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Trump on Fiorina: 'Look at that face

Posted by Unknown Tuesday, September 15, 2015 0 comments

A newly published Rolling Stone article shows GOP front-runner Donald Trump mocking fellow candidate Carly Fiorina’s looks when he sees her on TV.

When the anchor throws to Carly Fiorina for her reaction to Trump’s momentum, Trump’s expression sours in schoolboy disgust as the camera bores in on Fiorina. ‘Look at that face!’ he cries. ‘Would anyone vote for that? Can you imagine that, the face of our next president?!’

The story, which went live Wednesday and is the cover story of Rolling Stone‘s next issue, goes on to note that the businessman “can’t seem to quit while he’s ahead,” leading to the “ugly stews” he finds himself in with a number of people, from ex-wives to business partners. It also notes that his comments halt the laughter of his own staff.

USA TODAY GOP Power Rankings, Week 2: Fiorina on fire

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If Donald Trump is looking in his rearview mirror, he will see Carly Fiorina gaining on him.

The former Hewlett Packard CEO has had several good weeks, and our political experts now have her in third place in the GOP 2016 power rankings. In the second week of our rankings, our panel has Fiorina moving up from sixth place to third, while Florida Sen. Marco Rubio drops from third to the sixth-place spot she vacated.

What has changed since last week?

“More awareness of stronger candidates like Carly Fiorina,” said talk-show host and former presidential candidate Herman Cain. “She’s moved up and rightly so.”

Deb Lucia, a Kansas Tea Party activist, agreed. “Biggest winner this week is Fiorina,” she said. “The CNN debate controversy put her in the spotlight and many people took a look at her for the first time and liked what they saw.”

While the rest of our field largely held their positions this week, the next couple of weeks are likely to have a significant impact on the standings. For example, Emory University professor Andra Gillespie said, “Looking ahead, it will be interesting to see if Mike Huckabee can generate any additional support in the polls as a result of the earned media he is getting for supporting Kim Davis in Kentucky.” Davis is the Kentucky county clerk who went to jail rather than issuing marriage licenses to gay couples. Huckabee stood beside her as she walked out of jail Tuesday.

And the second GOP debate is Sept. 16, which could seal the fate of some of the lower-tier candidates. “Is there a rank lower than 17?” asks former Democratic congressman Dan Maffei. He notes that Jeb Bush is benefiting from the fact that none of the other candidates with political experience has managed to generate a lot of enthusiasm.

Of course, Trump remains No. 1 in our poll by a wide margin, with 22 first-place votes. Retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson continues to do well with five first-place votes, Jeb Bush got two, and one voter chose Rubio as the strongest candidate this week.

Also, cooler heads warn against getting excited just yet. “After months of campaigning and media coverage, this race is just beginning,” said Nathan Gonzales of the Rothenberg & Gonzales Political Report. “There is a long time between now and February, when people start making real choices.”

WEEK 2 RANKINGS

1. DONALD TRUMP (LAST WEEK: 1)

2. BEN CARSON (2)

3. CARLY FIORINA (6)

4. JEB BUSH (4)

5. TED CRUZ (5)

6. MARCO RUBIO (3)

7. JOHN KASICH (8)

8. SCOTT WALKER (7)

9. MIKE HUCKABEE (9)

10. RAND PAUL (10)

11. CHRIS CHRISTIE (11)

12. BOBBY JINDAL (13)

13. RICK SANTORUM (12)

14. RICK PERRY (14)

15. LINDSEY GRAHAM (15)

16. GEORGE PATAKI (16)

17. JIM GILMORE (17)

Participants in USA TODAY’s GOP Power Rankings:

Kristen Soltis Anderson, Republican pollster and author of The Selfie Vote

Henry Barbour, Republican strategist, Mississippi

Paul Brathwaite , principal, Podesta Group

Dianne Bystrom, director, Center for Women and Politics, Iowa State University

Herman Cain, talk show host and former GOP presidential candidate

Maria Cardona, Democratic strategist and CNN Commentator, The Dewey Square Group

Frank Donatelli, former RNC deputy chairman and Reagan advisor

Sara Fagen, partner, DDC Advocacy

Peter Fenn, Democratic political strategist, Fenn Communications

Denise Feriozzi, deputy executive director, EMILY’s List

Karen Floyd, CEO, The Palladian Group and former South Carolina GOP chair

Aaron Ghitelman, communications manager, HeadCount

Andra Gillespie, polling analyst and political science professor, Emory University

Nathan L. Gonzales, editor, The Rothenberg & Gonzales Political Report

Lilly J. Goren, political science and global studies professor, Carroll University

Doug Gross, Iowa attorney and previous Republican gubernatorial nominee

O. Kay Henderson, news director, Radio Iowa

Ken Khachigian, senior partner, Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck

Carl Leubsdorf, Washington columnist, The Dallas Morning News

Deb Lucia, Topeka 912 – the Capital City Tea Party

Matt Mackowiak, Republican consultant and president, Potomac Strategy Group, LLC

Dan Maffei, former Democratic congressman, New York

Phil Musser, chairman, IMGE digital media agency

Margie Omero, Democratic pollster, Purple Insights

Jon Ralston, host, “Ralston Live” on PBS affiliates in Nevada

Craig Robinson, founder and editor, TheIowaRepublican.com

Alan Rosenblatt, Ph.D., Sr. VP of digital strategy, turner4D

Dante Scala, political science professor, University of New Hampshire

Adam Sharp, head of news, government and elections, Twitter

Alex Smith, national chairman, College Republicans

Todd Spangler, Washington correspondent, Detroit Free Press

Kathy Sullivan, DNC committeewoman and former Democratic Party chair, New Hampshire

Report: Biden gets emotional on 'Late Show'

Posted by Unknown Monday, September 14, 2015 0 comments

Vice President Joe Biden, known for his candid moments, talked with Stephen Colbert Thursday about his grief over his son’s death and how that has affected his decision to enter the 2016 presidential race, according to Bloomberg Politics.

Biden has been mourning his son, Beau, since his death of brain cancer in May. While Thursday’s interview started off lighthearted, the chatter soon turned to Beau, when Colbert gave the vice president his condolences.

They discussed Beau and Biden’s Roman Catholic faith. At one point, the vice president notes:

I would feel like I’d let Beau down if I didn’t just get up.

His grief has affected any possibility that he may run for president. He’s still breaking down over Beau’s death; he described one moment when he was greeting soldiers at a rope line.

It was going great, and a guy in the back yells, ‘Beau Biden, Bronze Star, I served with him in Iraq,’ and all of a sudden I lost it — I shouldn’t be saying this — and you can’t do that.

Biden went on to tell Colbert that a person could only run if they were at 110%. “I’d be lying if I said I knew I was there,” he said. “I’m being completely honest…Sometimes it overwhelms you.”

It echoes what the vice president said a week ago: That he would only run if he and his family had the “emotional energy” to do so.

Still, some members of the audience weren’t deterred, calling out that he should get into the race.

“Be careful what you wish for,” he replied with a laugh.

Colbert’s interview with Biden airs Thursday night on CBS.

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