Welcome to The Lid, your afternoon dose of the 2016 ethos… Hillary Clinton is holding a contest where one lucky supporter's mom will get a call from her on Mother's Day. In an unrelated strategy, it’s entirely plausible that Joe Biden will call your mom just to gab about The Voice or whatever.
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’16 AT 30 THOUSAND
Yesterday, Ben Carson proclaimed “I am not a politician.” In her announcement video, Carly Fiorina professed that “our founders never intended us to have a professional political class.” But do voters really want to elect a president with no prior political experience? Turns out – not really. In our newest survey, Our NBC/WSJ pollster wizards asked respondents how they felt about certain candidate traits, and the WORST rated one in the bunch (BOTH for the general electorate and for Republican primary voters) was “a person who is not a politician and has no previous elected experience in government.” Another kind of candidate that rated very poorly across all groups, including conservatives, was one without a college degree. Sorry, Gov. Scott Walker.
Political skill always trumps individual characteristics, and color us skeptical that Walker’s lack of a diploma alone is going to stir up a behemoth debate in this election. But the data is a good reminder that, for all the applause a candidate can get for snarking on “Washington elites” and “career politicians,” voters still want proof that their guy or gal has the experience, savvy and the smarts to get the job done. At least for now, that’s still largely about having the right resume.
POPPING ON NBC POLITICS
Mike Huckabee became the sixth Republican to announce a presidential run on Monday.
But the second time around will likely be even tougher for him than it was in 2008, NBC’s Perry Bacon writes.
Hillary Clinton will push for "a full and equal path to citizenship" for undocumented immigrants during a campaign stop in Nevada Tuesday, Kristen Welker and one of us reports.
Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev. is still a "hell no" on taking up a bipartisan bill that would grant the White House "fast-track" authority to negotiate a sweeping multinational trade deal, NBC’s Frank Thorp V reports.
And First Read notes how President Obama and Clinton are now trading places when it comes to approval ratings.
CAMPAIGN QUICK READS
CHRISTIE: He told reporters in Mississippi that if defense attorneys want to subpoena him, they can go ahead.
RUBIO: “Clinton Cash” author Peter Schweizer said he likes Rubio.
BUSH: He is the only 2016 candidate who released a Cinco de Mayo message.
PERRY: He said his successor, Gov. Greg Abbott, went too far in questioning a military exercise that has some conspiracy theorists concerned.
KASICH: He told the Northeast Ohio Media Group, “If we have enough money, we run.”
FOR THE RECORD…
“America’s elected a guy from Hope, Arkansas. They’ve probably had their chance at that.”
Gov. Mike Huckabee responding to a question about his presidential ambitions during a 2001 appearance on Meet The Press.
TOMORROW’S SKED
Mike Huckabee campaigns in Oskaloosa and Urbandale, Iowa.
Bernie Sanders holds a press conference on Capitol Hill to unveil legislation to break up the nation’s biggest banks.
John Kasich is in New Hampshire
