Subject: The Daily Trail: Democrats feel the Bern...
From: The Washington Post <[email-masked]>
To: [email-masked]
Date: Wed, 18 May 2016 20:41:11 -0400

The Daily Trail from PowerPost
...and Sanders doesn't seem eager to lower the flame.

If you're having trouble reading this, click here. <{{view_url}}>

<http://link.washingtonpost.com/click/6752460.6934/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cud2FzaGluZ3RvbnBvc3QuY29tL25ld3MvcG9zdC1wb2xpdGljcy9wYWxvbWEvdGhlLWRhaWx5LXRyYWlsLzIwMTYvMDUvMTgvdGhlLWRhaWx5LXRyYWlsLWRlbW9jcmF0cy1mZWVsLXRoZS1iZXJuLzU3M2NiODliOTgxYjkyYTIyZDhhNDNmNS8_d3BtbT0xJndwaXNyYz1ubF90cmFpbA/5728a16715dd9659088b55adDf89d3f08>

  Share on Twitter <http://link.washingtonpost.com/click/6752460.6934/aHR0cHM6Ly90d2l0dGVyLmNvbS9pbnRlbnQvdHdlZXQ_dGV4dD1DaGVjayUyMG91dCUyMFRoZSUyMERhaWx5JTIwVHJhaWwlMjBmcm9tJTIwJTQwUG9zdFBvbGl0aWNzJTIwaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cud2FzaGluZ3RvbnBvc3QuY29tL25ld3MvcG9zdC1wb2xpdGljcy9wYWxvbWEvdGhlLWRhaWx5LXRyYWlsLzIwMTYvMDUvMTgvdGhlLWRhaWx5LXRyYWlsLWRlbW9jcmF0cy1mZWVsLXRoZS1iZXJuLzU3M2NiODliOTgxYjkyYTIyZDhhNDNmNS8mc291cmNlPXdlYmNsaWVudCZ3cG1tPTEmd3Bpc3JjPW5sX3RyYWls/5728a16715dd9659088b55adCdf359bd6>     Share on Facebook <http://link.washingtonpost.com/click/6752460.6934/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZmFjZWJvb2suY29tL3NoYXJlci9zaGFyZXIucGhwP3U9aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cud2FzaGluZ3RvbnBvc3QuY29tL25ld3MvcG9zdC1wb2xpdGljcy9wYWxvbWEvdGhlLWRhaWx5LXRyYWlsLzIwMTYvMDUvMTgvdGhlLWRhaWx5LXRyYWlsLWRlbW9jcmF0cy1mZWVsLXRoZS1iZXJuLzU3M2NiODliOTgxYjkyYTIyZDhhNDNmNS8md3BtbT0xJndwaXNyYz1ubF90cmFpbA/5728a16715dd9659088b55adCddaed99f>

<http://link.washingtonpost.com/click/6752460.6934/aHR0cDovL2xpLndhc2hpbmd0b25wb3N0LmNvbS9jbGljaz9zPTE3MjcxMSZsYXlvdXQ9bWFycXVlZSZsaT0lN0IlN0JhZGhhc2glN0QlN0Qmd3BtbT0xJndwaXNyYz1ubF90cmFpbA/5728a16715dd9659088b55adBa0d48658>

<http://link.washingtonpost.com/click/6752460.6934/aHR0cDovL2xpLndhc2hpbmd0b25wb3N0LmNvbS9jbGljaz9zPTE3MjcxNCZzej0xMTZ4MTUmbGk9JTdCJTdCYWRoYXNoJTdEJTdEJndwbW09MSZ3cGlzcmM9bmxfdHJhaWw/5728a16715dd9659088b55adCa51d907b>   <http://link.washingtonpost.com/click/6752460.6934/aHR0cDovL2xpLndhc2hpbmd0b25wb3N0LmNvbS9jbGljaz9zPTE3MjcxNSZzej02OXgxNSZsaT0lN0IlN0JhZGhhc2glN0QlN0Qmd3BtbT0xJndwaXNyYz1ubF90cmFpbA/5728a16715dd9659088b55adD0e073195>

Democrats feel the Bern... <http://link.washingtonpost.com/click/6752460.6934/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cud2FzaGluZ3RvbnBvc3QuY29tL25ld3MvcG9zdC1wb2xpdGljcy9wYWxvbWEvdGhlLWRhaWx5LXRyYWlsLzIwMTYvMDUvMTgvdGhlLWRhaWx5LXRyYWlsLWRlbW9jcmF0cy1mZWVsLXRoZS1iZXJuLzU3M2NiODliOTgxYjkyYTIyZDhhNDNmNS8_d3BtbT0xJndwaXNyYz1ubF90cmFpbA/5728a16715dd9659088b55adEf89d3f08>

The best of weeks, the worst of weeks. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, File)

Bernie Sanders had a big win last night. He's also having one of the worst weeks of his campaign. 

A string of related trends — some of them math-related, some of them message-related, none of them good — all seem to be snowballing in ways that aren't entirely within the senator's control. Some of them are snowballing in ways he does not appear interested in controlling (at least, not yet.)

