HuffPost–Clinton’s Lead Is More Fragile Than You Think

Joe Peyronnin writes at the Huffington Post:

Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton is a lifelong Chicago Cubs fan. In 1969, the Cubs had a 9.5 game lead over the New York Mets in the middle of August, but ended the season 8 games behind the Mets after losing 17 of 25 games to close the season.

The average of the latest national polls shows Clinton with about a 5 percent lead over her Republican opponent, Donald Trump. But Trump has had a rough two weeks, and has now shaken up his campaign staff. Gone is campaign chairman Paul Manafort, who was brought in to make the campaign more professional. On Tuesday, Trump brought on Breitbart News executive chairman Steve Bannon as campaign CEO, and Kellyanne Conway as campaign manager.

In an article last October, a Bloomberg Businessweek headline read, “This Man Is the Most Dangerous Political Operative In America.” Bannon is a former Goldman Sachs banker and documentary maker who took over Breitbert, a conservative website created in 2007, when its founder, David Breitbart, died suddenly in 2012. “The recruitment of Bannon will release Trump to be the outsider that won a primary in historic fashion,” wrote reporter Joseph R. Murray in The Hill. “Bannon will encourage Trump to be the very person the (Republican National Committee) warned against and, for that reason, Trump stands to win because this election is not about Republicans versus Democrats; it is about outside change versus insider corruption.” Murray’s piece was entitled, “Trump’s recruitment of Bannon means war and everyone knows it.”

Conway is a long time Republican operative and Trump friend. Conway earlier ran a PAC for Texas Senator Ted Cruz. She is a lawyer, a mother, and founded The Polling Company in 1995, which advised many Republicans, especially on women’s issues. Conway is an effective communicator who will work to focus Trump and his campaign on issues. She reportedly was influential in getting Trump to express regrets last week for derogatory comments he has made in the past, although he was not specific.

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