Top News:
- Kim Davis hosted the rally of the year — 1,000 people gathered in Kentucky to literally wave crosses for Davis’ release. Presidential candidate Mike Huckabee stood by Davis’ side, proselytizing for, errrr, 'religious freedom.' Ted Cruz also carried his cross to Kentucky, but was allegedly blocked from speaking to reporters by Huckabee’s aide.
- The mystery continues. Last Thursday, Biden said he wasn’t sure his family had the emotional energy for a campaign following the death of his son, Beau. But on Labor Day he shouted, “You’ve got to talk to my wife!” to a crowd of supporters at a parade in Pittsburgh. Looks like he'll keep Biden his time.
- Clinton still wishes that, like Secretary Thomas Jefferson, she’d only corresponded using a state-issued quill pen. She did, however, finally apologize for not using a government email for Secretary business and a private email for, say, Chipotle coupons.
Democratic Candidate Breakdown:
Hillary Clinton: It’s mayday for the Clinton campaign. Advisors announced a campaign reboot — one to get everyone organized and make Clinton more emotional, human and relatable. Whip and Nae-Naeing on the Ellen DeGeneres show was a pretty good start. But reboots always signal inner dysfunction, and her decision to make the reboot public may have supporters questioning her leadership.
Bernie Sanders: Finally, he’s closed the gap with Clinton in the Iowa polls — a major success for the Sanders campaign. He openly embraces a type of socialism, a word that has wrought fear, night sweats and anxiety for Americans since the Cold War. His growing support shows that Americans, especially the American youth, are beginning to soften for Democratic socialism.
Republican Candidate Breakdown:
Jeb Bush: “It connotes excitement,” he said on the first Late Show with Stephen Colbert, which really summed up his interview. It was rather sleepy, kinda boring, a bit stiff and not really focused on his presidency. He spoke about everything: his brother’s presidency, Obama, his mother, but not much about his running for president.
This week he announced a tax plan that would eliminate loopholes and deductions that benefit the wealthy. This populist policy veers from traditional conservative tax policy and perhaps was motivated by Trump’s earlier tax proposal.
Scott Walker: Walker, like Clinton, might also benefit from dancing on the Ellen Show. In the national polls, he’s dropped from first place to sixth and is 20 points behind the Republican frontrunner Donald Trump. He gave a re-energizing speech on Thursday, where he said he’d “wreak some havoc on Washington” and work to end federal union dues for employees.
Donald Trump: He remains the highest-polling Republican candidate, with ratings now at 32 percent. The CNN poll shows Trump has made gains with two of his hard-to-win sectors — women and college graduates. A majority of Republicans believe he’ll emerge as the winner.
An interview revealed Trump’s naivety about foreign policy issues. On a live conservative radio talk show last Friday, he said being questioned on specific names like the Quds Forces was “ridiculous” and “totally worthless.”
Ted Cruz: The Texas senator has had a tough time making it into the spotlight. He seems to be overshadowed — and sometimes physically blocked — by his opponents and their staffers. Cruz appeared with Donald Trump at a rally against the Iran nuclear deal, and his support for Trump could be strategic: he could eventually gain Trump’s supporters.
Cruz, the son of a pastor, has drawn big support from Christian conservatives. David Barton, a Christian author, will now run his super PAC. The Kim Davis debacle has reinforced his position to protect the rights and liberties of Christians.
Mike Huckabee: Huckabee is polling just behind Ted Cruz, while competing for the same conservative Christian vote.
Ben Carson: Support for Carson surged to 19 percent, just behind Donald Trump. Like Trump he hasn’t previously worked in politics, proof conservatives are favoring the political outsider. His campaign is organized; his platform is simple (like his 10 percent tax rate plan), and his popularity is growing steadily. Carson’s recent surge even gave him the courage to throw some punches. He questioned Trump’s faith, which he quickly realized was a mistake.
Quote of the Week:
"If somebody needs to go to jail, I'm willing to go in her place."
—Mike Huckabee, regarding Kim Davis
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