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Buzz Cut:
• Sanders Trumps Hillary
• 2016 GOP Power Index: Carly climbs on knockout debate
• Trump expands attacks
• Power Play: Hayes takes his five
• To be or not to be: wait, what was the question?
SANDERS TRUMPS HILLARY
Hillary Clinton is to lay out her plan today for free college at government schools. It’s noteworthy that Clinton claims her plan costs exactly half – $350 billion – of what Bernie Sanders’ proposal.
The posture here is that Clinton is the candidate who has the same goals as Sanders – in this case, making college a right, like primary and secondary education – but can attain them in a more responsible way. Her message to the party is that free college isn’t free to taxpayers, aka voters, and support for outlandish measures will be a killer come next fall. Her call to her party base: Be reasonable, people.
Good luck with that.
In a party that is in the process of disowning its father and in which even socialist Sanders gets silenced by liberal activists, the idea that Clinton can squelch the populist uprising with some triangulation (definitely scalene in nature) is as ridiculous as the thought that Jeb Bush could shoo Donald Trump out of the GOP race with a white paper on border security.
As Glenn Reynolds observed, the inability of the political establishment – left and right (insofar as they are different) – to cope with the current political moment has become painfully obvious.
If Sanders can pack nearly 30,000 souls into a Portland, Ore. arena it’s fair to say that he is doing even better than Trump into harnessing the outrage that animates voters, particularly older, white ones, who believe that America is truly at the abyss. And remember that both Trump and Sanders share the view that a conspiracy between business and politics is at the core of the problem.
It may be Portlandia, but still…
The biggest difference between the Democrats and the Republicans, or between Clinton and Bush, if you prefer, is that on the GOP side there are lots and lots and lots of viable alternatives. As Thursday’s debate showed, Republicans have plenty of credible choices with reasonable electoral paths.
If Col. Sanders’ army succeeds in either scuttling Clinton’s nomination or pushing her so far to the left that she can’t scamper to the center next year, there’s no place for the party to go. Unless…
2016 Democratic Power Index: Bern rate increases – 1) Hillary Clinton; 2) Bernie Sanders [+1]; 3) Joe Biden [-1]; 4) Martin O’Malley; 5) Jim Webb; 6) Elizabeth Warren; 7) Lincoln Chafee
WITH YOUR SECOND CUP OF COFFEE…
Washington is known for the numerous museums that document the history of our great nation. Many of these museums are owned by the Smithsonian Institution, named for British scientist James Smithson whose fortune created the largest museum complex in the world. Smithsonian never visited America, and numerous questions remain about why he would will such a large sum, half a million dollars, to a country he wasn’t native to or visited. Some speculate family squabbles, while others say it was Smithsonian’s love of knowledge, but whatever the reason this donation can be considered among America’s greatest treasures. Celebrating its 169thbirthday today, the Smithsonian boasts over 18 million visitors so far this year, and continues to be one of the most frequented attractions in the world.
Got a TIP from the RIGHT or the LEFT? Email FoxNewsFirst@FOXNEWS.COM
POLL CHECK
Real Clear Politics Averages
Obama Job Approval: Approve – 44.9 percent//Disapprove – 49.7 percent
Directions of Country: Right Direction – 28.8 percent//Wrong Track – 62.6 percent
2016 GOP POWER INDEX: CARLY CLIMBS ON KNOCKOUT DEBATE
1) Jeb Bush; 2) Scott Walker; 3) Ted Cruz; 4) Marco Rubio; 5)Carly Fiorina [+1]; 6) Ben Carson [-1]; 7) John Kasich; 8) Donald Trump; 9) Mike Huckabee[+1]; 10) Rand Paul [-1]
On the Radar – Rick Perry, Chris Christie, Rick Santorum, Bobby Jindal, Lindsey Graham, George Pataki, Jim Gilmore
What would you say? – Give us your take on the 2016 Power Index we will share the best and brightest with the whole class. Send your thoughts toFOXNEWSFIRST@FOXNEWS.COM
[Watch Fox: Chris Stirewalt joins “The Real Story” in the 2 p.m. ET hour with the latest on who’s up and who’s down in the 2016 Power Index.]
TRUMP EXPANDS ATTACKS
Donald Trump stayed swinging Sunday, but broadened his field of targets to include the only woman in the GOP field, Carly Fiorina. Trump posted on Twitter, “I just realized that if you listen to Carly Fiorina for more than ten minutes straight, you develop a massive headache. She has zero chance!” This after Fiorina continued to ding Trump for his disparaging comments about Fox News’ Megyn Kelly. Women aren’t the only ones to face the Trump wrath, however, former Gov. Jeb Bush, R-Fla., also joined the list with Trump attacking Bush for being… insensitive to women. Trump said on CBS News, “I watched Jeb Bush last week talking about women’s health issues like they don’t exist. I couldn’t believe what he said.” Trump added, “I want to help women.”
But he’s said to be “getting serious” – POLITICO reports that Trump headquarters is buckling down after a rough PR weekend. The campaign is making hires in the early states and organizing policy positions set to release this week.
