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/2016/11/05/us/politics/presidential-election.html

The article has changed 11 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 0 Version 1
Presidential Election: Early Voting Shapes Campaign’s Final Weekend Presidential Election: Trump Goes on the Attack as Early Voting Shapes Campaign’s Final Weekend
(about 7 hours later)
Hillary Clinton and Donald J. Trump will use the final Saturday before Election Day to make their closing pitches to voters, with Mrs. Clinton in South Florida and Philadelphia and Mr. Trump dashing to four states across three time zones — the sort of barnstorming tours presidential candidates traditionally have made in the last 72 hours before Election Day. Hillary Clinton and Donald J. Trump are using the final Saturday before Election Day to make their closing pitches to voters, with Mrs. Clinton in South Florida and Philadelphia and Mr. Trump dashing to four states across three time zones — the sort of barnstorming tours presidential candidates traditionally have made in the last 72 hours before Election Day.
Except there is no such thing as Election Day any longer, as more than 33 million Americans had already voted as of Friday. The explosive growth in early voting has transformed presidential politics and put a premium on state-level organization. It also is a driving force in determining where the candidates spend the final days of the campaign.Except there is no such thing as Election Day any longer, as more than 33 million Americans had already voted as of Friday. The explosive growth in early voting has transformed presidential politics and put a premium on state-level organization. It also is a driving force in determining where the candidates spend the final days of the campaign.
Here are some of the things we will be watching for on Saturday: Here are some of the things we are watching for on Saturday:
Mrs. Clinton’s afternoon rally in Pembroke Pines, an increasingly diverse community in Broward County, is aimed at driving South Florida’s mix of Hispanic, black, Caribbean and Jewish voters to cast an early vote. Mr. Trump planned to use a morning rally in Tampa, one of the country’s bellwether cities, to energize his loyalists and persuade the dwindling number of fence-sitters. Mrs. Clinton’s afternoon rally in Pembroke Pines, an increasingly diverse community in Broward County, is aimed at driving South Florida’s mix of Hispanic, black, Caribbean and Jewish voters to cast an early vote. Mr. Trump aimed to use a morning rally in Tampa, one of the country’s bellwether cities, to energize his loyalists and persuade the dwindling number of fence-sitters.
Analyses of the early vote suggest a highly competitive finish — fitting for the state that brought us the 2000 recount — but with Hispanics voting in far greater numbers than they did four years ago. If those voters break to Mrs. Clinton, it could be difficult for Mr. Trump to win Florida.Analyses of the early vote suggest a highly competitive finish — fitting for the state that brought us the 2000 recount — but with Hispanics voting in far greater numbers than they did four years ago. If those voters break to Mrs. Clinton, it could be difficult for Mr. Trump to win Florida.
And that could effectively decide the election. Mr. Trump has virtually no path to 270 electoral votes without the 29 from the biggest swing state of them all. And that could effectively decide the election. Mr. Trump has virtually no path to 270 electoral votes without the 29 from Florida, the biggest swing state of them all.
Taking advantage of the time zones, Mr. Trump had evening events scheduled Saturday in Reno and Denver. Strategists in both parties were somewhat puzzled by the trip west — and not just because Nevada’s early vote period ended on Friday. Mr. Trump stuck to his favorite lines of attack at a Saturday morning rally, saying that Mrs. Clinton and her special-interest cronies will pillage the pocket books of regular Americans if she is elected and asserting that the Obama administration is colluding with the Justice Department to protect her from the legal consequences of her email practices.
Mr. Trump also issued warnings to companies who are considering moving their operations to other countries.
And, to the delight of his supporters, he vowed that a wall along the border with Mexico would happen no matter what.
“The harder they fight us, the higher it goes,” Mr. Trump said to cheers.
Taking advantage of the time zones, Mr. Trump has evening events scheduled Saturday in Reno and Denver. Strategists in both parties were somewhat puzzled by the trip west — and not just because Nevada’s early vote period ended on Friday.
Nevada and Colorado are both increasingly filled with new voters, some of them immigrants and others transplants from other states. They have made the once conservative-leaning states far more friendly to Democrats. In other words, these are not good fits for Mr. Trump’s style of hard-edge populism.Nevada and Colorado are both increasingly filled with new voters, some of them immigrants and others transplants from other states. They have made the once conservative-leaning states far more friendly to Democrats. In other words, these are not good fits for Mr. Trump’s style of hard-edge populism.
Yet some recent public polling has indicated that both states have tightened, and Mrs. Clinton signaled she was at least somewhat concerned when she decided to resume airing TV ads in Colorado for the first time since summer. But if Mr. Trump loses the race because he only narrow lost the older and whiter Rust Belt states, he may regret continuing to spend time and money in Western states with more forbidding demographics. Yet some recent public polling has indicated that both states have tightened, and Mrs. Clinton signaled that she was at least somewhat concerned when she decided to resume airing television ads in Colorado for the first time since summer. But if Mr. Trump loses the race because he only narrowly lost the older and whiter Rust Belt states, he may regret continuing to spend time and money in Western states with more forbidding demographics.
No state has been so tempting, yet so elusive, for Republicans than Pennsylvania. Mitt Romney made a last-minute trip there four years ago when it was clear he needed to find an alternate path to 270, and Mr. Trump has refused to give up on it despite every public poll showing that he’s losing there. According to Jon Ralston, a political analyst for KTNV, high turnout from Latinos and Democrats in the state’s crucial Clark County is a bad omen for Republicans.
