October 26, 2018 11:02 AM UTC

Get More Smarter on Friday (October 26)

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by: Colorado Pols

Monday, October 29 is the last day to register for a mail ballot in Colorado. It’s time to Get More Smarter. If you think we missed something important, please include the link in the comments below (here’s a good example). If you are more of a visual learner, check out The Get More Smarter Show.

TOP OF MIND TODAY…

► Voter Service and Polling Centers are now open. Head on over to GoVoteColorado.com for more information on voting centers, ballot drop-off locations, or for resources to check on the status of your mail ballot. Click here to see the latest ballot return numbers from the Colorado Secretary of State.

► Authorities have arrested a person believed to be the “MAGA Bomber” after a dozen explosive devices were sent to Democratic figures and media outlets such as CNN. As NBC News reports:

A man in Florida was taken into custody Friday and will be charged in connection with the series of bombs found this week addressed to critics of President Donald Trump, law enforcement officials said shortly after the latest two devices were found.

Cesar Sayoc Jr., 56, who has been previously arrested on unspecified charges, is currently in custody, law enforcement officials said. DNA evidence played a role in the arrest, law enforcement told NBC News.

Investigators in the Plantation, Florida, parking lot where Sayoc was arrested could be seen placing a tarp over a van with windows covered with dozens of pictures of Trump and decals, one of which appeared to be a version of a presidential seal.

Conservative commentators have been trying to float the idea that the mail bombs were some sort of “false flag” operation to benefit Democrats ahead of the mid-term election, and President Trump had been lamenting the media coverage of the story as recently as this morning. From the Washington Post:

President Trump lamented Friday that the news media was more focused on covering “this ‘Bomb’ stuff” rather than politics, a development he asserted was slowing Republican momentum in advance of the Nov. 6 midterms.

“Republicans are doing so well in early voting, and at the polls, and now this ‘Bomb’ stuff happens and the momentum greatly slows — news not talking politics,” Trump said in a midmorning tweet. “Very unfortunate, what is going on. Republicans, go out and vote!”

His tweet came as authorities recovered two more potential explosive devices sent to public figures, the latest packages addressed to Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) and former director of national intelligence James R. Clapper Jr.

Trump also sent out a Tweet critical of CNN’s news coverage of the investigation at 3:00 in the morning today.

As Danielle Campoamor writes for NBC News, history shows that you “cannot stoke ideological divides and then be appalled when those who listen to you take action.” CNN takes a detailed look at incendiary remarks from Trump and his allies in relation to the bomb threats.

► It continues to look like Republican Rep. Mike Coffman will be ousted in CO-6, which could make the battle for CO-3 the race to watch in the next 10 days. As Westword reports:

When we first previewed this race over the summer, we’d predicted Tipton would “be able to dictate the key issues in the election” because of an expected sizable cash advantage, but Tipton’s money advantage isn’t as large as one might have thought this late in the campaign. Based on the more important cash-on-hand statistics, Tipton still has a solid cash advantage over Mitsch Bush heading into the home stretch (about $491,000 to $408,000). But it’s close enough that Tipton probably won’t be able to fully dictate the terms of the debate in the final days leading up to the election and through mail-in early voting.

According to Nate Silver’s number-crunching data website FiveThirtyEight, Mitsch Bush has an approximately 44 percent chance of winning on November 6, tilting the race into FiveThirtyEight’s “toss-up” column. That figure, strikingly enough, is far closer than FiveThirtyEight’s assessment of the 6th race, which gives Democratic challenger Jason Crow a roughly 86 percent chance of ousting Republican incumbent Mike Coffman.

► A new ad goes after Colorado Secretary of State Wayne Williams for spending thousands of taxpayer dollars on $700 boots and a $475 cowboy hat.

Get even more smarter after the jump…

IN CASE YOU ARE STANDING NEAR A WATER COOLER…

► Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell is quietly building support to protect the Central Bank’s independence in the face of repeated criticism from President Trump.

► As the New York Times reports, President Trump is considering closing America’s southern border to migrants as he attempts to gin up anger over a “caravan” made up largely of women and children. Critics are calling Trump’s pre-election shouting a “manufactured crisis.”

► The Aurora Sentinel takes a look at an oft-forgotten statewide race — the campaign for an at-large spot on the University of Colorado’s Board of Regents.

► Republicans are growing increasingly concerned about their chances in Florida, where Democrats appear to be surging in races for Governor and U.S. Senate. From Politico:

The White House is planning a political rescue mission in Florida, fearing a wipeout in a key swing state next month that could damage President Donald Trump’s reelection hopes.

Trump is expected to visit the state at least twice, according to two people familiar with the plans. Visits from several Cabinet members are likely, as well. Presidential text messages are being sent to Floridians who still haven’t cast their absentee ballots. And discussions are underway about blanketing the state with robocalls from Trump.

The New York Times has been conducting live polls in Florida in the race for Governor and U.S. Senate. The results look encouraging for Democrats.

► CBS4 Denver reports on Thursday’s candidate forum for the candidates for Governor, the last such event before Election Day.

Elsewhere on CBS4, reporter Shaun Boyd fact-checks a new attack ad against Democratic Attorney General candidate Phil Weiser.

► Colorado Public Radio continues its excellent election reporting with a deep-dive into several competitive legislative battles.

► Marshall Zelinger of 9News tries to help voters understand how to approach ballot questions about retaining judges.

► John Elway, the General Manager of the Denver Broncos, has donated more than $65,000 to Republican candidates like gubernatorial hopeful Walker Stapleton.

► What are the odds that Walker Stapleton shows up to work ~~before the end of the year~~ ever again?

.@WalkerStapleton trotted out this lie in his very first ad & has continued lying throughout the campaign.

So it’s hard to believe his claim that his parking spot has been empty for 44 straight work days because he “occasionally takes the bus.”#whereiswalker #cogov #copolitics pic.twitter.com/BxgSFKD07l

— Colorado Dems (@coloradodems) October 25, 2018