RCP - 10/21/16 - Trump's Troubles Inflict Pain Down Ballot [View all]

[ScienceIsGood]

It’s a scenario weary Republican senators have grown accustomed to: On a given day, their 2016 presidential nominee stirs controversy, forcing them to interrupt their campaign schedules to respond. Donald Trump’s refusal on Wednesday night’s debate stage to say he would accept the results of the election presented yet another challenge to embattled incumbents focused on surviving the final three weeks of the campaign.

Many GOP Senate candidates have so far held steady against the weight of Trump. But their campaigns enter a new and difficult phase now that the final debate is in their rear view. With Clinton ahead by significant margins in the polls, Democrats have the knives out for down-ballot Republicans. And Trump, who could face further slides in the polls after this week’s debate, is running like he has nothing to lose.

On Thursday, Trump rallied his supporters with accusations of voter fraud. “I will totally accept the results of this great and historic presidential election -- if I win,” he said in Ohio. The GOP nominee went on to say that he would accept “a clear election result.”

Any effective cases Trump brought against Clinton regarding the Supreme Court, emails, and immigration were overshadowed by his doubts about the electoral process. "If you took that comment out, it might have been neutral,” said Rob Jesmer, former executive director of the National Republican Senatorial Committee. “But that probably made a bad situation worse."

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2016/10/21/trumps_troubles_inflict_pain_down_ballot_132126.html