The Vermont senator's defiant speech last night "sent shudders through those supporting [Hillary] Clinton, who are growing increasingly irritated by Sanders’s ever-presence in the race — and nervous that he is damaging Clinton," reports <http://link.washingtonpost.com/click/6752460.6934/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cud2FzaGluZ3RvbnBvc3QuY29tL3BvbGl0aWNzL2EtZnJhY3R1cmVkLWRlbW9jcmF0aWMtcGFydHktdGhyZWF0ZW5zLWNsaW50b25zLWNoYW5jZXMtYWdhaW5zdC10cnVtcC8yMDE2LzA1LzE4LzkxZTUzZDEyLTFjNmMtMTFlNi1iNmUwLWM1M2I3ZWY2M2I0NV9zdG9yeS5odG1sP3dwbW09MSZ3cGlzcmM9bmxfdHJhaWw/5728a16715dd9659088b55adCc415cb97> Dave Weigel.

"All of it seems to have come to a head in recent days, as bitterness on both sides has boiled over and prompted new worries that a fractured party could lead to chaos at the national convention and harm Clinton’s chances against Trump in November. Two realities seem to be fueling it all: The nomination is for all intents and purposes out of Sanders’s reach, yet his supporters are showing no signs of wanting to rally behind Clinton."

"'If you lose a game that you put your heart and soul into, and you lose squarely, you can walk off the court and shake someone’s hand and say, Well done,' said Rep. Diane Russell, a Maine legislator and Sanders supporter. 'If you don’t feel like the game was working fairly, it’s hard to do that.'

"On the other side is this view: It’s also hard to win a general election with a protracted, divisive primary battle that won’t go away. 'The way he’s been acting now is a demonstration of why he’s had no support from his colleagues,' said former Massachusetts congressman Barney Frank."

<http://link.washingtonpost.com/click/6752460.6934/aHR0cDovL3d3dy53YXNoaW5ndG9ucG9zdC5jb20vdmlkZW8vcG9saXRpY3MvYmVybmllLXNhbmRlcnMtdGhhbmsteW91LXJlZGRpdC0tY2FtcGFpZ24tMjAxNi8yMDE2LzA1LzE4LzY4YmZiMWM0LTFkMjUtMTFlNi04MmMyLWE3ZGNiMzEzMjg3ZF92aWRlby5odG1sP3dwbW09MSZ3cGlzcmM9bmxfdHJhaWw/5728a16715dd9659088b55adC93650f7a>

Bernie Sanders: 'Thank You, Reddit!' | Campaign 2016

(Sanders to Reddit: See you at the convention)

"Sanders supporters are crying 'fraud' over delegate selection and threatening to sit out the election. They have promised to press their case to the convention floor. It happened in 2008 in the final throes of Clinton’s failed bid against Barack Obama; what remains unclear is whether this year’s divisions will go deeper or longer.

"An explosive weekend convention in Nevada, where Sanders supporters turned on the state party chairwoman for overruling their challenges and seating Clinton delegates, exposed the depth of the acrimony. In his statements since then, Sanders has made no attempt to heal it."

"As Sanders has fallen behind Clinton, more conservatives have looked for ways to exploit the angst. On Tuesday morning, Fox News sent one of its morning show hosts onto the streets of New York to ask voters if the primary had been rigged for Clinton. Dan Backer, the conservative attorney and treasurer of the pro-Trump Great America PAC, has egged on Sanders supporters on Facebook with pep talks like 'Bernie will win the most primaries, and can still take the most pledged (elected) delegates while narrowing the total vote gap.' Trump himself has announced a kind of snarky solidarity with Sanders, telling voters and Twitter followers that the senator should bolt the party over his foul treatment.

<http://link.washingtonpost.com/click/6752460.6934/aHR0cHM6Ly90d2l0dGVyLmNvbS9yZWFsRG9uYWxkVHJ1bXAvc3RhdHVzLzczMjg5MzU3MzM2NTAxMDQzMj93cG1tPTEmd3Bpc3JjPW5sX3RyYWls/5728a16715dd9659088b55adC24a1294b>

"The Sanders campaign has endorsed none of this — but it hasn’t tamped it down."

The chorus of voices calling on Sanders to ease up on the Clinton- and party-bashing and speak up about the need for calm from his fans seems to be growing by the hour. (So much so that as of mid-week, the "Disappointed <http://link.washingtonpost.com/click/6752460.6934/aHR0cDovL3d3dy5zYWxvbi5jb20vMjAxNi8wNS8xOC9zb3JyeV9iZXJuaWVfaV9sb3ZlX3lvdV9idXRfdGhpc19pc19vdmVyX2FuZF9nZXR0aW5nX2VtYmFycmFzc2luZy8_d3BtbT0xJndwaXNyYz1ubF90cmFpbA/5728a16715dd9659088b55adC6fc1d6fb> Sanders supporter <http://link.washingtonpost.com/click/6752460.6934/aHR0cDovL3RpbWUuY29tLzQzMzk4NjUvYmVybmllLXNhbmRlcnMtc3VwcG9ydGVycy12aW9sZW5jZS8_eGlkPXRpbWVfc29jaWFsZmxvd190d2l0dGVyJndwbW09MSZ3cGlzcmM9bmxfdHJhaWw/5728a16715dd9659088b55adC0f83f450>" had overtaken "#NeverTrump devotee" as the Hot New Heretic online.) But a candidate heading into the most expensive primary of the season probably can't afford to — literally: his fundraising appeals lately have leaned heavily on that message.

