Ballotpedia's Daily Presidential News Briefing - January 4, 2016
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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
- A video featuring Donald Trump, thought to be created by the al Qaeda affiliate al-Shabaab, was released over the weekend to recruit followers. The video encouraged Muslims to turn against America, claiming the U.S. has a long history of racism and discrimination that will cause Muslims to receive unfair treatment. A clip of Trump calling for the banning of Muslims from America is used in the footage, along with other Trump audio clips accompanied by Malcolm X footage and clips of previous statements by the deceased terrorist Anwar al-Awlaki. Trump responded with, “They use other people, too. What am I going to do? I have to say what I have to say. And you (know) what I have to say? There's a problem. We have to find out what is a problem. And we have to solve that problem." He also sent out two tweets directed against Hillary Clinton’s previous comment that ”[Trump] is becoming ISIS’s best recruiter.” They read: “Hillary Clinton lied last week when she said ISIS made a D.T. video. The video that ISIS made was about her husband being a degenerate” and “Al-Shabbab, not ISIS, just made a video on me - they all will as front-runner & if I speak out against them, which I must. Hillary lied!” (CNN Politics, CNN Politics, ABC News)
- According to several news outlets, Ben Carson is revamping his campaign to begin 2016 more aggressively after staffing changeover occurred on New Year’s Eve. Reuters reports that Carson’s campaign manager, Barry Bennett, and about 20 other staffers, including top aides, quit on Thursday because of internal conflicts. While there has been speculation that the campaign is in trouble, spokesperson and new campaign chairman Robert Dees states that “this idea that the campaign is in a free fall and chaos is simply not true.” He indicated that the staffing changes do not represent a larger problem. On Sunday, Carson stated, “We're in a different ballgame, and we need the ability to execute and not just to have good ideas.” He also said of his previous staff interactions, “It was very difficult to execute plans. For instance, getting our policies out -- you know, we talk and talk and talk, but they don't seem to get out, and I want them out. I want people to be able to analyze them and talk about them.” Carson’s advisors are recommending a heavy campaign schedule in Iowa with more face-to-face contact, according to CNN. (CNN Politics, Reuters, MSNBC, USA Today, Politico)
- The Politico Caucus gave various predictions for presidential race outcomes on the first of the year. Among the predictions were “the absolute collapse of the Bush Dynasty,” the selection of “Tom Vilsack as [Clinton’s] running mate” and Trump’s exit from the race after no definitive victory in the “first four states.” (Politico Caucus)
Democrats
Hillary Clinton
- In the last three months, Hillary Clinton’s campaign raised $37 million. The campaign declined to comment on what percentage of the funds came from small contributions, as opposed to large backers. (New York Times)
- According to CNN Politics, Katherine Prudhomme O’Brien, a New Hampshire Republican state representative, yelled at Clinton twice during a town hall event on Sunday in an attempt to ask about Clinton’s claim that Juanita Broderick and Kathleen Wiley, who have accused her husband of sexual impropriety, are lying. Clinton did not allow O’Brien to ask her question during the meeting, responding, “You are very rude and I'm not never ever going to call on you.” Clinton also said at the event, “Today I want to send a message to every survivor of sexual assault. Don't let anyone silence your voice. You have the right to be heard. You have the right to be believed and we're with you.” According to CNN, some Republicans “saw the comment as hypocritical,” including O’Brien, who stated, “She says that rape victims should be believed. I agree with her, that is true, they should be believed and we should assess what they are saying, she [Clinton] doesn't even what to access [sic] it.“ (CNN Politics)
Martin O’Malley
- Martin O’Malley did not qualify for the primary election ballot in Ohio. According to officials, although he filed with over 1,100 signatures, over 400 were deemed invalid, causing him to fall short of the signature requirement. (Morning Express, HLN TV)
Bernie Sanders
- Bernie Sanders raised $33 million in the last fundraising quarter, putting him within $4 million of Clinton’s raised funds for the same time period. (Wall Street Journal)
- Sanders has organized a ground team in Iowa designed to help rally grassroots supporters in the state. The campaign has 100 paid staffers and additional trained volunteers for each of the 1,681 caucus precincts. (New York Times)
- On Sunday, Sanders supported Obama’s plan to implement executive action regarding gun control. “I would prefer that we could have bipartisan support, but the truth is Republicans are not interested in doing anything about gun safety,” he said. (HuffPost Politics)
Republicans
- After Saudi Arabia severed diplomatic ties with Iran on Sunday, Republican presidential contenders responded. Diplomatic relations ceased after protesters set fire to the Saudi Embassy in Tehran, and Iran warned that divine retribution would come because of the execution of a well-known Shiite cleric, along with 46 other prisoners accused of terrorism. Saudi Arabia gave the Iranian ambassador to Saudi Arabia 48 hours to leave the country, claiming that “Tehran’s Shiite government was undermining the security of the Sunni kingdom,” according to the Washington Post.
