Clinton, Trump strategize for battleground states in the campaign's final days
The long presidential campaign is down to the final six days, and the candidates are preparing their final strategies.
To win in Florida, Clinton needs to generate Obama-level enthusiasm, CBS News’ Nancy Cordes reports. Especially from African Americans, who made up a quarter of the state’s early voting electorate when he was on the ballot in 2012.
So far this year that rate is off by about 7 points.
“The African American vote right now is not where it needs to be,” President Obama said on the Tom Joyner Morning Show on Wednesday.
So Wednesday, the president and Clinton made the rounds again on predominately black radio stations
“Tell my folks why you and why now,” Leroy Jones asked Clinton on Art, Talk and Listen with Leroy Jones.
“Well you know I believe in what I am doing,” Clinton answered.
In battleground North Carolina, African American early voting rates are bouncing back from a slow start -- and after Republicans there imposed strict limits on the number of urban polling places during the first week of early voting
In Chapel Hill, Obama issued this dire new warning about a Trump presidency: “I hate to put a little pressure on you, but the fate of the republic rests on your shoulders.”
The Latino vote will also be key for Clinton -- and those numbers are far better.
In Florida, Latino early voting is up 139 percent from this point in 2012--driven in part by Trump’s comments about Mexicans.
“I mean he starts out by insulting immigrants. He moves on to insult all Latinos,” Clinton said in Florida. “Insults African Americans, insults Muslims. Insults people with disabilities. Insults POWs. And insults women. I mean really.”
Obama came to Clinton’s aid on another front today, criticizing the FBI director for telling Congress about new emails that may or may not be significant. In an interview with “Now This News,” the president said the FBI should not be spreading innuendo and incomplete information.
Meanwhile, Trump is also making a push for Florida, CBS News’ Major Garrett reports.
“The polls are all saying we are going to win Florida,” Trump said on Wednesday. “Don’t believe it. Don’t believe it. Get out there and vote. Pretend we are slightly behind. We don’t want to blow this.”
Trump is running like an underdog--even as new polls show the race in Florida is essentially tied. For a second day, he warned that a Hillary Clinton presidency could be mired in congressional and possibly criminal investigations.
“If Hillary Clinton were to be elected, it would create an unprecedented and protracted constitutional crisis. Haven’t we just been through a lot with the Clintons? Right?”
Despite the public polling, Trump’s team believes he has surged ahead here. It also believes it has drawn even in upper Midwest states like Michigan and Wisconsin. In Eau Claire on Tuesday night, Trump made a play for voters who cast early ballots for Hillary Clinton and are now suffering what he called buyer’s remorse.
“A lot of stuff has come out since your vote,” Trump said. “So if you live here or in Michigan or Pennsylvania or Minnesota, those four places, you can change your vote to Donald Trump. We’ll make America great again. Okay?”
These four states allow early voters to withdraw their ballots and re-vote. But state officials say the practice is rarely used. Still, Trump’s pitch speaks to the campaign’s buoyancy in the final week.
It was also visible in a roughly $600,000 investment in three Trump commercials slated to air nationally during Wednesday’s Game Seven of the World Series.
“Everyday people stand united. Ready to replace decades of broken politics with a new leader who’s not a part of the system,” the commercial says.
Trump continues to raise money -- $2 million this morning from big donors in Miami and $100 million from small donors in October. The campaign and the RNC say they have completely funded their field operations and every remaining dollar will be devoted to TV commercials.