With patience on both sides wearing thin, Joe Biden weighed in carefully <http://link.washingtonpost.com/click/6752460.6934/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cud2FzaGluZ3RvbnBvc3QuY29tL25ld3MvcG9zdC1wb2xpdGljcy93cC8yMDE2LzA1LzE4L2JpZGVuLXNheXMtdGhlcmUtaXMtbm8tZnVuZGFtZW50YWwtc3BsaXQtYW1vbmctZGVtb2NyYXRzLWV4cGVjdHMtdW5pdHkvP3dwbW09MSZ3cGlzcmM9bmxfdHJhaWw/5728a16715dd9659088b55adD46797adc> on the situation Wednesday. He "defended Sen. Bernie Sanders's right to carry on his presidential campaign against Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton on Wednesday, but called on the Vermont socialist to be 'more aggressive' in denouncing the behavior of his supporters," reported <http://link.washingtonpost.com/click/6752460.6934/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cud2FzaGluZ3RvbnBvc3QuY29tL25ld3MvcG9zdC1wb2xpdGljcy93cC8yMDE2LzA1LzE4L2JpZGVuLXNheXMtdGhlcmUtaXMtbm8tZnVuZGFtZW50YWwtc3BsaXQtYW1vbmctZGVtb2NyYXRzLWV4cGVjdHMtdW5pdHkvP3dwbW09MSZ3cGlzcmM9bmxfdHJhaWw/5728a16715dd9659088b55adE46797adc> Paul Kane.

"I'm confident that Bernie will be supportive if Hillary wins, which the numbers indicate will happen," Biden said, saying the prospect of a Trump presidency would bring his party together. "There's no fundamental split in the Democratic Party."

He downplayed the Nevada chaos — but if the situation repeats itself, said Biden, Sanders would be expected to address it directly. "That's not Bernie," Biden said. "What Bernie's going to have to do, if that happens again, he's going to have to be more aggressive in speaking out about it."

And Sanders did sound a somewhat aggressive note on the issue today. Technically.

BATTLEGROUND: PENNSYLVANIA

In the Keystone State, some signs he may have suburban appeal. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren, File)

Donald Trump, meanwhile, is focused squarely on the general election — and in a blue-leaning Pennsylvania suburb, there are signs he may have more appeal in  <http://link.washingtonpost.com/click/6752460.6934/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cud2FzaGluZ3RvbnBvc3QuY29tL3BvbGl0aWNzL3RydW1wcy1hcHBlYWwtc3RyZXRjaGVzLXRvLXN1YnVyYnMtdGhhdC1oYWQtYmVlbi10cmVuZGluZy1ibHVlLzIwMTYvMDUvMTcvNGM2NDBjNjAtMWI3Yi0xMWU2LWI2ZTAtYzUzYjdlZjYzYjQ1X3N0b3J5Lmh0bWw_d3BtbT0xJndwaXNyYz1ubF90cmFpbA/5728a16715dd9659088b55adD7b5afdb0>those areas than Democrats might have assumed.

"Across the country, Trump has performed best in the sorts of places Democrats could afford to lose: landslides in Appalachia or in white counties of the deep South. To win the White House in November, he must extend his appeal to unlikely states and unlikely parts of those states. In one of those places — the suburbs of Pennsylvania — Trump is not as toxic as Democrats expected,"  reported <http://link.washingtonpost.com/click/6752460.6934/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cud2FzaGluZ3RvbnBvc3QuY29tL3BvbGl0aWNzL3RydW1wcy1hcHBlYWwtc3RyZXRjaGVzLXRvLXN1YnVyYnMtdGhhdC1oYWQtYmVlbi10cmVuZGluZy1ibHVlLzIwMTYvMDUvMTcvNGM2NDBjNjAtMWI3Yi0xMWU2LWI2ZTAtYzUzYjdlZjYzYjQ1X3N0b3J5Lmh0bWw_d3BtbT0xJndwaXNyYz1ubF90cmFpbA/5728a16715dd9659088b55adE7b5afdb0> Weigel.

"Democrats’ 2016 victory plan resembles the one President Obama deployed in 2012: outrunning Republican gains with conservative whites by turning out nonwhite voters and voters in the suburbs — especially women in the suburbs.

"Obama won just 13 of 67 Pennsylvania counties four years ago, but his margins in Philadelphia and its suburban sprawl, including Bucks, Delaware and Montgomery counties, overwhelmed the Republican vote in its rural strongholds. Since 1988, the last time a Republican presidential candidate won the state, all three suburban counties have flipped from majority Republican registration to majority Democratic.

"The question is whether the modern math still holds. Democrats see opportunities with nonwhite voters alienated by Trump, and they are encouraged by polls that show Arizona, Georgia and North Carolina as battlegrounds. But the flip side is Trump’s potential to win industrial states such as Pennsylvania and moderate suburbs such as Bucks County that were seen as safe or trending blue.

