* Here is a fascinating little tidbit from Jonathan Martin and Alexander Burns:
Mr. Trump has already slipped perceptibly in public polls, trailing widely this week in Pennsylvania and by smaller margins in Florida and North Carolina — three states he cannot afford to lose. But private polling by both parties shows an even more precipitous drop, especially among independent voters, moderate Republicans and women, according to a dozen strategists from both parties who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the data was confidential.
Liesl Hickey, a Republican strategist involved in several House races in swing states, said she was dismayed by a sudden exodus of independent voters in more diverse parts of the country.
“They are really starting to pull away from Trump,” said Ms. Hickey, describing his soaring unpopularity with independents as entering “uncharted territory.”
* Trump’s unpopularity – especially among women – is even starting to worry Republicans in Texas.
In solidly red Texas, how Trump performs with women — particularly women in fast-growing suburban counties like Montgomery [suburbs north of Houston] — is not irrelevant. For years now, Democrats and analysts have been eying the demographic as increasingly competitive, a key part of any equation to loosen the GOP’s grip on the state. And Trump appears to have less room for error than past GOP nominees did, with most polls showing him leading Clinton by only single digits in Texas.
Trump’s deficit with women may be “the best explanation for Trump’s underperformance in the state,” said Brandon Rottinghaus, a political science professor at the University of Houston. Pointing to a recent poll showing Trump trailing Clinton among likely female voters by a whopping 24 points in battleground Harris County [Houston and surrounding suburbs], Rottinghaus added, “That is the difference between being able to carry the county and not being able to carry the county. If women make up more than half the Republican coalition and you can’t rally them to support you, then it’s difficult to pull the party back together.”
* Emily Crockett points out that while Trump may be insulting to women, Pence is dangerous.
Donald Trump is turning American political norms upside down in many ways, and the way he treats women is no exception. Trump’s misogynistic comments are so brazen and crude, and his alleged history of lewd behavior so long and rampant, that it’s almost hard to believe…
But Pence’s substance is much worse for women than Trump’s style. Pence has one of the most extreme records on women’s health and rights in the Republican Party. And he doesn’t just hold extreme views; he’s also been very effective at making them a political reality. Trump’s boorishness threatens to make Pence’s radical attacks on women’s health seem moderate and reasonable by comparison. And that’s dangerous.
* This is becoming a pretty regular announcement from the White House. But it’s still a BFD every time.
BREAKING: @POTUS just commuted the sentences of 102 people, bringing the total to more than the past 11 presidents combined. pic.twitter.com/734VSwYzsS
— White House Archived (@ObamaWhiteHouse) October 6, 2016
* Our President is quite the prolific writer. The latest exhibit is an article in The Economist titled, “The Way Ahead” which is focused on how we can continue to make progress on the economy.
Further progress requires recognising that America’s economy is an enormously complicated mechanism. As appealing as some more radical reforms can sound in the abstract—breaking up all the biggest banks or erecting prohibitively steep tariffs on imports—the economy is not an abstraction. It cannot simply be redesigned wholesale and put back together again without real consequences for real people.
Instead, fully restoring faith in an economy where hardworking Americans can get ahead requires addressing four major structural challenges: boosting productivity growth, combating rising inequality, ensuring that everyone who wants a job can get one and building a resilient economy that’s primed for future growth.
* Finally, I am a huge sucker for things like this. When you combine the art forms of music and dance, your raise the probability of reaching past people’s defenses and grabbing them by the soul. Take a look at what these folks say about why they dance:
Because Love is Love
Because Black Lives Matter
Because climate change is real
Because women’s rights are human rights
Because immigrants make America great
Because every vote matters
We dance for Hillary
Because she fights for us
That’s what we mean by Stronger Together. And what’s not to love about #PantSuitPower?!