- Carly Fiorina stated, “I take the Iranian condemnation with a huge grain of salt. This is a regime that tortures citizens routinely, that thinks nothing of executions, that still holds four Americans in jail. Saudi Arabia is our ally, despite the fact that they don’t always behave in a way that we condone. Iran is a real and present threat.”
- Ben Carson also expressed support for Saudi Arabia, saying, “The Saudis have been one of our strongest allies in the Middle East, and I think it’s unfortunate that we put them in the position we have by showing the support to Iran that we have with this foolish deal. There’s no reason for the Saudis to believe that we’re really on their side when we do things like that.” (Huffington Post, Washington Post, CNN)
Jeb Bush
- Jeb Bush canceled about $3 million worth of TV ad time in South Carolina and Iowa on December 30, 2015. Bush spokesperson Tim Miller said of the cancelation, “Given the fact that Jeb and Jeb's supporting groups have nearly 20 million already reserved on TV, it makes sense for [the] campaign to take its resources and dedicate it to direct and individual contact.” (CBS News)
- On Sunday, Bush commented on Trump’s chances against Clinton on Fox News saying, “Donald Trump I don't believe will be the party's nominee. If he is, he'll get crushed by Hillary Clinton.” (Washington Examiner)
- On December 31, 2015, Conservative Solutions PAC, which backs Marco Rubio, came out with a new ad labeling Bush as a “desperate candidate.” The narrator claims that “desperate candidates say desperate things, and Jeb Bush is desperate.” (Newsmax, YouTube)
- On Fox News Sunday, Bush commented on Obama’s possible executive action regarding gun control as follows, “His first impulse always is to take rights away from law-abiding citizens, and it’s wrong. And to use executive powers he doesn’t have is a pattern that is quite dangerous.” (The Blaze)
Ben Carson
- Carson stated regarding the terrorist video using footage of Trump, “We should all be careful about what we say, but the fact of the matter is, let’s not get so concerned about how offended our enemies are. And let’s pay a whole lot more attention to who we are and how do we protect our people here in the United States.” (USA Today)
- In an interview with Breitbart on Friday, Carson’s business manager, Armstrong Williams, stated, “He [Carson] remains in control. He made the changes that were necessary to give him the best chance to surge again to place first, second or third in Iowa, to win South Carolina, and establish the necessary momentum to win the GOP nomination.” He also stated that supporters that left Carson to rally behind Ted Cruz will return to support Carson. (Breitbart)
Chris Christie
- On Sunday, Chris Christie called Obama a “petulant child” for considering executive action to enact gun control measures. He also stated, “The American people have rejected his agenda by turning both the House and the Senate over to the Republicans, and going from 21 governors when he came into office, to 31 Republican governors now. Now this president wants to act as if he is a king, as if he is a dictator.” (HuffPost Politics)
- When asked on Sunday if his previous support of ten gun control bills in 2013 indicates he has flipped his position on the issue, Christie responded, “I haven’t changed my tune... In fact, I signed the bill that bans guns for people on the terror watch list. As president, I would make sure that the terror watch list was actually accurate. But I think most Americans believe that if you’re on the terror watch list you shouldn’t be able to buy a gun. But I also have vetoed the .50 caliber rifle ban. I’ve also vetoed a statewide ID system. I’ve also vetoed a reduction in the magazine ban. And I’ve also pardoned six different folks so far who have been caught up, very unfairly in my view, in New Jersey’s gun laws. So listen, the approach I’m going to take is to protect Second Amendment rights, but also to make sure that I make decisions that are in the best interest of the people of New Jersey.” (Breitbart)
- Christie has indicated he will not seek any waivers from the food stamp program’s requirements in 2016 for New Jersey residents. According to Think Progress, this could mean that as many as 11,000 residents of New Jersey would no longer be able to receive food stamps. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) requires that able-bodied adults without children work at least 20 hours a week to receive assistance, but governors are allowed to seek waivers in struggling job markets. However, waivers will be rescinded in three months in states with unemployment levels below 10 percent, unless individual cities, counties, townships, etc., qualify as “labor surplus markets,” in which jobs are too scarce for the number of people looking for work. In these cases, governors are still allowed to apply for waivers. (Think Progress)
- According to the Wall Street Journal, Christie spent 261 “partial or full” days traveling outside of New Jersey in 2015. He has received criticism from New Jersey lawmakers like New Jersey Senate Majority Leader Loretta Weinberg (D), who said, “If he felt strongly enough to make that remark to a United States senator [Marco Rubio], then look in the mirror. It really has had a negative effect on New Jersey.” On Sunday, Christie said, “The fact is whenever you’re looking for a new job, your current employer gets a little miffed. I get that.” (Wall Street Journal)
Ted Cruz
