This article is from the source 'nytimes' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/03/us/politics/presidential-election.html

The article has changed 6 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 1 Version 2
Presidential Election: Melania Trump and Bernie Sanders to the Rescue Presidential Election: Melania Trump and Bernie Sanders to the Rescue
(about 9 hours later)
Hillary Clinton and Donald J. Trump will barnstorm North Carolina on Thursday, each seeking to bolster support in a battleground that has switched from Democrat to Republican in the past eight years. Hillary Clinton and Donald J. Trump barnstormed across North Carolina on Thursday, each seeking to bolster support in a battleground state that has switched from Democrat to Republican in the past eight years.
But while Mrs. Clinton focuses her time in the state, she has a number of supporters — including President Obama — who can campaign on her behalf elsewhere. Heading into the final days of the presidential campaign, the race has settled back into a tight contest, with Mrs. Clinton holding an edge over Mr. Trump after a month of tumult, according to the latest New York Times/CBS News poll released on Thursday.
Mr. Trump is closer to a one-man show, relying mostly on his family and his running mate, Gov. Mike Pence of Indiana, to fan out across the country. The margin between the candidates is narrow, with 45 percent of likely voters supporting Mrs. Clinton, the Democratic candidate, to 42 percent for Mr. Trump, the Republican nominee.
What to watch for on Thursday. Here’s what else to watch for.
Ms. Trump, who has studiously avoided the campaign trail, is making her first solo appearance. She will appear in suburban Philadelphia, with a speech tailored to women and mothers about what a President Trump might do for their lives. Melania Trump made a rare appearance on the campaign trail in the battleground state of Pennsylvania on Thursday, seeking to soften her husband’s coarse image by proclaiming to voters that Donald J. Trump respects all Americans and promising that as president he would promote values of compassion and charity across the country.
In her few media interviews, Ms. Trump, a former model, has had a softening effect on her husband’s hammer-blunt approach. She told Anderson Cooper on CNN recently that she was appalled by remarks Mr. Trump made about women that emerged last month on an 11-year-old “Access Hollywood” recording, but she portrayed him as merely boisterous. The deployment of Ms. Trump comes as the Trump campaign is trying to extend a late burst of momentum before Election Day by swaying undecided voters and women who have been wary of the Republican nominee.
Ms. Trump will use what little time is left to improve his dismal standing with female voters. Mr. Trump needs the trove of wealthy and educated voters in the counties surrounding Philadelphia to succeed in turning the state red for the first time since 1988, but many of those former Republicans have been turned off by his comments about immigrants and women.
Ms. Trump, who is trying to change that, spoke at a recreational center in a Main Line town about 20 miles west of Philadelphia.
In her few interviews, Ms. Trump, a former model, has had a softening effect on her husband’s hammer-blunt approach. She told Anderson Cooper on CNN recently that she was appalled by remarks Mr. Trump made about women on an 11-year-old “Access Hollywood” recording that emerged last month, but she portrayed him as merely being boisterous.
Mr. Obama savaged and belittled Mr. Trump in North Carolina as he hit the campaign trail for Mrs. Clinton on Wednesday.Mr. Obama savaged and belittled Mr. Trump in North Carolina as he hit the campaign trail for Mrs. Clinton on Wednesday.
The president is able to taunt Mr. Trump in a way few others can, and he may be back at it in Jacksonville, Fla., on Thursday. Mr. Trump, as it happens, will also campaign there. The president is able to taunt Mr. Trump in a way few others can, and he was back at it in Florida on Thursday, where he has a few stops on his schedule, including Jacksonville. Mr. Trump, as it happens, also campaigned there on Thursday.
Mr. Obama’s criticism of the F.B.I. director, James B. Comey, on Wednesday over the investigation into Mrs. Clinton’s private email server may provoke a reaction from Mr. Trump. At a rally in Miami, Mr. Obama seemed to revel in the last intensive political campaign of his life, going off-script and lagging behind schedule. In one aside, he used Senator Marco Rubio, who faced Mr. Trump in the Republican presidential primary and is in a tight re-election race in the state, to taunt Mr. Trump.
Mr. Obama noted that Mr. Rubio had called Mr. Trump a con man and said on Twitter that “friends don’t let friends vote for con artists.”
Mr. Rubio had nonetheless voted for Mr. Trump, the president noted.
“Obviously, he did not have good enough friends,” Mr. Obama said of the senator.
As he took the stage at his final rally in Florida on Wednesday night, Mr. Trump spoke out loud to himself.As he took the stage at his final rally in Florida on Wednesday night, Mr. Trump spoke out loud to himself.
“Stay on point, Donald; stay on point,” he said. “Nice and easy, Donald.”“Stay on point, Donald; stay on point,” he said. “Nice and easy, Donald.”
It’s unusual for a candidate to state such stage directions out loud. But though Mr. Trump has reliably erupted at insults throughout the campaign, he now seems to be doing his best not to respond. It’s unusual for a candidate to state such stage directions out loud. Although Mr. Trump has reliably erupted at being insulted throughout the campaign, he now seems to be doing his best not to respond.
Democrats have projected a war-room-style message since last Friday, when Mr. Comey sent a letter to Congress informing members of the F.B.I.’s renewed interest in Mrs. Clinton’s email server. Democrats attacked Mr. Comey and called the developments unusual.Democrats have projected a war-room-style message since last Friday, when Mr. Comey sent a letter to Congress informing members of the F.B.I.’s renewed interest in Mrs. Clinton’s email server. Democrats attacked Mr. Comey and called the developments unusual.
Mrs. Clinton has tried to refocus her attention on Mr. Trump. But her message is tactical and demographics-based, seeking to appeal to African-Americans, Hispanics and women.Mrs. Clinton has tried to refocus her attention on Mr. Trump. But her message is tactical and demographics-based, seeking to appeal to African-Americans, Hispanics and women.
Mrs. Clinton is missing a broader closing argument.Mrs. Clinton is missing a broader closing argument.
Mr. Sanders will be with Mrs. Clinton in North Carolina on Thursday, resuming events on her behalf that have been focused in states with large populations of white working-class voters.Mr. Sanders will be with Mrs. Clinton in North Carolina on Thursday, resuming events on her behalf that have been focused in states with large populations of white working-class voters.
At a rally on Wednesday night, Mr. Trump maintained that Mr. Sanders would soon withdraw his support for Mrs. Clinton because of lingering ill feelings from their primary fight.At a rally on Wednesday night, Mr. Trump maintained that Mr. Sanders would soon withdraw his support for Mrs. Clinton because of lingering ill feelings from their primary fight.
Mr. Sanders’s schedule, which includes Clinton events this weekend in Iowa, suggests otherwise.Mr. Sanders’s schedule, which includes Clinton events this weekend in Iowa, suggests otherwise.
The damage from the disclosures of hacked and stolen emails from the account of John D. Podesta, Mrs. Clinton’s campaign chairman, has been limited primarily to negative headlines.
The founder of WikiLeaks, Julian Assange, has repeatedly teased that he will continue to drop new information. Mr. Trump said on Wednesday that he thought more damaging information would emerge this week — and that he would talk about it once it did.