 (AP Photo/Elise Amendola)

<http://link.washingtonpost.com/click/6752460.6934/aHR0cDovL2xpLndhc2hpbmd0b25wb3N0LmNvbS9jbGljaz9zPTE3MjcwMSZzej0zMDB4MjUwJmxpPSU3QiU3QmFkaGFzaCU3RCU3RCZ3cG1tPTEmd3Bpc3JjPW5sX3RyYWls/5728a16715dd9659088b55adE9f5f0556>

<http://link.washingtonpost.com/click/6752460.6934/aHR0cDovL2xpLndhc2hpbmd0b25wb3N0LmNvbS9jbGljaz9zPTE5MDkmc3o9MTE2eDE1JmxpPSU3QiU3QmFkaGFzaCU3RCU3RCZ3cG1tPTEmd3Bpc3JjPW5sX3RyYWls/5728a16715dd9659088b55adFfda20abb>   <http://link.washingtonpost.com/click/6752460.6934/aHR0cDovL2xpLndhc2hpbmd0b25wb3N0LmNvbS9jbGljaz9zPTk1OTE5JnN6PTY5eDE1JmxpPSU3QiU3QmFkaGFzaCU3RCU3RCZ3cG1tPTEmd3Bpc3JjPW5sX3RyYWls/5728a16715dd9659088b55adGe7820ebd>

"The math would seem to work against him. Obama won Pennsylvania by around 310,000 votes; he won Philadelphia and its collar counties with a margin of 615,895 votes. In 1988, Michael Dukakis netted just 28,450 votes from the region. What had been a swing vote had become a firewall.

"That has not stopped suburban Democrats from marveling — and agitating — about Trump’s unexpected popularity in their communities.

"Causing additional worry for Democrats is that Republicans here have largely embraced Trump faster than expected. They have adopted his nothing-to-see-here spin to explain his gaffes and scandals. In particular, they view his apparent lack of interest in social issues as an opening in the suburbs, where since the 1990s, once-dominant Republicans often lose moderate voters. ...

"'I’d have been very confident if they’d nominated Sen. [Ted] Cruz because he would have done terribly in the Philadelphia suburbs,' said U.S. Rep. Brendan Boyle (D-Pa.), whose district covers safely Democratic parts of Philadelphia and Montgomery County. 'The question with Trump is, will he be able to get votes that your typical Republican, like Mitt Romney, couldn’t get? It’s a real X-factor.'"

(While we're talking battlegrounds: memo to Donald Trump — this...isn't the sort of poll result a presumptive Republican nominee would generally highlight in a state that has only voted for a Democratic presidential candidate once in the past six decades. The current Real Clear Politics average, by the way: Clinton 40, Trump 39.)

<http://link.washingtonpost.com/click/6752460.6934/aHR0cHM6Ly90d2l0dGVyLmNvbS9yZWFsRG9uYWxkVHJ1bXAvc3RhdHVzLzczMjk4ODcwNTUzMTY1MDA0OD93cG1tPTEmd3Bpc3JjPW5sX3RyYWls/5728a16715dd9659088b55adC3310a7a6>

SCOTUS PICKS BACK IN THE NEWS. (NOT OBAMA'S)

Who would a President Trump pick? (AP Photo/Jon Elswick, File)

Trump is actually looking even further ahead than the general.

The presumptive Republican nominee has upended nominating tradition this year, saying he's unlikely to name a running mate before the GOP convention. Today, he did upended it again in the other direction, releasing a shortlist of 11  <http://link.washingtonpost.com/click/6752460.6934/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cud2FzaGluZ3RvbnBvc3QuY29tL25ld3MvcG9zdC1wb2xpdGljcy93cC8yMDE2LzA1LzE4L2RvbmFsZC10cnVtcC1yZWxlYXNlcy1saXN0LW9mLTExLXBvdGVudGlhbC1zdXByZW1lLWNvdXJ0LW5vbWluZWVzLz93cG1tPTEmd3Bpc3JjPW5sX3RyYWls/5728a16715dd9659088b55adD8a6669af>individuals he would consider appointing to the Supreme Court if he's elected president.

(Before you ask: yes, we have heard all of your "and his Thanksgiving turkey pardon is scheduled for next Wednesday" thoughts, and we thank you for them.)

Breaking it down, there are some things these picks have in common (they are all white; they are all from red or swing states; they are all currently jurists; none of them went to Harvard.) But some selections stand out.

For instance, Trump had said Diane Sykes of Wisconsin — the wife of one of his most prominent swing-state #NeverTrump critics <http://link.washingtonpost.com/click/6752460.6934/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cud2FzaGluZ3RvbnBvc3QuY29tL25ld3MvcG9zdC1wb2xpdGljcy93cC8yMDE2LzAzLzI4L3RydW1wLWxhbmRzLWluLXdpc2NvbnNpbi13aXRoLWFuLWF3a3dhcmQtcmFkaW8taW50ZXJ2aWV3Lz93cG1tPTEmd3Bpc3JjPW5sX3RyYWls/5728a16715dd9659088b55adC239309e1> — was likely to wind up on his SCOTUS shortlist. She did <http://link.washingtonpost.com/click/6752460.6934/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cud2FzaGluZ3RvbnBvc3QuY29tL25ld3MvcG9zdC1wb2xpdGljcy93cC8yMDE2LzA1LzE4L2RvbmFsZC10cnVtcC1yZWxlYXNlcy1saXN0LW9mLTExLXBvdGVudGlhbC1zdXByZW1lLWNvdXJ0LW5vbWluZWVzLz93cG1tPTEmd3Bpc3JjPW5sX3RyYWls/5728a16715dd9659088b55adE8a6669af>.

