Impact2020: July 31, 2020
In today’s Impact2020 briefing, we look at why the pandemic may be accelerating changes to future political conventions, the Trump tweet that got a resounding “no” from Republicans and Democrats, and the president’s fundraiser trouble in Florida.
On the Ground
Will conventions be ‘forever changed’?
With the major changes to the Democratic and Republican national conventions due to the pandemic, the Charlotte Observer’s Jim Morrill reports that “efforts to engage people in different ways may be lasting legacies” of this year’s events.
As John Lassiter, the CEO of the Charlotte convention host committee, put it: “We may have seen the last of political conventions as we know them.”
Morrill writes that conventions “have become little more than infomercials, drained of drama and spontaneity along with their original purpose. To critics, they’ve gone the way of smoke-filled rooms, replaced by a long gauntlet of primaries and caucuses.”
Leah Daughtry, who ran the 2008 and 2016 Democratic conventions, said: “I think that conventions have now forever changed because the pandemic has forced us to think about different ways to get the business of the convention done. … There’s something to be said for using the technology available for us to bring more people into the convention process.”
There are still some defenders of the traditional convention though. Steve Kerrigan, who ran the 2012 Democratic convention in Charlotte, said that while future conventions may change, they’re still valuable, as they can mobilize activists and showcase rising stars.
Standing pat
President Donald Trump’s suggestion that the Nov. 3 general election could be delayed received swift backlash from members of both parties across the country. Bryan Lowry reports for the Kansas City Star that Kansas Secretary of State Scott Schwab “was among the first GOP officials nationally to forcefully reject Trump’s idea and he called on the state’s congressional delegation to do the same.”
Brian Murphy reports for the Raleigh News & Observer that North Carolina GOP Sen. Thom Tillis, who faces a tough re-election bid, said: “The election is going to happen in November, period.” And the state’s Democratic governor, Roy Cooper, who also faces a re-election battle, stated: “Our country has held free elections during crises throughout our history and this year will be no different.”
Even Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, an ally of Trump’s, sounded surprised when a reporter relayed the president’s idea, Kirby Wilson reports for the Miami Herald. “He asked for the election to be delayed?” DeSantis asked.
DeSantis then explained that elections officials had been planning for the fall election for a while and by November, “I think Florida will be ready to go.”
And as Kate Irby points out in her story for the Sacramento Bee, ultimately, “Congress has the power to delay elections, and Trump could not do so unilaterally.”
If you’re curious about how the pandemic has changed the way elections are run in other ways, you should listen to the latest Beyond the Bubble podcast.
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When storms and fundraising collide
A storm may have forced Trump to postpone a weekend fundraiser at his own golf resort in Doral, Fla., but he’s still headed to Tampa today for a different fundraiser, David Smiley and Francesca Chambers report for the Miami Herald.
Joe Biden criticized the trip in a statement: “While Floridians, including our frontline health care workers, continue to struggle every day with the far-reaching impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on their lives, Donald Trump comes to Florida with no apparent intention of addressing these issues and instead is there to raise money for his campaign with his Mar-a-Lago crowd.”
Smiley and Chambers write that “Trump’s campaign is in need of cash, as … Biden’s fundraising picks up.” They provided details about just how much money could be (or could have been) raised at the events:
“Invitations … showed that the Trump campaign was offering donors in Tampa and Miami one ticket to a reception for $5,600, two tickets and a photo to donors who gave or raised $35,000, and the photo and reception tickets, plus access to a roundtable discussion to those who contributed $100,000.”
The postponement of the Doral fundraiser could avoid or delay an awkward situation, “as it was unclear whether the Trump campaign could legally hold the weekend fundraiser amid strict regulations intended to slow the spread of the coronavirus.”
Trail Mix
Battleground state watch
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Julian Routh reports that Vice President Mike Pence reaffirmed the administration’s support of police during his trip to Greenburg, Pa., telling the crowd at the Cops for Trump event: “Law enforcement isn’t the problem. Law enforcement is the solution.”
Democratic Gov. Tony Evers issued a statewide order requiring all Wisconsin residents to wear face masks while indoors until the end of September, report Molly Beck and Patrick Marley for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Jonathan Lai reports that mail balloting problems in last month’s Pennsylvania primary prevented tens of thousands of people from voting.
GOP Rep. Bob Cupp replaced indicted Larry Householder as Ohio House speaker, the Columbus Dispatch’s Anna Staver reports.
Battle for Congress
Texas Sen. Ted Cruz may have persuaded Trump to withhold an endorsement of Rep. Roger Marshall in the Kansas Senate GOP primary, Bryan Lowry reports for the Kansas City Star.
Number of the Day
9%
Biden leads Trump by 9 points, 50% to 41%, among registered voters in Pennsylvania, according to a new Franklin & Marshall College poll.
Show Me The Money
Credit: U.S. Mint
The U.S. Mint unveiled the designs for coins honoring President George H.W. Bush and his wife Barbara Bush, months after Trump signed a bill sponsored by Sen. John Cornyn and Rep. Roger Williams of Texas to authorize creating them. The Dallas Morning News’ Paul Cobler has the details.
For Planning Purposes
July 31
Trump holds a fundraiser in Tampa
Biden attends a virtual grassroots finance event with Sen. Elizabeth Warren
Pence hosts a Law Enforcement for Trump call
New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham and Wisconsin state Rep. JoCasta Zamarripa host a virtual Biden campaign roundtable
Cory Booker hosts a virtual Biden campaign roundtable in Philadelphia
August 4
Primaries in Arizona, Kansas, Michigan, Missouri and Washington
August 6
Ashley Biden hosts a Wisconsin Women for Biden organizing event
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This story was originally published July 31, 2020 at 12:16 PM.