- Stand for Truth, a new super PAC formed six weeks ago, has begun a $4 million TV ad campaign supporting Ted Cruz. In the coming weeks, it will devote $2 million to advertising in Iowa and South Carolina. “As one of the two frontrunners heading into the final weeks before voting begins, Senator Cruz is under attack from all directions and will be for the remainder of this election. Stand for Truth is here to make sure an accurate message reaches voters," Eric Lycan, an attorney for the group, said, according to CNN on Friday. (CNN Politics)
Carly Fiorina
- Carly Fiorina criticized Cruz’s campaigning tactics on Sunday, stating, “He says whatever he needs to say to get elected, and then he's going to do as he pleases. I think people are tired of a political class that promises much and delivers much of the same." (CNN Politics)
- Regarding criticism of her tweet that she was rooting for a Hawkeyes win on Friday rather than her alma mater, Stanford, Fiorina stated on Sunday, “Let's just say, if the biggest mistake I make is a tongue-in-cheek tweet about a Rose Bowl, the America [sic] people will sleep safely when I'm president of the United States. … I guess it was a slow news day for the media.” (Washington Post, HuffPost Politics)
- Ovide Lamontagne (R-N.H.) has agreed to serve as the state chairman for Fiorina’s New Hampshire campaign. Said Lamontagne, “In my opinion, Carly is the most conservative candidate who can win. She is a principled, passionate and positive conservative leader who can keep our nation secure and protected while jump starting our economy and preserving our freedoms and liberties.” (NBC News)
Jim Gilmore
- Jim Gilmore tweeted on Saturday, “I resolve...to be as obnoxious & loud as possible so I can get invited to the next...[GOP] debate....” (Twitter)
Mike Huckabee
- On Thursday, Mike Huckabee will have visited 99 counties in Iowa. His campaign has 150 events planned for January, with the focus on Iowa. (Des Moines Register)
John Kasich
- On Sunday, John Kasich released his first TV campaign ad in New Hampshire called “America: Never Give Up.” The focus is on Kasich’s biography and perseverance. (YouTube, Washington Post)
- Kasich stated on Sunday that the grand jury decision on the shooting of Tamir Rice was “controversial.” When pressed to be clearer he said, “I don't comment on grand jury decisions. That's for the people of Cleveland to decide.” (Cleveland.com)
Rand Paul
- Paul stated on Sunday that he thought Clinton would likely involve America in war and criticized Obama’s foreign involvement. “It turns out that probably the most likely candidate to take us back to war is Hillary Clinton,” said Paul. He continued, “President Obama and Hillary Clinton both supported arming the Syrian rebels, the Islamic rebels against [Syrian President Bashar] Assad. I wouldn’t have done that. They also supported toppling [Muammar] Gaddafi in Libya. The interesting thing is while Obama gets blamed for not intervening enough, he’s actually intervened quite a bit in the Middle East and not to our benefit.” (The Hill)
- Paul tweeted out his New Year’s resolutions on January 1, combining criticisms of his opponents and campaign statements. Among them were: “I resolve to spend less time voting in the Senate so @Marcorubio & @tedcruz don't look bad bc they don't show up for work. JK. Do your jobs;” “I resolve to give @TedCruz more lead time before I announce my policy positions, so he can replicate them faster #NewYearsResolution;” “This year my resolution is to preserve our liberties and restore prosperity across America;” “Finally, I resolve to always support the ENTIRE Bill of Rights. Happy New Year. Let's make 2016 better than the last.” (This Week)
- According to Politico, PurplePAC, a super PAC overseen by Cato Institute co-founder Ed Crane, has reserved about $500,000 in television time supporting Rand Paul in Iowa in the two weeks before the caucuses. Crane had previously expressed dissatisfaction with Paul’s campaign and talked about discontinuing fundraising for the super PAC. (Politico)
- Paul expressed frustration with the representation polls have given so far of Republican candidate standings on Sunday. Said Paul, “I think the polls are not scientific. A lot of people who follow polls never had any math classes. They don’t understand anything about standard error, standard deviation … And the problem is, is that they’ve been way wrong. I mean, look, we just had polling in the Kentucky race and a week before when they’re supposed to be most accurate they’re off 13 points. If I do have a frustration we’re being led by the nose and the news media is led by the nose to think somehow Trump is going to win this because of these polls. The polls don’t, I believe, capture who’s going to actually vote.” (Breitbart)
- On Sunday, Paul criticized Cruz with the following statement: “I’ve given 10-hour speeches, 13-hour speeches without calling anybody names, but talking about the history of our country, the importance of the Bill of Rights, the importance of the Fourth Amendment and privacy, but I tend not to have the same strategy of attacking people personally. It hasn’t done well for him in Washington. It may be rousing people, but ultimately I don’t think that kind of personality would allow him to be the nominee.” (The Blaze)
Donald Trump
- On Saturday, Tump targeted Bush in a tweet that stated, “[Jeb Bush] is a sad case. A total embarrassment to both himself and his family, he just announced he will continue to spend on Trump hit ads!” (The Hill)
- On Sunday, Trump criticized Clinton by saying she causes death. Said Trump, “She has caused tremendous death with incompetent decisions. She caused a lot of the problems that we have right now. You could say she caused the migration. The entire world has been upset. The entire world, it's a different place. During Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton's term, she's done a horrible job." (USA Today)
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