Ballotpedia's Daily Presidential News Briefing - April 13, 2016
From Ballotpedia
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Wednesday's Leading Stories
- On Tuesday, Speaker of the House Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) ruled out the possibility of being the GOP presidential nominee. Ryan said, "Let me be clear: I do not want, nor will I accept, the Republican nomination. Count me out." Ryan said that if there is a contested convention, one of the individuals who chose to run for the office should be the nominee. He said, “I simply believe that if you want to be the nominee for our party — to be the president — you should actually run for it. I chose not to do this. Therefore, I should not be considered. Period. End of story.” (The Hill)
- According to The Denver Post, “Bernie Sanders won one more delegate in Colorado than first projected after the Colorado Democratic Party admitted this week that it misreported the March 1 caucus results from 10 precinct locations. The party discovered the discrepancy a week after the caucus but did not correct the public record.” Colorado Democratic Party Chairman Rick Palacio said, "It was basically a reporting error on caucus night.” Sanders is projected to win 39 delegates, and Clinton is projected to win 27. (The Denver Post)
- On Tuesday, Missouri Secretary of State Jason Kander posted the following tweet: “This morning I certified the presidential preference primary. @HillaryClinton and @realDonaldTrump have officially won Missouri.” On the Democratic side, Hillary Clinton defeated Sanders 49.6 percent to 49.4 percent. Clinton picked up 36 delegates, and Sanders picked up 35. On the Republican side, Donald Trump defeated Ted Cruz 40.9 percent to 40.7 percent. John Kasich earned 10.1 percent of the vote. Trump picked up 37 delegates, and Cruz picked up 15. The primary election was held on March 15, 2016. (Ballotpedia, Politico)
- On Wednesday, Senator Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), endorsed Bernie Sanders. Merkley said, "This really is all about the person who has the boldest, most fierce vision on the biggest issues facing America and the world.” Merkley is the first senator to endorse Sanders. Sanders also picked up the endorsement of the “Transport Workers Union Local 100, representing 42,000 workers in the New York region,” according to the New York Daily News. (Reuters, New York Daily News)
Polls
- According to a Quinnipiac poll released on Tuesday, Hillary Clinton leads Bernie Sanders 53 percent to 40 percent among likely Democratic primary voters in New York. On the Republican side, Donald Trump leads John Kasich 55 percent to 20 percent. Ted Cruz follows with 19 percent. (Quinnipiac)
- A NY1/ Baruch poll released on Tuesday also shows Clinton leading Sanders in New York. Clinton has 50 percent support, and Sanders has 37 percent support. On the Republican side, Trump has a commanding lead with 60 percent support. Kasich and Cruz follow with 17 and 14 percent, respectively. (NY1/ Baruch)
- According to Public Policy Polling, Clinton leads Sanders 51 percent to 40 percent among likely Democratic primary voters in New York. On The Republican side, Trump leads Kasich 51 percent to 25 percent. Cruz follows with 20 percent. In head-to-head general election matchups, Clinton and Sanders are leading all three Republican candidates.
- Clinton (55 percent) vs. Trump (35 percent);
- Clinton (56 percent) vs. Cruz (30 percent);
- Clinton (50 percent) vs. Kasich (36 percent);
- Sanders (58 percent) vs. Trump (33 percent);
- Sanders (59 percent) vs. Cruz (27 percent);
- Sanders (54 percent) vs. Kasich (35 percent). (Public Policy Polling)
- In the Connecticut Republican primary, Trump leads Kasich 50 percent to 26 percent. Cruz follows with 17 percent support, according to an Emerson poll released on Tuesday. On the Democratic side, Clinton leads Sanders 49 percent to 43 percent. In head-to-head matchups, Clinton and Sanders lead Trump and Cruz, and Kasich leads Clinton and Sanders.
