DEMS/ELECTIONS/GOP/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/TRUMP PEOPLE: “States such as Wisconsin helped drive Donald Trump’s surprising presidential win two years ago, and Tuesday’s [8-14-18] primaries there and in neighboring Minnesota could serve as a barometer of opposition strength headed into the November midterm elections. Voters were going to the polls in those states for party primaries, and Democrats will have a chance to show they can mobilize voters for Nov. 6’s congressional elections and perhaps the 2020 presidential race as well. Both states have shown signs of drifting rightward in recent years. Trump was the first Republican presidential candidate to win Wisconsin in 32 years, and he narrowly lost to Democrat Hillary Clinton in Minnesota. Trump’s consistently low approval ratings and his trade policies, however, may have given Democrats renewed life. Foreign tariffs on U.S. agricultural goods in retaliation for Trump’s policies have become a central issue in the region, while Trump’s feud with iconic Wisconsin motorcycle maker Harley-Davidson Inc has placed Republicans there in an awkward position. That company’s stock has lost 19 percent so far this year. Wisconsin voters signaled their unrest by turning out in large numbers and electing Democrats in a series of special state elections earlier this year, including a pair of wins in districts that had supported Trump in 2016 by wide margins.”
–James Oliphant, “Wisconsin, Minnesota primaries to gauge strength of opposition to Trump,” Reuters, August 14, 2018 3:03 am