OFF TO THE RACES: The final GOP debate of 2015
MSNBC’s Benjy Sarlin on what to watch for in tonight’s debate in Las Vegas.
BUSH: In an interview with the Las Vegas Review Journal editorial board, Bush called Trump “a talented politician” but “not qualified to be president.” He also said Trump uses “’dog whistle language’ to divide the country.”
CLINTON: Ahead of Clinton’s speech today about terrorism, one of us writes that “the former secretary of state is walking a delicate balancing act between a Republican presidential field that is proposing an aggressive and sometimes controversial response to fight ISIS and the policies of President Barack Obama who is losing trust among Americans that he can keep them safe.”
CRUZ: The outside groups backing Ted Cruz have been sitting on their cash and in a good position as he rises in the polls, the Wall Street Journal reports.
FIORINA: The Washington Post asks if Carly Fiorina can gain back any lost momentum at tonight’s debate.
HUCKABEE: “Mike Huckabee says that losing his top spokeswoman isn’t a sign of things to come,” Politico writes.
SANDERS: NBC’s Carrie Dann writes that Sanders faces challenges among some key demographics.
The Des Moines Register writes that Sanders is courting black voters in a very white Iowa.
TRUMP: Trump supporters got rowdy – and mean – toward a Black Lives Matter supporter protesting at a Trump rally in Las Vegas, MSNBC’s Benjy Sarlin reports.
A New York Times/CBS News poll found that Trump supporters are angrier about politics than other Republican voters.
ANOTHER poll, this one by the Washington Post and ABC News found that Trump increases his lead nationally, registering support with 38 percent of Republicans and conservative-leaning independents.
IN THE STATES: Iowa Governor Terry Branstad is officially the longest serving governor in history with almost 21 years in office.
OBAMA AGENDA: Lowest approval rating of the year -- 43%
The president’s approval ratings drops to the lowest point in a year – 43 percent - as fears of terrorism increase in the latest NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll.
The New York Times writes that the deadline to sign up for health insurance through the Affordable Care Act, demand is “unprecedented,” the Obama administration says.