ECONOMY/GOP/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Donald Trump has come to the end of another difficult political week for himself and the Republican party. The fallout from his Helsinki news conference continues to shake the administration while the release of one of Michael Cohen’s secretly recorded audio tapes opened up new questions about the alleged payouts and cover-ups that happened during Trump’s campaign. Additionally, new polls show a Democratic lead going into the 2018 midterm elections, and Trump’s standing with key portions of the electorate, such as right-leaning college-educated women, is shaky. But Friday morning there seemed to be a ray of hope for the administration. The President predictably turned attention to the best news that he and the Republicans can count on going into the midterm elections — the economy. Trump was pleased to announce that the 4.1% second-quarter growth is the best since 2014. The economy is roaring. With an economy that is this strong, Republicans are hoping to enjoy a bounce that undercuts the negative news. If Americans vote their pocketbooks, the GOP might just contain some of the damage going into the midterm at a minimum — holding onto their majority even if it’s narrower. But just like in 2016, when the strong economy did not benefit the party in power, this midterm might be different. It is not clear that the economy will be enough to save the Republicans from the damage that President Trump has caused them through his time in office.”
–Julian Zelizer, “Trouble still ahead for GOP — even with a growing economy,” CNN Politics, CNN.com, July 30, 2018 2:25 am