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From The Reporter’s Notebook
In a story Wednesday, TPM’s Lauren Fox and Caitlin MacNeal explored how Donald Trump’s electoral map is shrinking and how the GOP candidate is struggling in Pennsylvania and even Ohio. “However, one state I didn’t spend too much talking about was Florida,” Lauren Fox said. “That is because many of the experts I spoke with (a dozen in all) were pretty skeptical Trump could perform well there especially after his comments toward immigrants. Here is why.” The Latino population in Florida is varied, but a recent influx of Puerto Ricans and the growing number of more progressive young Cubans have led demographers to see Florida as an even tougher win for Trump. “The demographics have been changing. Trump has so much less appeal. Trump has gone out of his way to offend even Republican-leaning Hispanic voters,” said Larry Sabato, the leader of the Center for Politics at the University of Virginia.
Agree or Disagree?
Josh Marshall: “It’s not that the GOP is now a Trumpite party but that there’s a faction of committed Trump supporters, perhaps 10% to 20% of the party. And no politician has any interest in antagonizing them because those folks will make trouble or be out to get you down the road. If you want to run for President in 2020 or having a easy reelection in 2018 you don’t want the Trumpers lined up against you. But the difference between these two ways of looking at the evidence aren’t as different as they seem. If Trumpism were simply a loud and radical faction within the GOP, there would be some comparable faction opposing it, raising stakes and consequences for those who supported him. But there’s not. In other words, the size of the Trumpite faction within the GOP (and I’d argue it’s quite large) is beside the point because it demonstrably rules the GOP.”
Say What?!
“Is there something wrong with saying that? Why?”
– Trump seemed confused about the response to his comments calling President Obama the “founder of ISIS.”
BUZZING: Today in the Hive
From a TPM Prime member: “The other thing that motivates Trump besides profit is infamy. He wants to be famous, his name in bright tacky gold letters, everyone knowing who he is, realizing he is powerful. I believe a lot of what is motivating him is the ‘ratings’ race, making certain that every day he drops some type of doozy, be it a tweet, a comment at a press conference, in an interview… whatever. He wants people to talk about him and what he is saying and doing. He may realize he can’t win the election, but he can win the ‘ratings war,’ being the topic of discussion instead of substantive discussion about policies and ways to improve the country.”
Related: Trump doubled down on comments that President Obama and Hillary Clinton are “founders” of the Islamic State terrorist group.
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