So did Tom Willett, a man who has been dubbed the "Tweeter Laureate <http://link.washingtonpost.com/click/6752460.6934/aHR0cDovL3d3dy5leHByZXNzbmV3cy5jb20vbmV3cy9sb2NhbC9hcnRpY2xlL0V2ZXJncmVlbi1Ud2l0dGVyLUp1ZGdlLTY3MjQ1ODYucGhwP3dwbW09MSZ3cGlzcmM9bmxfdHJhaWw/5728a16715dd9659088b55adCd1b7d796>" of Texas. Naturally, when the list came out, many immediately turned to that Twitter feed <http://link.washingtonpost.com/click/6752460.6934/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cud2FzaGluZ3RvbnBvc3QuY29tL25ld3MvdGhlLWZpeC93cC8yMDE2LzA1LzE4L3RoZS1wcm9saWZpYy10d2VldHMtb2YtanVzdGljZXdpbGxldHQtd2hvLW1hZGUtZG9uYWxkLXRydW1wcy1zY290dXMtc2hvcnQtbGlzdC8_d3BtbT0xJndwaXNyYz1ubF90cmFpbA/5728a16715dd9659088b55adCb9b93c8a>. There, they saw tweets like this:

<http://link.washingtonpost.com/click/6752460.6934/aHR0cHM6Ly90d2l0dGVyLmNvbS9KdXN0aWNlV2lsbGV0dC9zdGF0dXMvNzMyMzgwNzM1NjY3OTk0NjI0P3dwbW09MSZ3cGlzcmM9bmxfdHJhaWw/5728a16715dd9659088b55adCeabdb4ed>

<http://link.washingtonpost.com/click/6752460.6934/aHR0cHM6Ly90d2l0dGVyLmNvbS9KdXN0aWNlV2lsbGV0dC9zdGF0dXMvNzA4MTExODEzMDU4MDM1NzE0P3dwbW09MSZ3cGlzcmM9bmxfdHJhaWw/5728a16715dd9659088b55adCa5bd4069>

<http://link.washingtonpost.com/click/6752460.6934/aHR0cHM6Ly90d2l0dGVyLmNvbS9KdXN0aWNlV2lsbGV0dC9zdGF0dXMvNzA5ODM4MTU0MTAzMDIxNTY4P3dwbW09MSZ3cGlzcmM9bmxfdHJhaWw/5728a16715dd9659088b55adCe379f3b0>

and this:

<http://link.washingtonpost.com/click/6752460.6934/aHR0cHM6Ly90d2l0dGVyLmNvbS9KdXN0aWNlV2lsbGV0dC9zdGF0dXMvNzE4MjgwMjQxNzUyNTEwNDY1P3dwbW09MSZ3cGlzcmM9bmxfdHJhaWw/5728a16715dd9659088b55adC8f36b1da>

and...this (along with many, many other examples <http://link.washingtonpost.com/click/6752460.6934/aHR0cHM6Ly90d2l0dGVyLmNvbS9KdXN0aWNlV2lsbGV0dD93cG1tPTEmd3Bpc3JjPW5sX3RyYWls/5728a16715dd9659088b55adC3ff3401a> of bracing 2016 analysis):

<http://link.washingtonpost.com/click/6752460.6934/aHR0cHM6Ly90d2l0dGVyLmNvbS9KdXN0aWNlV2lsbGV0dC9zdGF0dXMvNjEwODU2NzkxMjkxOTE2MjkwP3dwbW09MSZ3cGlzcmM9bmxfdHJhaWw/5728a16715dd9659088b55adC912fe642>

(For the record: We do not yet know if Donald Trump 1) saw this sort of thing before the list went out, and doesn't really mind it, or 2) didn't see it until after the list went out, and actually minds it a lot. We'll let you know if and when we do.) 

Meanwhile, via Jenna Johnson: Here's everything you never knew you always wanted to know <http://link.washingtonpost.com/click/6752460.6934/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cud2FzaGluZ3RvbnBvc3QuY29tL25ld3MvcG9zdC1wb2xpdGljcy93cC8yMDE2LzA1LzE4L2EtZGVmaW5pdGl2ZS1ndWlkZS10by1kb25hbGQtdHJ1bXBzLXR3ZWV0aW5nLWhhYml0cy8_d3BtbT0xJndwaXNyYz1ubF90cmFpbA/5728a16715dd9659088b55adCf5b5865d> about the social media habits of the 2016 field's own Tweeter Laureate, Donald Trump.

And here's Willett himself at a Georgia panel last year, explaining why he has such a...lively Twitter feed:

<http://link.washingtonpost.com/click/6752460.6934/aHR0cDovL3d3dy53YXNoaW5ndG9ucG9zdC5jb20vdmlkZW8vbmF0aW9uYWwvd2h5LXRoaXMtanVkZ2UtaGFzLXN1Y2gtYS1saXZlbHktdHdpdHRlci1mZWVkLzIwMTYvMDUvMTgvMGE5MWUyYmUtMWQzNi0xMWU2LTgyYzItYTdkY2IzMTMyODdkX3ZpZGVvLmh0bWw_d3BtbT0xJndwaXNyYz1ubF90cmFpbA/5728a16715dd9659088b55adC3c836456>

