Bloomberg / Slate
Reporter for Bloomberg, Columnist for Slate and author of The Victory Lab: The Secret Science of Winning Campaigns
PROFILE
Sasha Issenberg
Guest
FROM Sasha Issenberg
To the Point
A nasty campaign for the White House is almost over The last few days may seem like forever, with candidates, surrogates and new TV and Internet commercials almost impossible to avoid. Donald Trump is telling himself to "stay on point," which means claiming, untruthfully, that Hillary Clinton is under a "criminal investigation." He’s trying to lower the turnout in urban centers, while Clinton is trying to increase it -- claiming that Trump is biased against blacks and Latinos. Do early voting and last minute polls mean the dynamic is really changing with so little time left to go?
Which Way, L.A.?
The Race is Even and the Stakes are High There's a lot at stake in tomorrow's election but, despite the claims of campaigns for the presidency and other national offices, the results are unlikely to bring about much immediate change.
To the Point
The Race Is Even and the Stakes Are High Both parties claim they'll take the nation in different directions, but Washington gridlock will likely continue whether Barack Obama or Mitt Romney is in the White House. But this could still be a "milestone election” as Democrats and Republicans strive to build new coalitions in a racially changing nation. In the meantime, national polls show the race for the White House is neck and neck, while polls of battleground states make Obama the favorite. We look at ground game established five years ago and the mathematics of the Electoral College.
Which Way, L.A.?
Campaign Strategy and Science The Presidential election is close. Mitt Romney makes a speech; Barack Obama appears on a talk show, a super PAC saturates the airwaves with an ad... For the most part President Obama's advantage in swing states is within the pollsters' margins of errors. Conventional wisdom would have the candidates blanketing those states with ads, perhaps swinging by Virginia, Pennsylvania and Ohio for speeches and local media interviews. But there is work done quietly and away from the cameras, strategy having to do with statistics, and surveys and mailings that are often overlooked, but perhaps even more vital than the splashy mass-broadcast electioneering. Micro targeting number crunchers are experimenting with elections in fascinating ways. It’s this little noticed statistical detective work that is driving many of campaigns decisions and will be the key factor in actually convincing people to vote.
To the Point
Campaign Strategy and Science The Presidential election is close. Mitt Romney makes a speech; Barack Obama appears on a talk show, a super PAC saturates the airwaves with an ad... For the most part President Obama's advantage in swing states is within the pollsters' margins of errors. Conventional wisdom would have the candidates blanketing those states with ads, perhaps swinging by Virginia, Pennsylvania and Ohio for speeches and local media interviews. But there is work done quietly and away from the cameras, strategy having to do with statistics, and surveys and mailings that are often overlooked, but perhaps even more vital than the splashy mass-broadcast electioneering. Micro targeting number crunchers are experimenting with elections in fascinating ways. It’s this little noticed statistical detective work that is driving many of campaigns decisions and will be the key factor in actually convincing people to vote.
Recommended
Left, Right & Center
The week that wouldn't quit Will next week get even weirder? (Special one-hour episode)
To the Point
Terrorism and tweets, hate speech and murder Just days before an election, Britain is coping with a rash of deadly terrorism, and Prime Minister Theresa May is on the defensive. And again today, President Trump has tweeted criticism of the Mayor of London. Later, a double murder in Portland, Oregon has revealed the ugly past of a supposedly “progressive” city. One immediate question: is “hate speech” protected by the First Amendment?
Left, Right & Center
How was the trip? President Trump's travels got less fun as he went from the Middle East to Europe.
To the Point
What happens when America retreats from the world? Is President Trump taking his "America First" agenda to extremes, withdrawing the country from the international stage on trade and climate change, distancing America from its traditional allies across the Atlantic and even threatening to physically isolate the country through the building of a wall along its southern border? León Krauze guest hosts.