- Clinton (48 percent) vs. Trump (40 percent);
- Clinton (52 percent) vs. Cruz (31 percent);
- Kasich (49 percent) vs. Clinton (38percent);
- Sanders (49 percent) vs. Trump (40 percent);
- Sanders (55 percent) vs. Cruz (30 percent);
- Kasich (48 percent) vs. Sanders (40 percent). (Emerson)
- According to an NBC 4/Marist poll released on Wednesday, Trump leads Cruz 41 percent to 29 percent among likely Republican primary voters in Maryland. Kasich follows with 24 percent support. On the Democratic side, Clinton leads Sanders 58 percent to 36 percent. (NBC 4/Marist)
Democrats
Hillary Clinton
- On Tuesday, the New York Daily News editorial board endorsed Hillary Clinton. They wrote, “On April 19, New York Democrats will have unusual say over the party’s nominee. They have in Clinton a superprepared warrior realist. They have in opponent Bernie Sanders a fantasist who’s at passionate war with reality. By choosing Clinton, Empire State Dems would powerfully signal that the party has gotten real about achieving long-sought goals.” (New York Daily News)
- On Tuesday, Clinton's press secretary Brian Fallon accused Sanders of “trying to rig the system by attempting to court superdelegates currently allied with Clinton,” according to Politico. Fallon said, “Really, I think when you talk about rigging the system, that’s what Sen. Sanders is trying to do now. Hillary Clinton has won in the popular vote by a wide margin. She’s got more than 2 million votes over Sen. Sanders in all of the contests when you add them all up. … So now that’s forcing Sen. Sanders to go out and talk about the idea that he wants to try to flip superdelegates and get him to overturn the will of the people as expressed through who’s won the most contests.” (Politico)
- On Tuesday, Clinton explained why she participated in a racially charged skit with New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio during a campaign event last weekend. She said, “Well, look, it was Mayor de Blasio’s skit. He has addressed it, and I will really defer to him because it is something that he’s already talked about.” According to The New York Times, “Mr. de Blasio’s office said he was poking fun only at himself at the satirical Inner Circle dinner in Manhattan, when he joked with Mrs. Clinton at the annual black-tie event that he had been late to endorse her candidacy because he was ‘running on C.P. time.’ a reference to the stereotypical ‘Colored People Time.’ The line drew some cringes from the audience. Mrs. Clinton jumped in at the prearranged skit: ‘Cautious politician time,’ she said.” (The New York Times)
Bernie Sanders
- During a campaign speech on Tuesday in Syracuse, Bernie Sanders urged his supporters to go to the polls to cast their votes in next week’s primary election. He said, "A week from today there's going to be an enormously important Democratic primary in New York State. What we have found is we win when voter turnout is high, we lose when it is low. Next Tuesday, let us come out in large numbers. Let us have the highest voter turnout in Democratic primary history in New York." Sanders also criticized Donald Trump, saying, "The reason Trump won't become president is the American people understand in their hearts what every religion tells us. And that is, at the end of the day, love always trumps hatred." In addition, Sanders said that Trump’s questioning of President Barack Obama’s birth certificate was racially motivated. He said, "Obama's father was born in Kenya, my father was born in Poland. Nobody ever asked me for my birth certificate. Do you think just maybe that might have something to do with the color of my skin versus the President's?" (Syracuse.com)
- On Tuesday, Sanders visited “the home and final resting place of Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt,” according to The Washington Post. After seeing Roosevelt’s grave, Sanders said to a group of reporters: "I happen to believe that Franklin Delano Roosevelt is one of the great, great presidents in the history of our country. He reminded the American people in 1933 in the midst of the worst depression in our country's history that we have nothing to fear but fear itself, he transformed government, he created a government which stood up for working people, the poor, the hungry and the sick and then in 1941 he helped bring the country together to fight Nazism and Japanese imperialism. And I think there is a lot that we can learn today from Roosevelt's life and courage, from his willingness to stand up to the most powerful special interests of his time – people he called the economic royalists, people I call the billionaire class today. In 1936, when he was re-nominated by the Democratic Party for another term as president, he proudly proclaimed that he welcomed the hatred of the economic royalists – that he stood with the working class and the oppressed people of this country. And that’s what he did. So it’s an honor for me to be here today.” (The Washington Post)
Republicans
Ted Cruz
- On Tuesday, New Jersey Judge Jeff Masin ruled that Ted Cruz is "indeed a natural born Citizen within the contemplation of the Constitution,” and can appear on the primary ballot. According to CBS News, “The decision goes to Republican Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno, who as secretary of state can accept, reject or modify the ruling.” (CBS News)
- In an interview with Glenn Beck on Tuesday, Cruz commented on the relationship between Chris Christie and Donald Trump. Cruz said, "Look at the humiliation he [Trump] inflicts on people like Chris Christie. Chris Christie is a good man. I like Chris Christie. Chris Christie right now is trapped in his own private hell. When Chris was standing behind Donald Trump holding his jacket, the look in his eyes — you could see the screaming. … You know what gets me is the servility of Chris forced to call Donald 'Mr. Trump.’” (Business Insider)
- During an interview with Fox News’ Megyn Kelly on Tuesday, Heidi Cruz commented on a tweet that Donald Trump shared comparing her to his wife, Melania Trump. Cruz said, "One great thing about me, Megyn, is that I don’t tweet. So I had an ability to completely ignore it. I really have to honestly say it didn’t impact me in the least.” (The Hill)
John Kasich