Jeb cheered, jeered at Red State – Wash Ex: “During the presidential debate on Thursday, conservatives gathered at the RedState watch party vehemently booed Bush. A few even shouted obscenities as he spoke about immigration and Common Core educational standards. But he received a standing ovation from a majority in the audience on Saturday and got loud applause for taking on [Donald Trump].”
Walker talks Ferguson, race relations – Spartanburg Herald Journal: “Republican presidential candidate and Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker received a warm reception during campaign stops in Spartanburg and Gaffney on Sunday…Walker also talked about the one-year anniversary of Michael Brown’s shooting death in Ferguson, Mo., at the hands of Officer Darren Wilson and the racial tension that followed in many communities over policing. Walker said if the nation focused on racial discord it would only lead to more racial discord.”
Cruz southbound – In his latest stop on the “SEC” primary trail, Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, stopped in Alabama delivering a thundering speech on his first steps in office including an investigation into Planned Parenthood. What he wouldn’t do? Knock friend Donald Trump. Cruz said he believes every candidate should be treated with, “civility and respect.”
Rubio defends stance on pro-life – “I’ll support any legislation that reduces the number of abortions,’ Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., said on NBC News, ‘And there are those that have that exception. What I’ve never done is said I require that it must have or not have exceptions.”
Kasich softens line on immigration – WSJ: “On Sunday, [Gov. John Kasich, R-Ohio] seemed to disavow his previous support for eliminating ‘birthright citizenship,’ the law granting automatic U.S. citizenship to almost all children born on U.S. soil. ‘I don’t think we need to go there,’ he said Sunday…He also called for the completion of a fence along the southern border, and noted that undocumented immigrants brought to the U.S. as young children may obtain driver’s licenses in Ohio…”
Fiorina funding fire – Fox News: “Republican presidential candidate Carly Fiorina said Sunday that her breakout performance during the last week’s debates has created a surge in support and that she can ascend to win the party nomination. “The truth is the race has just started,’ Fiorina, a former Hewlett-Packard chief executive, told “Fox News Sunday with Chris Wallace”…the exposure was key to her campaign because as a first-time presidential candidate she lacked name recognition, Fiorina said. ‘It was a big night for me…Only 40 percent of Republicans had heard my name. … There’s been an uptick in financial support, in support generally.’”
Carson powers up from the pulpit – Ben Carson showed why he remains so high in the polls this Sunday with a stop at an Iowa church. He told the story of how God healed his anger as a young man, and how that healing is what the country needs. He said, “I don’t think there’s anybody who can deny that our land right now is in need of God’s healing hands.” The story, along with quotes from scripture, clearly moved the congregation, and show why Carson continues to rank high in the polls.
Christie team says he ‘misspoke’ on 9/11 appointment – TPM: “[Gov. Chris Christie, R-N.J.] presidential campaign said Friday that the New Jersey governor did not lie, but rather misspoke…While it was widely expected around the time of the 9/11 terror attacks that [former President George W. Bush] would appoint Christie as a U.S. attorney, the former President didn’t announce his intention to nominate Christie until December 2001…Christie had gotten a call from Bush about his intentions to nominate him on the day before 9/11.”
POWER PLAY: HAYES TAKES HIS FIVE
As promised, Take Five is back. After a hiatus last week, your weekly senate race fix is here, and we’ve got the latest from one of our experts. The Weekly Standard’s Steve Hayes joins Chris Stirewalt to discuss which five GOP seats he thinks are most vulnerable in 2016 as Democrats try to take back control of the Senate. You say that Pennsylvania is the top flip, but does Hayes agree? WATCH HERE.
So what do you say? We’ll track your votes and comment and share them here each and every Thursday.
Share your top five picks. Email them – just five, please – to FOXNEWSFIRST@FOXNEWS.COM or tweet @ChrisStirewalt.
TO BE OR NOT TO BE: WAIT, WHAT WAS THE QUESTION?
Seattle Post-Intelligencer: “Get high with The Bard? Hell yeah. South African researcher Francis Thackeray, a professor in the Evolutionary Studies Institute in the University of the Witwatersrand, reports that he found cannabis residue in four clay smoking pipes from William Shakespeare’s garden in the Stratford-upon-Avon area…The pipes tested for chemical residues (using the non-invasive technique of gas chromatography mass spectrometry) were on loan from the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust in Stratford-upon-Avon. Several of the pipes had come from The Bard’s garden.”
Chris Stirewalt is digital politics editor for Fox News. Want FOX News First in your inbox every day? Sign up here.
Chris Stirewalt joined Fox News Channel (FNC) in July of 2010 and serves as digital politics editor based in Washington, D.C. Additionally, he authors the daily “Fox News First” political news note and hosts “Power Play,” a feature video series, on FoxNews.com. Stirewalt makes frequent appearances on the network, including “The Kelly File,” “Special Report with Bret Baier,” and “Fox News Sunday with Chris Wallace.” He also provides expert political analysis for Fox News coverage of state, congressional and presidential elections.
