Trump Turns To Blue States Instead Of Hitting FBI Letter Hard In Must-Wins

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks during a campaign rally, Thursday, Oct. 27, 2016, in Geneva, Ohio. (AP Photo/ Evan Vucci)
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In the wake of FBI Director James Comey’s announcement that emails have surfaced that may be related to the agency’s investigation into Hillary Clinton’s private server, Donald Trump’s campaign is voicing more confidence that they can expand their electoral map at this very late stage in the race.

“We’re on the offensive everywhere,” deputy campaign manager David Bossie told the Washington Post in a report out Sunday.

Though Bossie said that campaign rallies in Colorado, New Mexico, Maine, Michigan and Wisconsin were already planned before Comey’s letter went out, the team believes the letter will bolster Trump’s numbers in blue states.

Veteran political strategists were already baffled by Trump’s packed and scattershot schedule, telling TPM last week that his plan to hold several rallies a day in a combination of long-shot and battleground states defied conventional wisdom.

“At the end of the day though this is all about winning 270 electoral votes,” GOP operative Matt Mackowiak told TPM. “It’s not about feelings and instincts and what states you like.”

Yet Trump’s team does not appear to be using Comey’s announcement to try to shore up support in must-win states and secure what many strategists agree is a difficult path to 270. Campaign CEO Steve Bannon instead is pushing Trump to focus on Michigan, Wisconsin and New Mexico specifically, the Post reported. President Barack Obama won all three of those states in both 2008 and 2012, and Trump remains behind “by mid-to-high single digits” in these states.

For her part, Clinton has remained intent on promoting turnout in key battleground states like North Carolina, Florida and Ohio.

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Notable Replies

  1. Campaign CEO Steve Bannon instead is pushing Trump to focus on Michigan, Wisconsin and New Mexico specifically, the Post reported. President Barack Obama won all three of those states in both 2008 and 2012, and Trump remains behind “by mid-to-high single digits” in these states

    So at the root of it all, it’s still about sticking it to President Obama, rather than any coherent plan to GOTV in states he has a chance of winning.

  2. Drumpf campaign claims:

    "We’re on the offensive everywhere,”

    Should be:

    "We’re offensive everywhere,”

  3. Oh good God…when will this be over??? The horsepucky by the pundits and the conservatives about ‘corruption’ of Hillary while ignoring all Trump corruption, the handwringing about ‘votes cast’ by the Right as if people are going to be racing to the polls to change to Trump, The mea culpa(s) by Comey and staff, the disdain by former FBI is going to drive me over the edge. I am a political junkie but this is just bad theatre.

  4. Avatar for paulw paulw says:

    I hate to say this, but I think they might be right. The Comey letter will enrage Trump’s base, but it’s quite possible that by election day it will be backfiring, and the harder he hits it, the worse he will look to independents.

  5. I thought it was Theatre of the Absurd. But then it got weird.

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