ELECTION/GOP/HOUSE OF REPS/TRUMP AS PRESDIENT/TRUMP PEOPLE: “The White House has a message for vulnerable House Republicans tiptoeing around President Donald Trump: Get on board or start packing. The warning comes in a memo from White House political director Bill Stepien, who argues that GOP candidates who try to distance themselves from the president are only doing themselves harm in the upcoming midterm elections. The memo, dated Monday [10-1-18] and obtained by The Associated Press, serves as a response to a grim White House briefing by pollsters for the Republican National Committee last month regarding GOP midterm prospects. It also previews some of Trump’s upcoming travel just as White House officials are eagerly noting the president’s efforts to help beleaguered House candidates, not just contenders in more prominent Senate races. Midterm elections are traditionally difficult for the parties of incumbent presidents, and this year is proving to be no exception. The GOP is facing down considerable Democratic enthusiasm as it looks to retain control of the House and Senate. But the White House memo argues that public perceptions about whether the country is on the right track temper the probability of a Democratic wave. So do redrawn congressional districts, which have reduced the number of contested seats.”
–The Associated Press, “Trump Adviser Says GOP Candidates Should Embrace President,” The New York Times online, October 4, 2018