- On Tuesday, John Kasich said that he would not serve as Donald Trump’s vice president. When asked about accepting the position during an interview on "CBS This Morning", Kasich said, "Zero chance. Look, I am running for president of the United States, and that's it. If I'm not president — which I think I have an excellent shot to be — I will finish my term as governor and then maybe I will be a co-host on your show. You never know." (The Hill)
- During an interview with CBS News’ Scott Pelley on Tuesday, Kasich made the case for why he can win a contested convention. He said, “We've had ten contested Republican conventions, ten. And of the ten, only three times was the front-runner selected. Seven times it was somebody other than the front-runner. … So think of it this way. Coke, Pepsi, Kasich, right? You go to the store. You're with your spouse. And your spouse says, ‘Well yeah, I kind of like that Kasich, but I don't know that much about him.’ As we've seen more and more of my message be able to be communicated, we're getting bigger crowds. And that'll translate into delegates. And delegates will translate into momentum.” (CBS News)
Donald Trump
- On Tuesday, the New York Observer endorsed Donald Trump. The endorsement read, “Donald Trump is the father-in-law of the Observer’s publisher. That is not a reason to endorse him. Giving millions of disillusioned Americans a renewed sense of purpose and opportunity is. … In 1980 Ronald Reagan said, ‘The time is now for strong leadership,’ and by 1984 was able to declare, ‘It is morning again in America.’ Today, Donald Trump says it is time to make America great again. We agree.” According to The Wall Street Journal, “The Observer is owned by Jared Kushner, who is married to Mr. Trump’s daughter Ivanka.” (New York Observer, The Wall Street Journal)
- On Tuesday, Trump criticized the Republican National Committee (RNC) process for choosing a GOP nominee. Trump said, “It's a disgrace for the party. And Reince Priebus should be ashamed of himself. He should be ashamed of himself because he knows what's going on.” Trump specifically criticized “how Colorado recently awarded all of its 34 delegates to Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) without having a primary or a caucus,” according to The Hill. Trump said, “It should go to a vote in Colorado like other places. ... The best way to do it would be just a vote, should be a vote of the people. That's the way it should be done. The delegate situation is a very unjust way of doing things.” He also criticized the Democratic National Committee for favoring Hillary Clinton over Bernie Sanders. He said, “I tell you, it's unfair even from the Democrats' side. Every time I turn on the television, Bernie wins, Bernie wins — for weeks — Bernie wins, Bernie wins, Bernie wins. And then I watch the commentators and they say, 'Bernie can't win.' How do you win every single week, every single state and you can't win? You know why? Because it's a corrupt system. It's corrupt there, and it's more corrupt on the Republican side.” (The Hill)
- On Tuesday, Mexican Central Bank Governor Agustin Carstens commented on Trump’s “proposal to force Mexico to pay for his planned border wall by threatening to block remittances from illegal immigrants.” He said, "The remittances are the property of the people that make them, and they have every right to be able to carry out international transfers. So it would be a serious violation of the property rights of our fellow citizens abroad, and this measure would be completely unjust." (Reuters)
Third Party Candidates
Gary Johnson (Libertarian Party)
- During an interview with The Texas Tribune on Tuesday, Gary Johnson discussed his immigration plan, border security, abortion, and who should receive government assistance. (The Texas Tribune)
- On immigration: “I think we should make it as easy as possible for somebody who wants to come into this country and work to get a work visa. I’m not talking about a green card. The solution is to create a moving line. Don’t put the government in charge of quotas. There will either be jobs or there won’t be jobs. And a work visa should include a background check and a Social Security card so that taxes get paid.” Johnson also said that “there should be a pathway to citizenship, and there should be an embrace of immigration as something really good. They’re not taking jobs that U.S. citizens want.”
- On how he would secure the border to prevent criminals from entering the United States: Johnson said the crime “has to do with drugs. The U.S. is on the verge of having the whole country legalize marijuana. I think California is going to vote to legalize marijuana in November, and then 20 state legislatures will legalize it virtually overnight. This is going to lead to the end of prohibition. This is going to lead to a tremendous reduction in border violence.”
- On abortion and Texas House Bill 2, which requires that doctors who perform abortions have hospital admitting privileges at a facility within 30 miles of where an abortion is performed and that abortion facilities meet the same requirements as outpatient surgery centers: “I think it’s an affront to women’s rights. Abortion is an unbelievably difficult decision that anyone should have to make. But only a woman should make it.”
- On deciding who should receive government assistance: “I’m not for survival of the fittest. I have identified people that truly are in need. Without government help, they’re really going to fall through the cracks. But we’ve gone way over the line in defining in need. That needs to be scaled back, or we’re going to find ourselves not being able to provide any of these services. So I am for smaller government. Less taxes. That’s more freedom for you and I to spend that money. … I’m proposing a balanced budget, and you can’t balance the budget if you don’t address Medicaid, Medicare and military spending. The only way to accomplish this is to give it up to the states, which are laboratories of best practice. [Johnson says the federal government should gives states block grants for entitlement programs and allow them to set the rules.] You will ultimately have best practices that will be emulated. We’re also going to witness horrible failure that would later be avoided.”
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