Peter Daou

Trump: People “lose interest” if I talk about Hillary Clinton’s emails

This nugget was buried in an August 24 New York Times story: Mr. Trump said he could not “spend more than five minutes talking about [Clinton’s] emails at my rallies, because people will lose interest, and you have to talk about other things to keep their attention.” It’s not surprising, considering a recent poll found that […]

By Peter Daou - October 24, 2016

SINKING: Trump’s campaign is bleeding money

This is not a winning way to run a campaign’s finances: JUST IN — Trump: Raised: $30.5 millionSpent: $49.3 millionCOH: $16 million — Teddy Schleifer (@teddyschleifer) October 28, 2016 And what happened to all those promises to fund his own campaign? According to Trump latest campaign disclosure, only gave his campaign $31,000 of in-kind contributions and […]

By Peter Daou - October 27, 2016

FATIGUE: Clinton’s emails have been covered for 600 days and Americans are exhausted

Team Trump is doing backflips over news that the FBI found some emails related to the Clinton probe. With the election slipping away from Republicans, it’s understandable that they plan to go all in on this development. And the national media, hungry for a new twist in the election, will do the same. The real question is […]

By Peter Daou - October 28, 2016

Trump says “cancel the election”

As polls show Hillary Clinton building an impressive lead, she keeps campaigning hard, studying hard, listening carefully, and rolling out new policies. She has even been criticized for being “over-prepared.” That work ethic says a lot about her character. Not so much Donald Trump. He has a different idea of how to win: “We should just cancel the election and […]

By Peter Daou - October 27, 2016

Trump campaign confesses to “three major voter suppression operations”

Here is the key section from a Bloomberg article about Trump’s digital strategy: Trump’s campaign has devised another strategy, which, not surprisingly, is negative. Instead of expanding the electorate, Bannon and his team are trying to shrink it. “We have three major voter suppression operations under way,” says a senior official. They’re aimed at three […]

By Peter Daou - October 27, 2016

Rep. Cummings: GOP ready to impeach Clinton before she is elected

Election Day is still a couple of weeks away, but that hasn’t stopped Republican lawmakers from planning their obstruction of a potential Clinton presidency. Ted Cruz fired a warning shot on the Supreme Court: Speaking to reporters after a campaign rally for a Republican U.S. Senate candidate here, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tex.) said that there was “precedent” […]

By Peter Daou - October 26, 2016

Newt Gingrich deserved to be humiliated by Megyn Kelly

This showdown is a microcosm of the 2016 election, with Newt Gingrich trying to deflect from Trump’s boasts about sexual assault by attacking the media with laughable charges of bias. The Washington Post transcribed the exchange. After Gingrich accused Kelly of being “fascinated with sex,” Kelly was incredulous: “Me? Really?” she said, laughing. “Well, that’s what I […]

By Peter Daou - October 26, 2016

Hey media, will we EVER get to see an actual Clinton supporter?

Hillary Clinton has more enthusiastic voters than anyone in the 2016 election and yet somehow, mysteriously, all we see is interviews with Trump supporters and undecided voters. This mass disappearing of millions of Americans is a genuine travesty. My colleague Melissa McEwan laments: No voters have been so routinely and thoroughly ignored as her supporters, in […]

By Peter Daou - October 25, 2016

Trump TV launches under brand name “Morning Joe”

Two months ago, I argued that Donald Trump is not running a campaign to win the presidency but to become a figurehead for white nationalism. Others have speculated that his primary goal is to launch a media network. He already has a head start for the latter. It’s called Morning Joe. And it has a permanent […]

By Peter Daou - October 25, 2016

Teen Harvard prodigy makes brilliant closing argument for Hillary Clinton

The NY Daily News described Milo Beckman as a “genuine genius.” He attended Harvard at 15 and constructs crossword puzzles for the New York Times. Beckman took to Medium to explain his strong support for Hillary Clinton and to address the misgivings of some of his peers. It is a brilliant closing argument for the woman who is […]