Why this judge has such a lively Twitter feed

Speaking of lively Twitter feeds...PowerPost took a closer look today <http://link.washingtonpost.com/click/6752460.6934/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cud2FzaGluZ3RvbnBvc3QuY29tL25ld3MvcG93ZXJwb3N0L3dwLzIwMTYvMDUvMTgvYXJlLXlvdS1uZXZlcnRydW1wLXlvdXZlLWdvdC10by1mb2xsb3ctdGhpcy1ndXktb24tdHdpdHRlci8_d3BtbT0xJndwaXNyYz1ubF90cmFpbA/5728a16715dd9659088b55adDefd03259> at GOP strategist and #NeverTrump super-tweeter Rick Wilson <http://link.washingtonpost.com/click/6752460.6934/aHR0cHM6Ly90d2l0dGVyLmNvbS9UaGVSaWNrV2lsc29uP3dwbW09MSZ3cGlzcmM9bmxfdHJhaWw/5728a16715dd9659088b55adCbf622a7a>. You may remember him from such response tweets as:

<http://link.washingtonpost.com/click/6752460.6934/aHR0cHM6Ly90d2l0dGVyLmNvbS9SZWRpc3RyaWN0L3N0YXR1cy83MzI1NzYyMTgzMTk2MTgwNDg_d3BtbT0xJndwaXNyYz1ubF90cmFpbA/5728a16715dd9659088b55adC33584897>

<http://link.washingtonpost.com/click/6752460.6934/aHR0cHM6Ly90d2l0dGVyLmNvbS9UaGVSaWNrV2lsc29uL3N0YXR1cy83MzI1ODgzNjkwOTI0MzE4NzI_d3BtbT0xJndwaXNyYz1ubF90cmFpbA/5728a16715dd9659088b55adC166154ee>

<http://link.washingtonpost.com/click/6752460.6934/aHR0cHM6Ly90d2l0dGVyLmNvbS90aGVoaWxsL3N0YXR1cy83MzI2NDk0MDE4ODYyNDg5NjEvP3dwbW09MSZ3cGlzcmM9bmxfdHJhaWw/5728a16715dd9659088b55adCc3cee78a>

<http://link.washingtonpost.com/click/6752460.6934/aHR0cHM6Ly90d2l0dGVyLmNvbS9UaGVSaWNrV2lsc29uL3N0YXR1cy83MzI2NTY1NjgwMDU3NTg5Nzc_d3BtbT0xJndwaXNyYz1ubF90cmFpbA/5728a16715dd9659088b55adC4461596f>

...and so on. But Wilson's biggest contribution to the political Twitter-sphere may have been to draw attention to Sweet Meteor O’Death <http://link.washingtonpost.com/click/6752460.6934/aHR0cHM6Ly90d2l0dGVyLmNvbS9zbW9kMjAxNj93cG1tPTEmd3Bpc3JjPW5sX3RyYWls/5728a16715dd9659088b55adC49588482> — whose premise, as Elise Viebeck notes <http://link.washingtonpost.com/click/6752460.6934/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cud2FzaGluZ3RvbnBvc3QuY29tL25ld3MvcG93ZXJwb3N0L3dwLzIwMTYvMDUvMTgvYXJlLXlvdS1uZXZlcnRydW1wLXlvdXZlLWdvdC10by1mb2xsb3ctdGhpcy1ndXktb24tdHdpdHRlci8_d3BtbT0xJndwaXNyYz1ubF90cmFpbA/5728a16715dd9659088b55adEefd03259>, "is that global mass extinction is coming in the form of a giant meteor and preferable to electing either Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton." If you haven't been following the account: It's like Chicken Soup for the Soul, if that series were devoted less to inspirational homilies than to fatalistic analysis of the 2016 campaign season.

<http://link.washingtonpost.com/click/6752460.6934/aHR0cHM6Ly90d2l0dGVyLmNvbS9zbW9kMjAxNi9zdGF0dXMvNzE4MTkwMzEzNDU4Njc1NzEyP3dwbW09MSZ3cGlzcmM9bmxfdHJhaWw/5728a16715dd9659088b55adCa2070fd0>

<http://link.washingtonpost.com/click/6752460.6934/aHR0cHM6Ly90d2l0dGVyLmNvbS9zbW9kMjAxNi9zdGF0dXMvNzMwNDMxMzA0MDQzMzk3MTIwP3dwbW09MSZ3cGlzcmM9bmxfdHJhaWw/5728a16715dd9659088b55adCa221eb93>

<http://link.washingtonpost.com/click/6752460.6934/aHR0cHM6Ly90d2l0dGVyLmNvbS9zbW9kMjAxNi9zdGF0dXMvNzI5ODEyMDc0NDcwMTEzMjgxP3dwbW09MSZ3cGlzcmM9bmxfdHJhaWw/5728a16715dd9659088b55adCa3ad739b>

<http://link.washingtonpost.com/click/6752460.6934/aHR0cHM6Ly90d2l0dGVyLmNvbS9zbW9kMjAxNi9zdGF0dXMvNzI3OTgwMDY5NzMwMzIwMzg0P3dwbW09MSZ3cGlzcmM9bmxfdHJhaWw/5728a16715dd9659088b55adC097fd0b7>

TRAIL MIX:

Pennsylvania. (Photo by Jeff Swensen/Getty Images)

<http://link.washingtonpost.com/click/6752460.6934/aHR0cDovL2xpLndhc2hpbmd0b25wb3N0LmNvbS9jbGljaz9zPTE3MjcwNCZzej0zMDB4MjUwJmxpPSU3QiU3QmFkaGFzaCU3RCU3RCZ3cG1tPTEmd3Bpc3JjPW5sX3RyYWls/5728a16715dd9659088b55adHedb0c86e>