Democrats outpaced Republicans in Clark County by 11,000 votes cast on Friday, Mr. Ralston reported, giving Mrs. Clinton a larger firewall than President Obama had in the state when he won by 7 points in 2012.
Thousands of mostly Latino voters lined up late into the night to vote, meaning that Republicans could also face losses down ballot on Tuesday.
No state has been so tempting, yet so elusive, for Republicans than Pennsylvania. Mitt Romney made a last-minute trip there four years ago when it was clear that he needed to find an alternate path to 270, and Mr. Trump has refused to give up on it despite every public poll showing that he’s losing there.
He was there on Friday, rallying voters in Hershey. It is this central part of the state — what the Democratic strategist James Carville once cracked was the Alabama that stood between Philadelphia and Pittsburgh — that has kept Mr. Trump somewhat competitive.He was there on Friday, rallying voters in Hershey. It is this central part of the state — what the Democratic strategist James Carville once cracked was the Alabama that stood between Philadelphia and Pittsburgh — that has kept Mr. Trump somewhat competitive.
Yet Pennsylvania elections are won and lost not in the “T” between the two cities, but rather in the heavily populated Philadelphia region.Yet Pennsylvania elections are won and lost not in the “T” between the two cities, but rather in the heavily populated Philadelphia region.
Mrs. Clinton has been dominant there in the polls, benefiting from the mix of suburban moderates and liberal city voters. But there is no in-person early vote in the state so data-obsessed Democrats are somewhat uneasy about where they actually stand. In particular, they are concerned about turnout among millennials and African-Americans tapering off from Barack Obama’s two wins. Mrs. Clinton has been dominant there in the polls, benefiting from the mix of suburban moderates and liberal city voters. But there is no in-person early vote in the state so data-obsessed that Democrats are somewhat uneasy about where they actually stand. In particular, they are concerned about turnout among millennials and African-Americans tapering off from Barack Obama’s two wins.
The solution: Mrs. Clinton is coming to Philadelphia twice in the campaign’s closing days, once with the pop singer Katy Perry on Saturday night and then, in a flashing neon sign of continuity, with the president and Michelle Obama on Monday evening for one final pre-election rally.The solution: Mrs. Clinton is coming to Philadelphia twice in the campaign’s closing days, once with the pop singer Katy Perry on Saturday night and then, in a flashing neon sign of continuity, with the president and Michelle Obama on Monday evening for one final pre-election rally.
Presidential candidates typically turn away from scorched-earth attacks to a more uplifting closing message in the final hours of a campaign. But this hasn’t been a typical campaign.Presidential candidates typically turn away from scorched-earth attacks to a more uplifting closing message in the final hours of a campaign. But this hasn’t been a typical campaign.
And given how much Mrs. Clinton has benefited from antipathy toward Mr. Trump, she may be loath to stop reminding voters what they dislike about him — especially as she looks to nudge people to the polls in the final window of early voting.And given how much Mrs. Clinton has benefited from antipathy toward Mr. Trump, she may be loath to stop reminding voters what they dislike about him — especially as she looks to nudge people to the polls in the final window of early voting.
But it would be a sign of Mrs. Clinton’s confidence that she has 270 electoral votes in hand if she turns away from her attacks on Mr. Trump and toward more unifying themes as Tuesday nears.But it would be a sign of Mrs. Clinton’s confidence that she has 270 electoral votes in hand if she turns away from her attacks on Mr. Trump and toward more unifying themes as Tuesday nears.
Mr. Trump, it is safe to say, will not stop blistering Mrs. Clinton.Mr. Trump, it is safe to say, will not stop blistering Mrs. Clinton.
Predicting unknown unknowns, as Donald Rumsfeld called them, is impossible. One arrived on Friday that could benefit Mrs. Clinton.Predicting unknown unknowns, as Donald Rumsfeld called them, is impossible. One arrived on Friday that could benefit Mrs. Clinton.
After a difficult week following the F.B.I.’s decision to continue investigating her email practices as secretary of state, her campaign was happy to have a more favorable surprise: a jury’s decision to convict two former aides to Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey on all counts in George Washington Bridge lane-closing scandal. Mr. Christie, who has been heading Mr. Trump’s transition team, canceled appearances Saturday he had planned to make on the nominee’s behalf. After a difficult week following the F.B.I.’s decision to continue investigating her email practices as secretary of state, her campaign was happy to have a more favorable surprise: a jury’s decision to convict two former aides to Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey on all counts in George Washington Bridge lane-closing scandal. Mr. Christie, who has been heading Mr. Trump’s transition team, canceled appearances on Saturday that he had planned to make on the nominee’s behalf.
Further, it was a diversion from the near-daily leaks from the F.B.I. about Mrs. Clinton and the release of John D. Podesta’s hacked emails by WikiLeaks.Further, it was a diversion from the near-daily leaks from the F.B.I. about Mrs. Clinton and the release of John D. Podesta’s hacked emails by WikiLeaks.
But there may be a bigger bombshell yet to explode.But there may be a bigger bombshell yet to explode.
Don’t forget, it was in the final weekend of the election in 2004 when a video featuring Osama bin Laden was released that reminded voters of the terror threat — and helped lift George W. Bush in a tight race.Don’t forget, it was in the final weekend of the election in 2004 when a video featuring Osama bin Laden was released that reminded voters of the terror threat — and helped lift George W. Bush in a tight race.