Election battles

Trump’s audacious Southern spectacle is part of his strategy

It was the most audacious Donald Trump spectacle yet in a summer full of them, as the Republican presidential front-runner, in his Boeing 757, thundered over a football stadium here Friday night and gave a raucous speech to one of the largest crowds of the 2016 campaign.

But Trump’s flashy performance was about more than showmanship. His visit to Alabama was coolly strategic, touching down in the heart of red America and an increasingly important early battleground in the Republican nominating contest.

Election battles

Bush and Trump face off in N.H. — and The Donald is winning
Trump has swooped in to galvanize many on the right here and nationally with his tough talk against political correctness and illegal immigration. Trump led the field in New Hampshire with 18 percent, followed by Bush at 13 percent and Kasich right behind at 12 percent, according to a recent Boston Herald/Franklin Pierce University poll of likely GOP primary voters.

Election battles

Clinton backers turn squeamish

It was supposed to be different this time. After the wounds of 2008, many of them self-inflicted, Hillary Rodham Clinton rebooted for 2016 with a new message, new advisers and new energy.

But two dynamics have crystallized this month, suggesting the New Hillary is hobbled by old weaknesses. Once again, worried supporters see signs of a bunker mentality in response to bad news about her email server and other controversies, and a candidate who can seem strangely blinkered to the threat posed by a lesser-known challenger.

Election battles

Donald Trump just had one of his most combative interviews yet

As he continues to dominate in the polls, Trump has started to take a more calculated approach to tough political situations. He has dialed down his rhetoric and attempted to emphasize his record of supporting women in the business world after controversy surrounding his feud with Fox News host Megyn Kelly.

Trump is also beginning to elaborate on his policy positions — on Sunday, he released his first official policy paper, which outlines his plan to curb illegal immigration.

Election battles

An Iowa surprise: Donald Trump is actually trying to win

Trump’s colorful assault on the political establishment and strident opposition to illegal immigration has propelled his candidacy to the lead here and nationally. A CNN-ORC poll on Wednesday showed him in first place in Iowa with 22 percent, followed by retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson in second with 14 percent. Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, who is counting on the caucuses, fell to third at 9 percent.

Election battles

Ralph Nader: Trump Is a Nightmare for the Republican Party

Four-time presidential candidate Ralph Nader is “delighted” with Donald Trump’s refusal to rule out an independent run for the presidency.

In an interview with FOX Business Network’s Deirdre Bolton, Nader said “the two party tyranny that blocks voter choices and dominates the political scene on behalf of big business needs to be broken up, and Trump is the one to do it.”

Election battles

Swan Song for the Donald? GOP Party Bosses Plan to “Take Out” Trump

The people who own this country don’t like euthanizing one of their own. But they’ll do it in heartbeat if they think their world of privilege, patronage and power is at risk.  Last Thursday, Donald Trump overstepped his bounds and crossed a line. In off-the-cuff remarks to a Fox moderator during the GOP presidential debates, Trump provided a window into a corrupt political system that is thoroughly marinated in the money of private donors.