<http://link.washingtonpost.com/click/6752460.6934/aHR0cDovL2xpLndhc2hpbmd0b25wb3N0LmNvbS9jbGljaz9zPTE5MDkmc3o9MTE2eDE1JmxpPSU3QiU3QmFkaGFzaCU3RCU3RCZ3cG1tPTEmd3Bpc3JjPW5sX3RyYWls/5728a16715dd9659088b55adIfda20abb>   <http://link.washingtonpost.com/click/6752460.6934/aHR0cDovL2xpLndhc2hpbmd0b25wb3N0LmNvbS9jbGljaz9zPTk1OTE5JnN6PTY5eDE1JmxpPSU3QiU3QmFkaGFzaCU3RCU3RCZ3cG1tPTEmd3Bpc3JjPW5sX3RyYWls/5728a16715dd9659088b55adJe7820ebd>

—Business has boomed in Donald Trump’s financial empire during the time he has run for president, according to an analysis of his federal disclosure forms, report <http://link.washingtonpost.com/click/6752460.6934/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cud2FzaGluZ3RvbnBvc3QuY29tL3BvbGl0aWNzL3RydW1wcy1idXNpbmVzcy1ib29tcy1hcy1oZS1ydW5zLWZvci1wcmVzaWRlbnQtZmluYW5jaWFsLWRpc2Nsb3N1cmVzLXNob3cvMjAxNi8wNS8xOC82MGFkZWRiNi0xZDExLTExZTYtYjZlMC1jNTNiN2VmNjNiNDVfc3RvcnkuaHRtbD93cG1tPTEmd3Bpc3JjPW5sX3RyYWls/5728a16715dd9659088b55adC842af24a> Drew Harwell, Rosalind Helderman and Tom Hamburger.

—Tom Coburn is not the #NeverTrump white knight after all, becoming the latest to take himself out of the 2016 third-party mix: "I am not in the race and won't be," he told <http://link.washingtonpost.com/click/6752460.6934/aHR0cDovL2RhaWx5Y2FsbGVyLmNvbS8yMDE2LzA1LzE4L2Zvcm1lci1va2xhaG9tYS1zZW4tdG9tLWNvYnVybi1zYXlzLWhlLXdvbnQtcnVuLXRoaXJkLXBhcnR5Lz93cG1tPTEmd3Bpc3JjPW5sX3RyYWls/5728a16715dd9659088b55adCd72050eb> the Daily Caller.

—In an interview out this week, Donald Trump joked that  <http://link.washingtonpost.com/click/6752460.6934/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cud2FzaGluZ3RvbnBvc3QuY29tL25ld3MvdGhlLWZpeC93cC8yMDE2LzA1LzE4L2RvbmFsZC10cnVtcC1zb21laG93LXRoaW5rcy1mZXJndXNvbi1hbmQtb2FrbGFuZC1hcmUtZGFuZ2Vyb3VzLWxpa2UtaXJhcS8_d3BtbT0xJndwaXNyYz1ubF90cmFpbA/5728a16715dd9659088b55adDd99608f2>the most dangerous place he'd ever been was Brooklyn, adding that American cities like Oakland and Ferguson as dangerous as Iraq. (They're not. <http://link.washingtonpost.com/click/6752460.6934/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cud2FzaGluZ3RvbnBvc3QuY29tL25ld3MvdGhlLWZpeC93cC8yMDE2LzA1LzE4L2RvbmFsZC10cnVtcC1zb21laG93LXRoaW5rcy1mZXJndXNvbi1hbmQtb2FrbGFuZC1hcmUtZGFuZ2Vyb3VzLWxpa2UtaXJhcS8_d3BtbT0xJndwaXNyYz1ubF90cmFpbA/5728a16715dd9659088b55adEd99608f2>)

—The long primary season has left Clinton with a short-term cash crunch <http://link.washingtonpost.com/click/6752460.6934/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cud2FzaGluZ3RvbnBvc3QuY29tL25ld3MvcG9zdC1wb2xpdGljcy93cC8yMDE2LzA1LzE4L2pvaG4tbGVnZW5kLXN0ZXZpZS13b25kZXItaGVscC1jbGludG9uLXJlZmlsbC1jYW1wYWlnbi1jb2ZmZXJzLWFzLWV4cGVuc2l2ZS1wcmltYXJ5LWdyaW5kcy10by1hLWNsb3NlLz93cG1tPTEmd3Bpc3JjPW5sX3RyYWls/5728a16715dd9659088b55adCfa8fd6ec>.

—Clinton aides Cheryl Mills and Human Abedin have agreed to appear <http://link.washingtonpost.com/click/6752460.6934/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cud2FzaGluZ3RvbnBvc3QuY29tL3BvbGl0aWNzL2NsaW50b24tYWlkZXMtbWlsbHMtYWJlZGluLXN1YnBvZW5hZWQtb3Zlci1lbWFpbC1ncm91cC1zZWVrcy10by1kZXBvc2UtY2xpbnRvbi8yMDE2LzA1LzE4L2JhMjRkZGMwLTFjNDctMTFlNi04YzdiLTY5MzFlNjYzMzNlN19zdG9yeS5odG1sP3dwbW09MSZ3cGlzcmM9bmxfdHJhaWw/5728a16715dd9659088b55adC6eb595cc> for depositions by Judicial Watch as part of the group's lawsuit over Clinton's State Department emails; the first State Department official was scheduled to appear Wednesday for sworn testimony in the suit, according to court documents.

