Today’s installment of campaign-related news items from across the country.
* A new NBC News/Marist poll gauged public attitudes in Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin — three traditionally “blue” states that narrowly backed Donald Trump in 2016. The poll found the president’s approval rating in these three states varied between 34% and 36%.
* On a related note, the same poll found approval of the Republican Party between 30% and 33% in these states, with Democrats enjoying an advantage on the generic congressional ballot of eight points in Wisconsin, 10 points in Pennsylvania, and 13 points in Michigan. (Note: there are also gubernatorial races in each of these states in 2018.)
* Also in the NBC News/Marist poll, former President Barack Obama’s favorability rating tops 60% in each of the three states. Sen. Bernie Sanders’ (I-Vt.) favorability rating tops 50% in each.
* In fundraising news, despite the Republicans’ troubles, the RNC crushed the DNC in July, $10.6 million to $3.8 million. For the year thus far, the RNC has taken in $75 million to the DNC’s $42 million.
* And while those tallies look good for Republicans, the numbers look better for Democrats in campaign committee fundraising. The DCCC easily outraised its Republican counterpart in July, $6.2 million to $3.8 million. Despite the GOP majority in the House, the DCCC’s year-to-date tally tops the NRCC’s total, $66 million to $64 million. * Though there’s plenty of speculation about whether Trump will be his party’s nominee in 2020, Politico reports that he’s already building his re-election “machine,” which includes “mapping out a fall fundraising tour” and tracking “dozens of potential Democratic rivals.” * Asked yesterday about a possible primary challenge to the president, Ohio Gov. John Kasich (R) said yesterday, “I don’t have any plans to do anything like that. I’m rooting for him to get it together.” He added moments later, “That’s what I hope is going to happen. We’ll have to wait and see.”
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
