the nomination of Eric Fanning, an openly gay man, to the office of the secretary of the Army. Huckabee said in a statement, “It’s clear President Obama is more interested in appeasing America’s homosexuals than honoring America’s heroes. Veterans’ suicide is out-of-control and military readiness is dangerously low, yet Obama is so obsessed with pandering to liberal interest groups he’s nominated an openly gay civilian to run the Army. Homosexuality is not a job qualification. The U.S. military is designed to keep Americans safe and complete combat missions, not conduct social experiments.” (Breitbart)
- Huckabee criticized CNN and its debate format for encouraging candidates to “say something nasty about someone else on the stage” rather than to discuss policy. He added the network had “no interest in making sure that Republicans across this country understand who the candidates are and what they stand for and what background they have.” (The Des Moines Register)
John Kasich
- After receiving criticism for “connecting his appreciation of Hispanics with leaving a tip for his hotel maid,” John Kasich said on Saturday, "All I was trying to say is I'm glad sometimes in the middle of the speed of what I'm doing that I can slow down and honor people who sometimes we run past very quickly. … I've been one of the strongest advocates for how Hispanics in this country can add so much in every profession – and that they need to be able to be here and not be afraid their families are going to be divided. They contribute so much – and not just [in] one area, but they're completely involved in all aspects of our economy." (Cleveland.com)
- Kasich said the “nuclear option” should be employed to reject the Iran nuclear deal. "It ought to be decided by 51 votes, not by 60 votes or some filibuster,” Kasich said. (CNN)
- Michigan Senate Majority Leader Arlan Meekhof endorsed Kasich on Saturday. (MLive.com)
George Pataki
- George Pataki shifted his position on the Renewable Fuel Standard, saying he supported it during a campaign stop in Iowa on Saturday. “Washington made a commitment to those farmers and those investors. We have to keep our word,” said Pataki. (The Des Moines Register)
Rand Paul
- Rand Paul said Hillary Clinton was partly to blame for the refugee crisis in the Middle East because she supported providing weapons to Syrian rebels without any way to screen out members of al Qaeda and al Nusra and future ISIS supporters. (The Hill)
- Paul won a presidential straw poll in Michigan over the weekend, capturing 22 percent support from 785 respondents. (Detroit News)
- While speaking at the Mackinac Republican Leadership Conference on Saturday, Paul called for congressional term limits. “We should term limit them all, fumigate the place and bring them home,” Paul said. (Detroit Free Press)
Marco Rubio
- Marco Rubio will campaign in Georgia on Monday after gaining endorsements from state Sen. P.K. Martin (R) and several state representatives. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution)
- Although Rubio rose to fourth place in the most recent national CNN/ORC poll with 11 percent, he discounted its value during an interview with ABC News’ George Stephanopoulos. “These polls don't really mean anything at this stage, George. You're a veteran of campaigns, and I'm not sure the mid-September winners are where you want to be." (Politico)
- When asked about President Obama’s nationality and religion, Rubio said on Sunday, “He's born in the U.S., he's a Christian, he's president of the United States for the next year and a half, and we're going to move on. This country is going to turn the page, and this election needs to be about what comes next.” (ABC News)
Donald Trump
- On Saturday, Donald Trump said he would have “no problem” with a Muslim in his cabinet or as a potential ticketmate. "I love the Muslims. I think they're great people," Trump said. He also tweeted that he was not “morally obligated to defend the president every time somebody says something bad or controversial about him.” (Newsmax, CNN)
- Michael Cohen, special counsel to Trump, said there was “a better than likely chance” Trump would meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin next week when he arrives in New York to attend the United Nations’ General Assembly. (CBS News)
Scott Walker
- In response to his descending poll numbers, Scott Walker noted in an interview with Breitbart he had been called “Dead Man Walker” at the start of his recall election and “came back with more votes in June of 2012 than in the original election. … And we can do it again.” (Breitbart)
- BuzzFeed reported on Friday that some Walker supporters and donors have launched a “whisper campaign” against Walker’s campaign manager, Rick Wiley, in an attempt to oust him after the candidate’s poor performance in recent polls. (BuzzFeed)
- Walker canceled plans to speak at the Michigan Republican Party’s leadership conference this weekend twice. He campaigned in South Carolina and Iowa, instead. (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)
See also
- Presidential election, 2016
- Presidential candidates, 2016
- Presidential debates (2015-2016)
- Important dates in the 2016 presidential race
- Polls and Straw polls
- 2016 presidential candidate ratings and scorecards