—Former Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell has some thoughts <http://link.washingtonpost.com/click/6752460.6934/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cud2FzaGluZ3RvbnBvc3QuY29tL25ld3MvdGhlLWZpeC93cC8yMDE2LzA1LzE4L2VkLXJlbmRlbGwtc3VnZ2VzdHMtdWdseS13b21lbi13aWxsLW9wcG9zZS1kb25hbGQtdHJ1bXAtb2gtdGhlLWlyb255Lz93cG1tPTEmd3Bpc3JjPW5sX3RyYWls/5728a16715dd9659088b55adD658340ff> on the women's vote: "Will he [Donald Trump] have some appeal to working-class Dems in Levittown or Bristol? Sure,” Rendell said. “For every one, he’ll lose one and a half, two Republican women. Trump’s comments like, 'You can’t be a 10 if you’re flat-chested, that’ll come back to haunt him.' ... There are probably more ugly women in America than attractive women. People take that stuff personally." Indeed they do <http://link.washingtonpost.com/click/6752460.6934/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cud2FzaGluZ3RvbnBvc3QuY29tL25ld3MvdGhlLWZpeC93cC8yMDE2LzA1LzE4L2VkLXJlbmRlbGwtc3VnZ2VzdHMtdWdseS13b21lbi13aWxsLW9wcG9zZS1kb25hbGQtdHJ1bXAtb2gtdGhlLWlyb255Lz93cG1tPTEmd3Bpc3JjPW5sX3RyYWls/5728a16715dd9659088b55adE658340ff>, governor. (Wednesday afternoon, he apologized for the remarks.)

—Hillary Clinton is still holding on to <http://link.washingtonpost.com/click/6752460.6934/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cud2FzaGluZ3RvbnBvc3QuY29tL25ld3MvcG9zdC1wb2xpdGljcy93cC8yMDE2LzA1LzE4L2hpbGxhcnktY2xpbnRvbi1ob2xkcy1vbi10by1uYXJyb3ctbGVhZC1hZnRlci1hbGwtdm90ZXMtY291bnRlZC1pbi1rZW50dWNreS8_d3BtbT0xJndwaXNyYz1ubF90cmFpbA/5728a16715dd9659088b55adC4368b323> a narrow lead in Kentucky; the Sanders campaign still hasn't said whether it will ask for a recount. (Reminder: Regardless of which candidate "won" the state, the close result means the delegate division would almost certainly remain unchanged.)

—Finally, we would like to think we don't need to say these things, but we'll say them anyway <http://link.washingtonpost.com/click/6752460.6934/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cud2FzaGluZ3RvbnBvc3QuY29tL25ld3MvdGhlLWZpeC93cC8yMDE2LzA1LzE4L3RoaXMtaXMtdGhlLWR1bWJlc3QtcG9sbC1hYm91dC1hLXRoaXJkLXBhcnR5LWNhbmRpZGF0ZS1pLWhhdmUtc2Vlbi1pbi1hLWxvbmctdGltZS8_d3BtbT0xJndwaXNyYz1ubF90cmFpbA/5728a16715dd9659088b55adD1bd78f3d>: 
any poll that asks voters to decide between someone who is already the presumptive presidential nominee of his party and someone who is not is not a very useful poll, and life's too short to spend time on less-than-useful polls (although you can see some of them here <http://link.washingtonpost.com/click/6752460.6934/aHR0cDovL3d3dy5yZWFsY2xlYXJwb2xpdGljcy5jb20vZXBvbGxzLzIwMTYvcHJlc2lkZW50L3VzL2dlbmVyYWxfZWxlY3Rpb25fdHJ1bXBfdnNfY2xpbnRvbi01NDkxLmh0bWw_d3BtbT0xJndwaXNyYz1ubF90cmFpbA/5728a16715dd9659088b55adC389bb5d4>, if you're so inclined.)   any poll that asks voters to decide between two candidates they know and dislike and the Mystery Candidate Behind Door #3 is definitely <http://link.washingtonpost.com/click/6752460.6934/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cud2FzaGluZ3RvbnBvc3QuY29tL25ld3MvdGhlLWZpeC93cC8yMDE2LzA1LzE4L3RoaXMtaXMtdGhlLWR1bWJlc3QtcG9sbC1hYm91dC1hLXRoaXJkLXBhcnR5LWNhbmRpZGF0ZS1pLWhhdmUtc2Vlbi1pbi1hLWxvbmctdGltZS8_d3BtbT0xJndwaXNyYz1ubF90cmFpbA/5728a16715dd9659088b55adE1bd78f3d>  not a useful poll.   and: yes, national polls on the presidential race are generally not very useful if you are using them to find out who is actually winning that race, since we do not elect a president via a national vote. But those polls can be very useful on other fronts, so we give them partial credit.)
YOUR DAILY TRAIL PIT STOP: Summer's coming, guys. "My name is Joe Biden, and I love ice cream."

<http://link.washingtonpost.com/click/6752460.6934/aHR0cHM6Ly92aW5lLmNvL3YvaTAwdTFaZFhRVmg_d3BtbT0xJndwaXNyYz1ubF90cmFpbA/5728a16715dd9659088b55adC1ef5bd63>

"My name is Joe Biden, and I love ice cream."

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