| | | | Kaine vs. Pence: Battle of the proxies | | Tim Kaine and Mike Pence lack the charisma and notoriety of the tops of their tickets -- Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump -- but they'll step out of the shadows for their debate tonight at Longwood University in Farmville, Virginia. CNN's Stephen Collinson raises the curtain.
The pressure is on Pence, writes CNN's Nia-Malika Henderson. Trump made political messes over his tax returns and his attacks on a Latina beauty queen, and the Indiana governor's job is to clean them up. But this is why he was chosen: Pence, who in 2012 gubernatorial debates struggled to talk policy, is in his comfort zone in talk radio host mode -- the way his political career started -- spinning attacks on Trump into excoriations of Clinton. Trump said in Arizona this afternoon that the debate will showcase "our campaign of big ideas and bold solutions" against a "small and petty Clinton campaign that is totally stuck in the past."
How Pence prepared: Adviser Nick Ayers played moderator Elaine Quijano during debate prep, and Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker was Kaine. A Trump campaign official told CNN's Jim Acosta that Pence is prepared and will "hold his own" -- and he's ready to answer questions about Trump's taxes. During his walk-through today, Pence tested the microphone -- important after Trump complained his wasn't working properly.
How Kaine prepared: He held sessions in Raleigh and Richmond, complete with lots of black coffee and M&Ms, with lawyer Robert Barnett playing Pence. An aide said Kaine is "feeling good" and that while he's an experienced debater, "the difference here is it's the first time he's debated on behalf of a running mate."
America, meet your new would-be veeps: They're less famous -- and less toxic. (Politico's Todd Purdum calls this the "battle of the normals.") Unlike Trump and Clinton, Pence and Kaine are generally viewed positively (41% favorable to 31% unfavorable for Pence and 40% to 31% for Kaine, per a new CNN/ORC Poll.) The survey also found that when asked who will prevail in tonight's debate, each candidate got 38%, putting them all even in the expectations game. | | | Hillary Clinton just got good polling news in two must-win states for Donald Trump: Pennsylvania and North Carolina. In the Keystone State, Clinton is up 9 points, per Franklin & Marshall, and 10 points, according to Monmouth. In North Carolina, her lead is 6 points, Elon found. | | Ayotte's 'role model' stumble reveals a political landmine | | Republican Sen. Kelly Ayotte of New Hampshire is in hot water after saying in a debate last night that Donald Trump is "absolutely" a role model for children -- a comment she immediately tried to walk back by issuing a statement saying she "misspoke," and that neither Trump nor Hillary Clinton are role models.
Democrats predictably pounced -- showing the risk the question Ayotte fumbled poses to other GOP House and Senate candidates. White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest said based on President Barack Obama's "deep concern about the rhetoric of the Republican nominee, I feel confident in telling you he would not be comfortable" calling Trump a role model. Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee spokeswoman Meredith Kelly said that "in upcoming debates, House Republicans must answer the 'Ayotte quesetion,' which will be just one test of their judgment -- or lack thereof."
A personal moment at a Clinton rally revealed why this topic is potent. In Pennsylvania today, a 15-year-old girl told Clinton that "body image is a really big issue for girls my age," and that "I see with my own eyes the damage Donald Trump does when he talks about women and how they look" -- a reference to Trump's weeklong attack on a Latina beauty queen. Clinton said Trump "has just taken this concern to a new level of difficulty and meanness."
Michelle Obama hit Trump over his treatment of Alicia Machado, too, saying today: "A president can't just pop off or lash out irrationally. And I think we can all agree that someone who's roaming around at 3 a.m. tweeting should not have their fingers on the nuclear codes." | | | Vice President Joe Biden's attempt to go undercover as a college student for a Funny or Die PSA on preventing campus sexual assault didn't really work out -- despite his claim he was "at the frat house watching a program about llamas. On YouTube, you know?" | | Gary Johnson: No geography knowledge = no wars | | Libertarian nominee Gary Johnson committed another unforced error today, telling MSNBC's Andrea Mitchell that he can't start wars because he doesn't know geography. Johnson said: "You know what? The fact that somebody can dot the i's and cross the t's on a foreign leader's geographic location then allows them to put our military in harm's way."
What this is: A continuation of Johnson's inability to name, in a town hall with Chris Matthews last week, a single foreign leader he respects -- which Johnson made worse by calling it "an Aleppo moment," a reference to his earlier failure to recognize the name of the Syrian city at the heart of a refugee crisis.
Here's why this matters: Look, it's no surprise a Libertarian wants to reduce foreign entanglements. But Johnson's blunders expose a serious lack of knowledge, interest and effort. It's causing his party to blow the golden opportunity presented by two historically unpopular major party nominees. | | Donald Trump campaign manager Kellyanne Conway says she has a "fabulous relationship" with her candidate. ... Julian Assange's 3 a.m. ET WikiLeaks dud left a lot of people tired and angry. ... An Indiana parade float depicts Hillary Clinton in an electric chair, with Trump flipping the switch.
We'll end the night with this: Rudy Giuliani, Roger Ailes and cigars. | | | Get the Nightcap, a comprehensive summary of the most important political news, delivered to your inbox daily. | | | | | |
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