The Price Of Power

Washington Post: “Harris is running a campaign about three times the size of Trump’s operation, according to recent spending reports. She has placed $263 million in ads between the end of the Democratic convention and Oct. 4, nearly 2½ times as much as the $109 million spent by Trump.” “She boasts more staff, more volunteers, a larger surrogate operation, more digital advertising, a more sophisticated smartphone-based organizing program and extra money for extraneous bells and whistles typically reserved for corporate product launches and professional sports championships.

New York Times: “With polling averages showing all seven battleground states nearly tied, many Democrats believe their biggest advantage may be an extensive ground game operation that their party has spent more than a year building across the country. Mr. Trump’s campaign thinks that recent events — the escalating conflict in the Middle East and deadly hurricanes that have killed more than 200 people across the Southeast — will give them an edge in the final weeks.” “In some ways, the two approaches mirror the final days of the 2016 race, when Hillary Clinton’s campaign boasted about a massive, data-driven field organization while Mr.

“Donald Trump appeared to be well on his way to the White House after he was shot nearly three months ago. He was coming off a dominating debate performance against Joe Biden, was leading in national polls and arrived at his nominating convention in Milwaukee a near-martyr,” Politico reports. “Trump is returning to Butler, Pennsylvania, Saturday under markedly different political circumstances.” “Vice President Kamala Harris’ candidacy upended not just Trump’s campaign, but Republicans’ belief that he could ride the support and goodwill he engendered following the attempt on his life straight back into the Oval Office.” New York Times: Supports who saw a gunman attack Trump prepare to welcome him back. USA Today: Trump returns to the same town he was shot in as mythology grows with his base.

“Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign has launched into the final monthlong sprint to the Nov. 5 election by elevating its push to cast Donald Trump as a threat to democracy,” Axios reports. “Trump’s repeated false claims about the 2020 election, his actions on Jan. 6, 2021 — and signs that he won’t accept this election’s results unless he wins — have led Harris’ allies to ramp up efforts to present the ex-president as unfit for office.”

“A blowout jobs report Friday suggests the labor market is thriving, bucking fears that a recession was ahead. And the port strike — feared to cause widespread economic damage — is over,” Axios reports. “In less than 24 hours, two risks hanging over the economy look to be solved, at least for now.

“Venture capitalist Ben Horowitz and his wife Felicia plan to make a ‘significant’ personal donation to Vice President Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign,” Axios reports. “Horowitz and business partner Marc Andreessen stunned Silicon Valley in July by endorsing and donating to Donald Trump, saying he was the best candidate for technology startups.” “At the time, President Biden was still running for re-election.” “Horowitz announced his change of heart via an email sent on Friday to Andreessen Horowitz employees.”