Stacey Abrams formally endorses Biden

Notable Quote of the Day

“Democrats are now the party of ‘closed’ and Republicans the party of ‘open.’ Generally speaking, Democrats believe we need to keep restrictions in place to slow the spread of COVID-19, and Republicans demand we open businesses to save the economy. Both have a point, and time will tell which side is advocating the wiser plan. …

Ultimately, the trajectory of the pandemic will determine which political party was right or wrong. The virus will determine the outcome of the 2020 presidential election.

Independent voters decide close elections, and they will break for the party that got it right on how to best manage COVID-19. Whichever party gets it wrong can spin the facts, but they will only convince their die-hard supporters, not the swing voters each ticket will need to prevail in November. The polling on the pandemic illuminates that time and again, partisan Republicans are on one side of the issue, partisan Democrats on the other, while the average American is in the middle. With this in mind, it only makes sense that those independent voters will remain in the middle through the 2020 elections but lean toward whatever political party was ultimately ‘right’ about how to best cope with COVID-19.”

- Gary Meltz, RealClearPolitics

Election Updates

Former Georgia state representative and 2018 Democratic gubernatorial nominee Stacey Abrams formally endorsed Joe Biden. Abrams did not endorse a candidate in the Democratic primary.
U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) will co-chair a climate change task force for Biden’s campaign.
The Democratic National Committee’s rules and bylaws committee unanimously passed a resolution giving the Democratic National Convention Committee the power to “make the necessary changes to the format, size, date or other aspects in order to conduct a safe convention.” The resolution will go before the full DNC for a vote.

Donald Trump tweeted, “So interesting to see all of these people I beat so badly, pundits & consultants that never had a chance, telling me how to run for office. Many are Republicans who should LOVE our 280 new Judges, rebuilt Military, 2A, great V.A. Low Taxes, etc. Just don’t like that I beat them!”
Biden and Trump won Nebraska’s presidential primaries on Tuesday.

What We’re Reading

Wall Street Journal: ‘Faithless Electors’ at the Supreme Court
Intelligencer: Trump’s Odds of Winning Reelection Are Higher Than You Think
Washington Examiner: Trump reelection in big trouble amid struggles with seniors

Flashback: May 13, 2016

The Los Angeles Times editorial board endorsed Hillary Clinton in the California Democratic primary. In an editorial titled “Endorsement: For all her faults, Hillary Clinton is vastly better prepared than Bernie Sanders for the presidency,” the board wrote, “Clinton may seem inauthentic to some or to lack that drink-a-beer-with-me quality that voters often look for in a candidate. But she has a grasp of the complexities of government and policy that is unmatched by any of the other candidates who ran for president this year — or by most candidates in most years.”