AMERICA VOTES

Over 7 million people have already voted and the turnout appears to be higher than 2012. 

I get a sense the Democratic enthusiasm is high. What seemed to tip the scale was President Obama supported 30 House candidates and actually taping little messages for their use in fund-raisers, which I have been receiving endlessly. But you do sense a bounce in these candidates steps and a stronger, more affirmative message coming from their campaign instead of we're doomed with only two weeks to go and the Plutocrats are pouring millions in against me.

I also sensed that Hillary Clinton in her speech in Philadelphia finally melded all the themes of this election together in a way she hadn't. There she managed to get into the criticism of her policy wonkiness in a way that the average voter would understand. In short, she said affected by those policies are real people and you can't forget that. She also touched on this in her speech in North Carolina. Her voice is beginning to be a little horse.

But the Democratic machine is running full-cylinders with all surrogates hitting the road. Obama unleashed is fun to watch because all his frustration with Republican obstructionism is coming out and his campaigning for the whole ticket seems to have energized him. 

What has he early voting down so far? It probably won Nevada. Clark County,the Democratic stronghold is coming in at record levels. 100,000 votes mailed out the first week in Colorado have already been returned. And Democrats are in the overwhelming lead. For the first time in Colorado, registered Democrats outnumber Republicans. The early reporting from Texas shows historic level voting in Harris County,San Antonio and other places. 

I won't know until later in the week how Florida really shapes up. Remember without Florida,Trump can not win. Record voting is reported In Georgia and Arizona had to change polling centers for the crowds.

In North Carolina we have seen problems with less polling places than in past years and reported problems with voting machines changing voters' choices. 

In Northern Virginia I have heard from Clinton's Get out the Vote people that there is heavy interest in early voting. Strangely the Washington Post reports that Trump and his family are coming to northern Virginia and will be active the last two weeks. None of the GOP strategists can understand.

Perhaps a true indication of how demoralized the other side is is the wacky threat that congressional candidates will sue television stations over ads that linked them to Trump, their party's nominee.

I won't repeat Trump's rantings today but I have been receiving numerous emails about how the Democrats are rigging the vote. Also the polls. Apparently the right and Trump got hold of emails to Podesta in 2008 to weigh samples in polls. (Note: the 2016 campaign doesn't use polls) But if you wanted to get a broader sense of specifics groups you would want larger samples. This doesn't affect the bottom-line findings of the polls. But of course, this is a conspiracy to slant our public polls against Trump via the Way Back machine.

Apparently Trump has launched his own late night news show so you will hear the truth from Der Fuhrer. Some think this is an early example of his Trump network.

Josh Rogin at the Washington Post wondered why Trump decided to criticize our troops fighting in Mosul . Trump tweeted out today that this was Obama pretending to be tough and helping Hillary. No one I know even talks about Mosul, let alone Iraq anymore. 

Michael Moore has launched his Inside Trumpland, which hit number 1 on I-Tunes and Youtube. Moore filmed it in Clinton County ,Ohio amid Trump supporters. In his letter last night he urged everyone to support Code Pink to get out the vote. It seems he is about two elections out of touch with Get Out The Vote efforts.

President Obama blasted Darryl Issa for using a piece of legislation he signed as somehow a  sign Issa cooperates with Obama. When called on it, Issa grumbled about all of Obama's scandals. Name one. 

Joltin' Joe Biden campaigned with Hillary in Youngstown and Toledo, Ohio. Hillary was also with Elizabeth Warren in New Hampshire. There will be GOTV concerts by Katy Perry and (ugh) Bon Jovi in Pennsylvania and Ohio this week.

How long they can maintain this pace is anyone's guess.