For the Record: Sanders vs. Clinton, Trump vs. Kelly
Set the DVR to record Grey's Anatomy; tonight's debate is going to be much more exciting. Besides, we hear tonight's episode is the one where some sort of disaster befalls Seattle Grace, and every patient needs the simultaneous care of all the major characters. We're pretty sure we've seen that one before.
Like all the other debates, except 17% more debatey
Tonight's the night for the pre-New York primary showdown between Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders (CNN, 9 p.m. EDT). It's not the last one — there's one more scheduled for sometime in May — but between now and the next debate, around 40% of the remaining delegates will be locked in. Polls have Clinton and Sanders nearly even with about 7% still on the fence. (After months of debates and wall-to-wall coverage, how is that possible? That's like finding 7% still undecided on Miracle Whip.)
Bernie desperately needs to make major progress in the remaining April contests (New York, Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island), so watch for him to come out swinging on everything that's been gaining him points lately: instituting a $15 minimum wage, rewriting trade deals and breaking up the big banks. Hillary's going to hit Bernie hard on guns, his lack of foreign policy experience and the practicality of his domestic ideas. Bernie will counter with his low grade with the NRA, Clinton's support of the Iraq War and something about thinking big and inspiring people. You know what, we could almost sketch this out line-for-line. Here's hoping someone's going to go off-script tonight.
We're keeping our blood-filled eyes on how this one plays out
It's been 13 days since Donald Trump last attacked Fox News' Megyn Kelly on Twitter, which on a Trump time scale is like the time everyone forgot to end the Punic Wars for two thousand years. Taking advantage of the detente, Kelly met with Trump midday yesterday at Trump Tower (presumably over some Trump Steaks and Trump Wine) to bury the eight-month-old hatchet.
Or maybe to dig up more hatchets. We don't actually know what went on at the meeting. Did it fix anything? Did it make things worse? Kelly said little about the meeting; she called it a chance to "clear the air;" said the two discussed a Trump appearance on her show, The Kelly File; and that the doormen were stunned to see her. Trump hasn't said anything on Twitter or otherwise. Fox News threw out a potential date for his appearance (May 23), but nothing's confirmed on when, or if, he'll show up to be on her "terrible show."
Come together! Right now? Maybe in a few months
Eight years ago, Hillary Clinton supporters were declaring "party unity my ass" at the prospect of supporting Barack Obama after a bitter Democratic primary. This time around, Jane Sanders hopes to dispel the notion that Democrats wouldn't unite behind their eventual nominee. "If Bernie wins, hopefully Secretary Clinton's supporters will support him, and if she wins we hope our supporters will support her," she told The Daily Beast; Hillary, for her part, said she'd much rather see Bernie win than a Republican. Of course, just because Clinton and Jane Sanders say it doesn't mean supporters will agree.
More from the campaign trail
- Cruz: "Chris Christie right now is trapped in his own private hell" (Asbury Park Press)
- Oregon GOP turns its superdelegates into normal delegates, Superman II-style (Statesman Journal)
- "Hey Jim Gilmore, think you'll get the nomination?" (snicker) ... OK, this is just getting rude now (USA TODAY OnPolitics)
- "Trump prefers his french fries outside of his sandwich" (USA TODAY OnPolitics)
How's Joe Paterno? Not well, actually
As long as Trump is promising to resurrect American manufacturing, he might as well bring dead football coaches back to life.