2020 Elections

MarketWatch reports: Some 21% of LGBTQ adults aren’t registered to vote, according to a study released this week by the University of California, Los Angeles’ Williams Institute. That’s compared to an estimated 17% of non-LGBTQ adults. The finding, part of a larger poll of 2,237 people that measured LGBTQ voters’ demographic characteristics and political attitudes, came as LGBTQ rights have …

Just in from Innovation Ohio: After winning the state by 8 points in 2016, a new Public Policy Polling survey finds President Trump trailing a generic Democratic 47-48% and an underwater 47-51% favorable/unfavorable rating. Given that state’s swing from 2012 to 2016, it is especially notable that President Trump trails a generic Democrat 37-51% with independent voters. “As Democrats gather …

Axios reports: An ad by Sen. Elizabeth Warren’s campaign that says Facebook has endorsed President Trump (before admitting the claim is a lie) is having its intended effect: raising tough questions about Facebook’s policy of allowing politicians to make any claims they want. Why it matters: Facebook has spent much of the last 2 years talking about its efforts to …

Radio Iowa reports: During an interview with Radio Iowa late Sunday afternoon, Biden said if he is elected, he will not follow President Ford’s example in pardoning Nixon so Nixon was not prosecuted for his role in Watergate. “It wouldn’t unite the country,” Biden said. “You’d say: ‘This guy does all these things that put us jeopardy and he gets …

Just from YouGov/CBS News: Early-state Democratic voters say President Trump’s allegations against Joe Biden have not affected their views of Biden and largely think they aren’t true. Even so, it’s Elizabeth Warren who continues to draw support from Democrats. She has extended the aggregate lead she had in this poll last month across the 18 early primary and caucus states. …

USA Today reports: Democratic presidential candidates, Billy Porter and an unexpected kiss were all part of the cold open on “Saturday Night Live” this weekend. This week’s CNN LGBTQ town hall was prime fodder for lots of laughs and cameo appearances during Saturday night’s episode. Alex Moffat’s Anderson Cooper said they were “going to go out – all out,” bringing …

Bloomberg reports: Joe Biden’s son, Hunter Biden, is stepping down from the board of a Chinese-backed private equity company, according to a statement given to Bloomberg. The younger Biden, whose business interests in Ukraine are at the center of Donald Trump’s impeachment scandal, also promises to “forego all foreign work” if his dad is elected president in 2020. “Hunter always …

The Hill reports: The Commission on Presidential Debates announced on Friday that the first 2020 general election debate will be held in September and will be hosted by the University of Notre Dame in Indiana. The debate, which will be held on Sept. 29, 2020, will be one of three general election presidential debates. The commission also said the University …

Vox reports: Former Vice President Joe Biden had a markedly improved performance from the last LGBTQ presidential forum, when he condescended to the woman who was interviewing him both on and off the stage. But on Thursday, he still often rambled through long stories about how he supported marriage equality within the Obama administration. By giving meandering answers, Biden managed …

The New York Times reports: The campaign trail can bring fraught encounters for a presidential candidate. At a televised forum on L.G.B.T.Q. issues on Thursday, Senator Elizabeth Warren was asked to consider a hypothetical one. Suppose, she was told, a supporter approached her and said: “Senator, I’m old-fashioned and my faith teaches me that marriage is between one man and …

CNN reports: CNN and the Human Rights Campaign Foundation will team up to host a town hall featuring Democratic presidential candidates answering questions on lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer issues. The Thursday prime-time event in Los Angeles, airing live on the eve of National Coming Out Day, will feature the largest ever audience for a Democratic presidential town hall …

Fox News reports: Together Joe Biden and Elizabeth Warren capture the support of more than half of Democratic primary voters, according to the latest Fox News national poll on the 2020 election. Biden stays on top in the race with 32 percent support among primary voters, up 3 points since September. He’s followed by Elizabeth Warren at 22 percent — …

And millions of voices cried out, “So?” She’s just grandstanding. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-Hawaii) says she may boycott the Democratic presidential debate next week, accusing the Democratic National Committee (DNC) and media of “rigging” the primary contest against outsider candidates such as herself. Gabbard pointed to what she described as “arbitrary” and nontransparent qualification requirements as evidence party leaders “are …

NPR reports: Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg both unveiled plans to expand LGBTQ protections and promote equal rights on Thursday, the day of an LGBTQ town hall hosted by CNN and the Human Rights Campaign Foundation. Both Warren and Buttigieg, whose extensive plans are very similar, list passing the Equality Act as a …

NBC News reports: Sen. Bernie Sanders on Wednesday tamped down speculation that he would slow his presidential campaign after he suffered a heart attack last week, saying he plans to compete as vigorously as ever for the 2020 Democratic nomination. The Vermont independent told NBC in an exclusive interview airing Wednesday night on “Nightly News” and Thursday on the “Today” …

The Washington Post reports: In 2016, when more than 6 million Pennsylvanians voted in the presidential election, the state’s 20 pivotal electoral votes were decided by a margin of less than 45,000 voters. Pennsylvania is home to more than 75,000 Amish people, and most who are eligible don’t vote. For two Republican operatives, those two numbers together add up to …

Iowa Starting Line reports: Three times in a row today, Sen. Joni Ernst dodged questions about whether it’s appropriate for a president to ask a foreign power to investigate a political rival. After a round of questions from a CNN reporter looking for a “yes” or “no” answer from Ernst, the senator walked away and talked with a few Iowans …

CNN reports: Former Vice President Joe Biden on Wednesday for the first time called for President Donald Trump’s impeachment. “To preserve our Constitution, our democracy, our basic integrity, he should be impeached,” Biden said of the President, speaking at a town hall in New Hampshire. “He’s shooting holes in the Constitution,” Biden said. “And we cannot let him get away …

Axios reports: President Trump’s campaign has poured millions of ad dollars into issues that resonate with his base. Immigration was the driver. Now, it’s impeachment. Why it matters: This is a stark reflection of Trump’s fight-like-hell gambit. The big picture: It’s not just Trump — this is a party-wide effort to cash in. The House and Senate Republican committees are …

The Hill reports: Planned Parenthood’s super PAC announced a $45 million electoral campaign on Wednesday to defeat President Trump and Republicans in key Senate races. The investment will fund “large-scale” grassroots organization and canvass, digital, television, radio and mail programs. “Next November, our very rights and freedoms will be on the ballot,” said Kelley Robinson, executive director of Planned Parenthood …