October 10, 2016 12:52 PM UTC

Get More Smarter on Monday (October 10)

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• by: Colorado Pols

Happy Thanksgiving to our friends in Canada. It’s time to Get More Smarter with Colorado Pols. If you think we missed something important, please include the link in the comments below (here’s a good example). If you are more of a visual learner, check out The Get More Smarter Show.

TOP OF MIND TODAY…

► As you may have heard, there was a Presidential debate on Sunday night in St. Louis, Missouri. Donald Trump (literally) stalked around the room lobbing fact-free grenades toward Hillary Clinton. Trump supporters no doubt enjoyed the full-fledged attack on Clinton, but Trump didn’t do nearly enough to overtake Clinton as the winner of the debate. The big loser from Sunday night is the Republican Party in general, as the Washington Post explains.

► It’s too soon to know how Sunday’s debate may have influenced voters, but Trump’s latest scandalous news is not trending well for the Republican nominee. From NBC News:

As Donald Trump’s campaign reels over tapes of the presidential candidate’s sexually aggressive comments about women in 2005, the Republican nominee now trails Hillary Clinton by double digits among likely voters, according to a new NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll. 

The poll, conducted on Saturday and Sunday but before the second presidential debate, shows Clinton with 46 percent support among likely voters in a four-way matchup, compared to 35 percent for Trump [Pols emphasis]…

…And among all registered voters, Clinton’s lead is 13 points, her largest advantage over Trump since the poll began testing the pair last September.

House Speaker Paul Ryan never seemed particularly happy aboard the S.S. Trump in the first place, but Ryan is now heading for the lifeboats. As the Washington Post reports, Ryan informed colleagues today that he will no longer campaign for Trump or defend the GOP Presidential nominee:

In a conference call with GOP House members Monday morning, Ryan said he is “only campaigning for House seats and promoting our agenda,” according to multiple participants on the call who requested anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the topic.

Ryan’s move underscores the dilemma Republicans now face, even as Trump and his allies were buoyed by an assertive Sunday debate performance that brought the campaign into new and dark territory. They can remain in line with their nominee, which will please their base but could alienate swing voters critical to maintaining their hold on Congress, or renounce him and offend Republicans eager for a direct confrontation with both Clinton and her husband.

Trump is not pleased with Speaker Ryan, to say the least.

► Trump lost a lot of Republican support this weekend in the wake of revelations about an old interview in which Trump demonstrated his, ahem, views on women. Here in Colorado, Congressman Scott Tipton (R-Cortez) made it clear that he will STILL vote for Trump, while Congressman Mike Coffman (R-Aurora) made a clumsy statement about asking Trump to drop out of the race; Coffman’s spokespeople spent Saturday furiously clarifying with media outlets that Coffman had indeed decided not to vote for Trump.

Oh, and Republican Senate candidate Darryl Glenn is also dropping his support for Trump after waiting a long time to see what everyone else would do, first. Senator Cory Gardner (R-Yuma) is also abandoning Trump. Gardner backed Trump later this summer after his two previously-endorsed candidates, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, both flamed out against Trump. The kiss…of death.

► Democratic Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton returns to Colorado on Wednesday for her first state visit in several weeks. Clinton will be pushing early voting and voter registration efforts less than a week before mail ballots are sent out in Colorado.

Get even more smarter after the jump…

IN CASE YOU ARE STANDING NEAR A WATER COOLER…

► Congressman Mike Coffman (R-Aurora) loves to tout his Spanish-language speaking skills…which makes it particularly strange that he would use the exact same closing statement in a Univision debate two years in a row. Coffman’s closing remarks in the debate, which was filmed last Tuesday but didn’t air until Saturday, are virtually a word-for-word copy of his same closing statement in a Univision debate in 2014. What’s the Spanish word for “pandering?”

► Proponents of Amendment 70 (minimum wage increase) are doing a good job of humanizing the campaign. 

► Republican Senate candidate Darryl Glenn again proves that he has absolutely no idea what he is doing on the campaign trail.

► Congressman Jared Polis (D-Boulderish) makes his case for opposing Amendment 71.

► Donald Trump’s Presidential campaign is pulling scheduled TV ads from Colorado.

► Vice Presidential candidate Tim Kaine is in Denver on Monday, along with recording artist Dave Matthews, for a GOTV event and concert.

► Jon Murray of the Denver Post profiles Democratic state Sen. Morgan Carroll and her campaign to unseat Rep. Mike Coffman. Meanwhile, Peter Marcus of the Durango Herald takes a similar look at Democrat Gail Schwartz in CD-3.

► Today is Columbus Day, or “Indigenous People’s Day,” depending on your perspective. 

► Hell hath no fury like a Republican Presidential candidate scorned.

OTHER LINKS YOU SHOULD CLICK

► Donald Trump once called it the eighth wonder of the world. Today, he calls it “closed.” The Trump Taj Mahal in Atlantic City shut its doors for good on Monday morning.

► Trump acknowledged during Sunday’s debate that he has used accounting tricks to avoid paying income taxes for many years.

ICYMI

► The Denver Broncos lost their first game of the season at the hands of the visiting Atlanta Falcons on Sunday. The Broncos have to make a quick turnaround for a Thursday night game in San Diego. 

Don’t forget to check out The Get More Smarter Show. You can also Get More Smarter by liking Colorado Pols on Facebook!