Today’s installment of campaign-related news items from across the country.
* As expected, Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards (D) came out on top in the first round of balloting in the state’s gubernatorial race, but his 47% wasn’t enough to prevent a runoff. The incumbent will face millionaire novice Eddie Rispone (R), who received 27% support in the multi-candidate contest.
* Donald Trump, who headlined a rally in Louisiana late last week, said he pushed John Bel Edwards’ support from 66% to 47%. There is literally no evidence to support this — pre-election polls were surprisingly accurate — and the president has an unfortunate habit of touting made-up numbers.
* After Facebook refused to take down a Trump campaign ad with demonstrably false claims, Elizabeth Warren launched an ad of her own with deliberately false information — about Facebook.
* On a related note, the social-media giant responded by noting that broadcast stations have aired the same dishonest Trump ad. It opens an interesting door: broadcast stations are regulated by the FCC, while Facebook isn’t regulated by government agency.
* Beto O’Rourke’s campaign announced on Friday afternoon that it raised $4.5 million in the third quarter, which is an improvement on the second quarter. That said, nearly all of the top Democratic contenders had better July-to-September hauls. * On a related note, O’Rourke said at CNN’s LGBTQ town-hall event last week that he believes houses of worship should probably lose their tax-exempt status if they oppose marriage equality. That’s almost certainly not a legally sound approach. * Bernie Sanders noted in an ABC News interview, which aired yesterday, that there’s an important difference between his vision and Elizabeth Warren’s. “Elizabeth, I think, as you know, has said that she is a capitalist through her bones,” the Vermont independent said. “I’m not.” * And four days after saying she was weighing a boycott of this week’s presidential primary debate, Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-Hawaii) told supporters this week that she’s decided to participate. Barring any 11th-hour changes, it means 12 candidates will be on the stage tomorrow night.
Steve Benen is a producer for "The Rachel Maddow Show," the editor of MaddowBlog and an MS NOW political contributor. He's also the bestselling author of "Ministry of Truth: Democracy, Reality, and the Republicans' War on the Recent Past." Recommended