By Peter Daou - October 23, 2016

Clinton’s emails, leaks and transcripts are a disaster — for her opponents

Hillary Clinton has said it was a mistake to use a private email server while at the State Department and that she regrets having done it. The national media have spent nearly 600 days punishing her for it. But a deeper look at the substance of her emails — as well as other hacked materials — explains why she’s on the verge of […]

By Peter Daou - October 17, 2016

Clinton’s gripping new “Martha and Sara” video is the best 7 minutes of 2016

As we go about our daily lives, working, thinking, planning, relaxing, spending time with our families and friends, there is someone whose every day consists of being vilified, excoriated, hated, threatened, and treated with more antipathy than the most horrendous criminals in the world. Hillary Clinton has devoted her life to public service; her work on child health insurance alone […]

By Peter Daou - October 21, 2016

Why is Hillary Clinton campaigning like she’s ten points behind?

One of my standout memories from the 2008 race is Hillary gathering her team at campaign headquarters for a pep talk. Her message: We’ll win because we’re going to work harder than anyone else and be the best campaign there is. It struck me for one reason: She spoke to us like an underdog at a time […]

By Peter Daou - October 19, 2016

Trump booed for vicious anti-Hillary jabs at Catholic charity dinner

Trump can’t help being Trump. It is precisely why he’s on a path to defeat in the presidential election. Here’s a sample of the reactions to his remarks at the Al Smith dinner: That was absolutely awful. Trump bombed big time. Just cringeworthy. #AlSmithDinner — Emo Desperado (@JoyAnnReid) October 21, 2016 https://twitter.com/hemantmehta/status/789275663240876032 Trump is supposed to […]

By Peter Daou - October 20, 2016

Trump cries media bias and Morning Joe coddles him

Trump’s deliberate effort to undermine the democratic process is unprecedented in our history. Trump, enemy of democracy:1) My opponent shouldn't be allowed to run2) If I lose, I may dispute outcome3) If I win, she will go to jail. — David Leonhardt (@DLeonhardt) October 20, 2016 Reporters with a conscience are covering Trump’s statements with […]

By Peter Daou - October 20, 2016

Obama humiliates “whining” Trump: “You don’t have what it takes to be in this job”

Trump’s premature sore loser tantrum is an embarrassment to American democracy. President Obama rightfully called him out for it during a joint news conference with Italy’s Prime Minister. I have never seen in my lifetime or in modern political history any presidential candidate trying to discredit the elections and the election process before votes have even taken place. […]

By Peter Daou - October 18, 2016

We can say it now: Hillary Clinton won all three debates

The end game is playing out in the 2016 race. The debates are over. Early voting has begun. Ground games are being deployed. And Hillary Clinton can look back at three powerful debate performances that have placed her on a path to victory. '3 and 0, it's a hat trick for [@HillaryClinton]' – @DavidChalian on […]

By Peter Daou - October 19, 2016

Boys will be boys…and women will be presidents

After weeks of repugnant talk about women from Donald Trump and his defenders, this razor sharp tweet sums it all up: "Boys will be boys." Ok then women will be Presidents. — Cameron Esposito (@cameronesposito) October 18, 2016 Everything about 2016 is contained in those ten words. Everything.

By Peter Daou - October 17, 2016

#TrumpDrSeuss rules the day

Somehow, these #TrumpDrSeuss tweets perfectly capture an intense and disturbing phase of the 2016 election: https://twitter.com/andylassner/status/786651157494050816 https://twitter.com/deeperfectgem/status/786703498448556032 https://twitter.com/RiskyLiberal/status/786706067971596289 I'm smartI'm clever Pay taxes? No, neverI'm stunning I'm grand Your crotch My hand #TrumpDrSeuss — Ray Ricky Rivera (@RayRickyRivera) October 13, 2016 https://twitter.com/scottruegg/status/786697235799105536 Well look at you twoAnd how old are you?Only twelve you say?I'll be dating you some […]

