Clinton goes after downballot Republicans

[Landslide Lyndon]

For the first time today she explicitly and forcefully attacked downballot Republicans, in this case Pat Toomey. I guess that will make Schumer and Pelosi very happy.

http://www.politico.com/story/2016/10/hillary-clinton-hammers-pat-toomey-230193

“He still refuses to stand up to Donald Trump,” Clinton said, amid boos from the crowd. “Now a lot of Republicans have. They have had the grit and the guts to stand up and say he does not represent me.”

“But Pat Toomey heard Donald attack a grieving Gold Star family who lost their son in the Iraq war. He heard Donald call Mexican immigrants rapists. He heard him say terrible things about women. He heard him spread the lie that our first black president wasn’t really born in America,” she said. “Now how much more does Pat Toomey need to hear? If he doesn’t have the courage to stand up to Donald Trump after all this, then can you be sure he’ll stand up for you when it counts?”

[Antonio the Sixth]

Splendid! I'm really glad she gets the importance of winning the Senate (and winning it by as much as possible).

[Hermit For Peace]

Go Hillary.

She smart.

[Erich Maria Remarque]

She wants to start a "Civil War"... among Republicans. Smart!

[Yank2133]

Hindsight is 20/20, but she should have started doing this in September.

[🦀🎂🦀🎂]

Hindsight is 20/20, but she should have started doing this in September.

Yes, but in all fairness I blame the Democratic Party rather than her. Still, I wish had used her debate bully pulpit to tie Trump and the Republican Party together (which would actually undermine both), rather than letting them stand apart.

[Hermit For Peace]

She wants to start a "Civil War"... among Republicans. Smart!

She is telling the truth.

[Pyro]

Hindsight is 20/20, but she should have started doing this in September.

She was busy talking about how sensible "regular" Republicans are compared with Trump.

[Green Line]

Won't work.  People don't like Hillary, they just dislike Trump even more.

[dspNY]

Clinton's campaign rally in Pittsburgh today was more for McGinty than for herself. She's in a pretty comfortable position in PA, but McGinty is neck-and-neck with Toomey

[Green Line]

Won't work.  People don't like Hillary, they just dislike Trump even more.

This nonsense again. Like it or not, Trump at the top of the ticket will be cause disaster for the Republican Party down-ballot. GOP turnout is going to be dismal.

Maybe.  There's no evidence of that yet.

[Frozen Sky Ever Why]

Seems a bit early to be directing attention to Congress. Undecideds could still break for Trump resulting in an even race for the EV.

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

Seems a bit early to be directing attention to Congress. Undecideds could still break for Trump resulting in an even race for the EV.

Not buying this argument (paranoid talking point) the campaign wouldn't be doing this if they thought it would risk the big game.

[Frodo]

It's about time she did, especially if she wants legislative accomplishments in her first years in office.  The last thing she wants is a lonely victory like Nixon in 1972. 

[GeorgiaModerate]

Seems a bit early to be directing attention to Congress. Undecideds could still break for Trump resulting in an even race for the EV.

At this point, there probably aren't many people who are truly undecided and will actually vote; if they haven't settled on a candidate by now, they may just skip it.  But of those that do vote, one metric that may be useful is their relative favorability.  Clinton is unpopular, but Trump is much more so.  The last Gallup survey I can find (Oct. 14-20) has Clinton at 42/54 (-12), but Trump is at 31/66 (-35).  Assuming that undecideds match this sample (which I know is a totally unjustified assumption, but what else can you do?), an undecided voter is more likely to think worse of Trump than of Clinton.

[Hermit For Peace]

Won't work.  People don't like Hillary, they just dislike Trump even more.

To clarify, people don't like Hillary when she is campaigning, but they do like her when she is doing her job. She is a workaholic and goes at it.

After she gets in office people's opinion of her will rise because that's just what happens.

[Gass3268]

Seems a bit early to be directing attention to Congress. Undecideds could still break for Trump resulting in an even race for the EV.

She has better data than we do.

[Ljube]

This should be a wake up call to all renegade Republicans to flock to Trump and help prevent this wicked witch of the east from becoming the next president.

If they fail to do it, they will have no one but themselves to blame for their own ruin.

[Gass3268]

"When Donald Trump starts his TV network, I'm sure Joe Heck will be right up on there," Obama says tonight in Nevada

Savage

[Bismarck]

Please come to Indiana and hug Evan Bayh in front of cameras.

[Gass3268]

Please come to Indiana and hug Evan Bayh in front of cameras.

I imagine he won't do that.

[Pericles]

Yes. All that is still up in the air is Congress. Clinton will win the presidency, but the question is does she win Congress. If the Democrats can make Trump an anchor on congressional Republicans the Senate will flip(it is leaning D but still close) and there is a chance of the House(a small one, but a chance). However she has to be careful to focus on attacking Republicans rather than trying to promote Democratic candidates because Pat Toomey's going to run an ad of her saying how "Katie McGinty is exactly the kind of person I need in the Senate" and then HRC bashing. So if she can help weaken Toomey and GOP candidates she can have a mandate and get things done in Washington(McCain said a GOP Senate won't confirm any Clinton Supreme Court nominees). She has lots of good policies but Congress passes most of them into law. So in the final push the Democrats need to win Congress.

[DrScholl]

Seems a bit early to be directing attention to Congress. Undecideds could still break for Trump resulting in an even race for the EV.

There are only two weeks left until election day, so there isn't any longer such a thing as too early. With that said, Trump is completely done and there is no realistic expectation of an even race.