NEWS AND OPINION:
For the sixth time, Donald Trump is bypassing the media and traditional pollsters and going directly to his followers for insight. The Republican presidential nominee has issued yet another substantial survey tapping voter opinion, this time addressing tactics for his next debate with Hillary Clinton. “We have to go into this second debate ready to stick up for the forgotten men and women of this country. We have to expose Hillary for the corrupt politician that she is,” Mr. Trump notes in the outreach.
Some observers caution that time is running out on the 2016 election, and counsel the nominee to make every tactic count, particularly when an unfriendly media is watching every move. At least one interested source suggests the Trump campaign employ classic ideas from military strategist and philosopher Sun Tzu.
Meanwhile, the 30-question poll appears to broach the issue of aggression during the next bout, scheduled for Oct. 9. Should Mr. Trump be ready to rumble, and release the inner Trump warrior? Among the succinct questions he would like fans to answer:
“Should Trump bring up Hillary’s failure in Benghazi as a disqualification for the presidency?”
“Should Trump attack Hillary as a lifelong politician who has zero experience creating jobs??”
“Should Trump paint Hillary as the epitome of D.C. corruption?”
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“Should Trump hammer Hillary on wanting to enact more of Obama’s regulations?”
“Should Trump attack Hillary for referring to tens of millions of American men and women as ’deplorables’?”
Mr. Trump could face moderators armed with their own agendas — or maybe not. The second presidential debate will be co-hosted by ABC correspondent Martha Raddatz and CNN anchor Anderson Cooper at Washington University in St. Louis.
MEDIA SHIELD IN PLACE
Startling news recently broke that Hillary Clinton’s former chief of staff Cheryl Mills was granted immunity during the FBI’s investigation into Mrs. Clinton’s email issue. House Oversight Chairman Rep. Jason Chaffetz described the decision as “beyond explanation,” adding that “the FBI was handing out immunity agreements like candy.”
Not one major broadcast network found time for the story in the aftermath, according to Mike Ciandella, an analyst for the Media Research Center, a conservative press watchdog. ABC, NBC and CBS, however, broadcast 20 minutes centered on controversial allegations that Donald Trump called former Miss Universe Alicia Machado “Miss Piggy” two decades ago. Mrs. Clinton brought up the topic during the presidential debate on Monday.
SEE ALSO: Obama operatives stripped Judicial Watch of ‘media’ status, overcharged for FOIA requests
The networks, Mr. Ciandella says, “exponentially increased their coverage when Trump attempted to defend himself.”
ONE FOR MR. JOHNSON
“We recognize the Libertarian candidate is the longest of long shots with an electorate that has been conditioned to believe only Republicans and Democrats can win major offices, But this is an endorsement of conscience, reflecting our confidence that Gary Johnson would be a competent and capable president and an honorable one.”
— From a lengthy endorsement for the Libertarian presidential nominee by The Detroit News, which called Donald Trump “unprincipled, unstable and quite possibly dangerous.” The news organization also noted that Hillary Clinton’s “career-long struggles with honesty and ethics and calculating, self-serving approach to politics trouble us deeply.”
WEEKEND CANDIDATE TRACKER
There’s no down time for our candidates. After visits to Wisconsin, Florida and Ohio this week, Donald Trump will spend the next 48 hours jetting from Novi, Michigan to Manheim, Pennsylvania, plus Pueblo and Loveland, Colorado — set to host his signature jumbo rallies. Running mate Gov. Mike Pence will be in Fort Wayne, Indiana.
After visits this week to North Carolina, Iowa and New Hampshire, Hillary Clinton will host rallies in Pierce and Coral Springs, Florida. Daughter Chelsea Clinton will journey to Wisconsin and Michigan on behalf of her mother.
TRUMP’S FEISTY PRO-LIFE COALITION
Donald Trump is intent on ensuring values voters get his pro-life message, particularly those in battleground states. The GOP nominee has assembled a Pro-Life Coalition poised to spread the word that if elected, Mr. Trump will defund Planned Parenthood, nominate pro-life justices to the Supreme Court and support the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act — among other things.
The 32-person group boasts a dozen lawmakers, including Sens. David Perdue and Steve Daines, plus Reps. Diane Black, Marsha Blackburn, Trent Franks and Mike Pompeo. Also on the roster: Govs. Sam Brownback and Mary Fallin, Father Frank Pavone, national director of Priests for Life; Tony Perkins, president of Family Research Council; Day Gardner, president of National Black Pro-Life Union and Ralph Reed, founder of Faith and Freedom Coalition.
“Hillary Clinton not only supports abortion on-demand for any reason, but she’d take it a step further: she wants to force the taxpayers to pay for abortions by repealing the bipartisan Hyde Amendment. Hillary Clinton also supports abortion until an hour before birth. And she will only appoint Supreme Court justices who share this view,” Mr. Trump noted in a recent recruitment letter to pro-life leaders.
“Every vote counts. The policies outlined by Mr. Trump are not only important to pro-life base voters, but they appeal to a majority of Americans who oppose Hillary Clinton’s plan to make taxpayers pay for even late-term abortion-on-demand,” observes Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of the pro-life Susan B. Anthony List, and the newly named national chairman.
WEEKEND REAL ESTATE
For Sale: Half Moon Pond House, “two chimney” Federal mansion built in 1805 on 140 acres near Washington, New Hampshire. Four bedrooms, two bathrooms, dining and living rooms, three fireplaces, nine-over-nine windows, wide plank floors, 3,400-square-feet. Property includes cultivated blueberry farm, orchard, hardwood forest, cranberry bog, barn and other outbuildings; shore footage on Half Moon Pond. Priced at $565,000 through PetersonsRealEstate.com; find the listing here
POLL DU JOUR
• 92 percent of Americans say that voting online in a presidential election would save them time.
• 87 percent do not think federal or state governments would “roll out this functionality.”
• 75 percent say people should have the option to vote online in a presidential election.
• 37 percent would be concerned about accuracy of an online vote count; 31 percent would be concerned about security or hacking.
• 17 percent would fear voter fraud; 6 percent technical issues like server problems or crashes.
Source: A Soliant Consulting survey of 1,000 U.S. adults conducted September 23 to 25.
• Hoots, hollers and ballyhoo to jharper@washingtontimes.com.
• Jennifer Harper can be reached at jharper@washingtontimes.com.
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