By Peter Daou - October 13, 2016

Joe Scarborough implodes

Without an ounce of shame or self-awareness, MSNBC’s Joe Scarborough piggybacked on Donald Trump’s laughable claim that the national media favor Hillary Clinton. That assertion is demonstrably false. Studies from the Washington Post and Harvard University found that Clinton has received the most negative coverage of any candidate in the race. Her emails alone have been covered for […]

By Peter Daou - October 18, 2016

Video footage reveals how Hillary Clinton treats women and girls

To illustrate the stark contrast between the two candidates, we compiled footage of Hillary Clinton’s lifesaving work on behalf of women and girls. Contrast this with recent revelations about Trump’s egregious behavior:

By Peter Daou - October 16, 2016

Massive Ohio State rally Clinton’s largest of 2016

Here is a tweet that caught my eye: The South Oval @OhioState is a sea of supporters tonight, because college students are going to help Hillary win Ohio this year! #OHHillYes pic.twitter.com/ZXxows5kNB — Hillary for Ohio (@HillaryforOH) October 10, 2016 Hillary Clinton’s supporters exist. They vote. There are more of them than there are for […]

By Peter Daou - October 10, 2016

We need new pundits

Gallup informs us that mass media ratings are at an all-time low. And there is good reason for it: With a few notable exceptions, political journalism in 2016 has been awful. Instead of real reporting and insightful analysis, we are served a toxic mash-up of false equivalence, mangled facts, hidden agendas, obsessive repetition, shop-worn narratives, selective outrage, botched prognostication, and the numbing […]

By Peter Daou - October 19, 2016

Trump Jr. joked about Aurora shooting victim on day of massacre

CNN’s Andrew Kaczynski reports: Like his father, Donald Trump Jr. has a history of engaging in controversial conversations with radio shock-jocks, a review of his appearances on various programs by CNN’s KFile reveals. On shows like “Opie and Anthony,” the now-defunct “The Six Pack,” and “Opie with Jim Norton,” the younger Trump made a joke […]

By Peter Daou - October 18, 2016

If you had any doubt 2016 is about women’s equality, #Repealthe19th is trending

My colleague Melissa McEwan writes: There is a choice before us: A woman who advocates for women, or a man who treats us like garbage. And the decision will have far-reaching consequences, both legal and cultural, for women. Is our nation ready to move forward on women’s rights, or is our equality going to be […]

By Peter Daou - October 12, 2016

Introducing the Benchmark Politics 2016 election probability model

By Peter Daou - October 12, 2016

“First woman president” means something, so why is it ignored?

Since we hear so little about it, I posed this query: I'm writing a piece about what the first woman president means to you. Please reply and I'll include some of your responses. #debatenight — Peter Daou (@peterdaou) October 19, 2016 I received a flood of inspiring responses: @peterdaou My mother supported @emilyslist for years. She […]

By Peter Daou - October 19, 2016

In a dramatic twist, the email story now helps Hillary Clinton’s campaign

There was going to be a manufactured Clinton scandal in 2016. Hillary Clinton’s opponents were bound to try to derail her with some fabricated Whitewater-style smear, something the corporate media would sink their teeth into and refuse to let go. It could have been a dozen other trumped-up issues. It ended up being the emails. As we enter the […]

By Peter Daou - September 09, 2016

POLL: Trump’s assault on Clinton marriage a big flop

The numbers don’t lie: A new Washington Post-ABC News poll shows people don’t even think Bill Clinton’s well-documented history of indiscretions and other allegations made against him are relevant to this campaign. And this is despite Trump’s repeated efforts to raise them in recent weeks. The Post-ABC poll asked whether people thought “Bill Clinton’s treatment […]

By Peter Daou - October 17, 2016

Trump used the ‘p’ word a second time — to describe President Obama

It seems Donald Trump is fond of disrespecting, objectifying and weaponizing a woman’s anatomy: "@RunningDeep67: @UniqueCaptures Too strong? Point out a time in America's history where it was good to have a PUSSY in the White House!" — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 2, 2015 This kind of language is beneath the office of the presidency.

By Peter Daou - October 12, 2016