NEWS AND OPINION:
It had to end sometime. This is the last of the Inside the Beltway weekend candidate reports — that is, until we start tracking outgoing and incoming presidents, transition teams, long goodbyes, short tempers, hanging chads, hysterical journalists and everything else looming on the horizon. On this final weekend before Election Day, here’s where Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton will be.
Mr. Trump is concentrating appearances in four states: North Carolina, New Hampshire, Ohio and Pennsylvania. He has six major rallies planned. Running mate Indiana Gov. Mike Pence will appear in Florida, North Carolina and Michigan.
Mrs. Clinton and her army of surrogates are rustling and bustling. Or something. There are 33 Clinton campaign events planned in 11 states, with the greatest concentration of activity in Iowa and Colorado. The Democratic nominee herself appears at three events in Pennsylvania, Michigan and Ohio. Also appearing on her behalf: President Obama (four events), Vice President Joe Biden (three events), running mate Sen. Tim Kaine (two), Sen. Bernard Sanders (six), Bill Clinton (three) and Chelsea Clinton (five). Musicians Stevie Wonder, Cher, Jay Z, Katy Perry and Jon Bon Jovi will give seven performances in six cities.
And let’s not forget Libertarian hopeful Gary Johnson, who has five rallies planned this weekend in California, Colorado and Illinois. Not to be outdone, Green Party nominee Jill Stein will appear at four rallies in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland and Virginia.
BOLTON’S ADVICE FOR COMEY
Former U.N. Ambassador John R. Bolton has advice for FBI Director James Comey as the complex fallout from Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email system continues, and an FBI investigation of it all continues.
SEE ALSO: Democrats poised for Senate takeover as unforced errors imperil Republican incumbents
“Jim Comey can redeem himself in history. I think he’s got to go to President Obama, and maybe do it in the form of a public letter, in saying, ’You have questioned my judgment, my integrity, my competence to do this job. If you no longer have trust and confidence in my ability, then fire me. And if you’re not willing to do that, then let me conduct this investigation without interference from people that are trying to tilt it in Hillary’s direction. I think he’s got to have a direct confrontation,” Mr. Bolton told Breitbart News, calling it “an act of courage” and noting that people “have started comparing the whole Clinton scandal to Watergate.”
PREPARE FOR MAMMOTH MEDIA
Election coverage starts early. Very early. Cable and broadcast networks crank up their programming this weekend, so be prepared.
The Fox News Channel, for example, kicks off at 6 a.m. Saturday in spiffy “America’s Election Headquarters.” The network also will unveil a brand new state-of-the-art studio. NBC gets rolling Sunday; “Meet the Press” originates live from “NBC Election Headquarters.”
It is a similar story elsewhere, constituting a full dress rehearsal for Tuesday, when the airwaves will be jammed with news and non-news of the most hair-raising presidential derby on record. Fox News, in fact, begins its election coverage Tuesday at 4 a.m.; the network’s top prime-time talent will be on parade all day and night, along will be 25 correspondents in 12 states.
WEATHER OR NOT
SEE ALSO: Bernie Sanders still getting Ohio voters who decry both Clinton and Trump
“This election year, American citizens have endured wall-to-wall breathless tension from our colleagues in the news media, and our forecast calls for a 100 percent chance that will continue through Election Day,” advises The Weather Channel, which has its own programming planned for the big day.
It’s all clouds and rainbows, accompanied by relaxing smooth jazz. Wait, will there be brunch with that? No, but there will be eight hours worth, come Tuesday.
“If you want a break from the pundits, pontifications, predictions and politics, turn to weather. Starting at 3 p.m. ET on November 8, the marathon will include the most beautiful, awe-inspiring, and calming weather video and scenery ever caught on tape,” the channel says.
ONE FOR THE ROAD
“Whether Republican, Democrat, independent, undecided or unrepresented, the one thing that every American seems to agree on is, ’we can’t wait for the election to be over,’” says Danzka Vodka, a Denmark-based vodka maker that notes the Danes have a word for election exhaustion or disgust — Politikerleden.
That in mind, the company has dreamed up a cocktail of the same name for the “politically weary.” Though there is work involved, here is how to make Politikerleden:
Ingredients: 6 lemons. 4 cups of water. 1 cup sugar cup fresh blackberries 2 oz. Danzka Original Vodka, 1 sprig fresh lavender.
Instructions: With a vegetable peeler, remove zest from four lemons and squeeze enough juice from all lemons to make one cup. In a saucepan, boil two cups of water with sugar, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Add zest, lemon juice and remaining water and cool. In a food processor or blender, puree blackberries and stir into lemon mixture. Pour liquid through a sieve into a container. Blackberry lemonade will keep refrigerated for several days. Serve in a rocks glass filled with ice, add 2 oz. of Danzka Original Vodka, top with 3 oz. of blackberry lemonade. Garnish with a lavender sprig.
WEEKEND REAL ESTATE
For sale: The Roanoke River Mill, built in 1892 by the Roanoke Navigation Company, on five acres near Weldon, North Carolina. Former grist mill; 500 front feet on the Roanoke River, three stories, original brick and wood. Restored interior with visible wood trusses, new slate roof, 24-foot ceilings on third floor. Three bathrooms, commercial kitchen. Suggested use as residence, winery or craft brewery, boutique hotel, event site, fishing lodge, corporate retreat. Priced at $500,000 through RoanokeRiverMill.com.
POLL DU JOUR
• 52 percent of registered U.S. voters say the news media are “biased in favor of Hillary Clinton“; 80 percent of Republicans, 41 percent of independents and 25 percent of Democrats agree.
• 38 percent of voters overall say the media have “no bias toward either candidate”; 12 percent of Republicans, 52 percent of independents and 63 percent of Democrats agree.
• 8 percent overall say the media are “biased in favor of Donald Trump“; 6 percent of Republicans, 2 percent of independents and 10 percent of Democrats agree.
Historic comparison: 33 percent of voters in 2004 said the media were biased against Democratic nominee John F. Kerry, 45 percent said there was no bias, 17 percent said the media were biased in favor of President George W. Bush.
Source: A Gallup poll of 945 registered U.S. voters conducted Oct. 27-28, and a Gallup poll conducted Oct. 22-24, 2004.
• Crabby complaints, sly chortles to jharper@washingtontimes.com.
• Jennifer Harper can be reached at jharper@washingtontimes.com.
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