Trump, Clinton blast each other on
character; Clinton rises in poll
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[November 03, 2016]
By Amanda Becker and Emily Stephenson
PENSACOLA, Fla./ LAS VEGAS (Reuters) -
Democrat Hillary Clinton and Republican Donald Trump attacked one
another's character as they pushed their closing arguments six days
before the U.S. presidential election, while the latest Reuters/Ipsos
poll showed Clinton's lead over Trump rising back to the margin she held
last week.
Many national polls have shown Clinton's lead over Trump narrowing since
the re-emergence Friday of a controversy over her use of a private email
while secretary of state.
But the latest Reuters/Ipsos daily tracking poll released on Wednesday
showed Clinton's lead over Trump rising back up to 6 percentage points,
the same advantage she held before the FBI announcement related to her
email practices.
Signs of a tightening race have rattled financial markets as investors
started to factor in the possibility that the New York businessman might
pull off a victory on Nov. 8.
World stocks, the dollar and oil fell on Wednesday, while safe-haven
assets such as gold and the Swiss franc rose. Clinton has been regarded
as the candidate who would maintain the status quo, an important factor
to financial markets, which generally do not like uncertainty.
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Campaigning in Pensacola, Florida, Trump predicted he would win, telling
supporters at the outdoor rally, "It's feeling like it already, isn't
it?
"We’ve got to be nice and cool, nice and cool. Alright, stay on point,
Donald, stay on point. No sidetracks, Donald, nice and easy,” said
Trump, whose campaign has at times been damaged by controversial
unscripted remarks.
Trump argued that Clinton was unqualified to lead the country, calling
her "totally unhinged."
Speaking to supporters in Las Vegas, Clinton blamed Trump for pitting
Americans against one another, citing his rhetoric on groups like
Muslims and Mexican-Americans. Trump, she said, is "out of his depth,"
and she called his proposals on foreign policy issues "incredibly
dangerous."
"He doesn't have a clue," Clinton said.
Investor anxiety has deepened in recent days over a possible Trump
victory given uncertainty about his stance on issues including foreign
policy, trade relations and immigrants.
Trump, who has never previously run for elected office, has run an
unorthodox campaign, with policy proposals including reviewing trade
pacts such as the North American Free Trade Agreement and imposing a
temporary ban on Muslims seeking to enter the country.
Currency traders have sold the dollar this week in part because they
suspect Trump would prefer a weaker dollar given his protectionist
stance on international trade, and in part because the uncertainty
surrounding a Trump win might lead to a more dovish stance from the
Federal Reserve in the months ahead, instead of the interest rate hike
that many expect by year-end. A rise in U.S. interest rates would make
the dollar, and dollar-denominated assets, more attractive to investors.
A Reuters equity market poll last month showed a majority of forecasters
predicted that U.S. stocks would perform better under a Clinton
presidency than a Trump administration.
An average of polls compiled by the RealClearPolitics website showed
Clinton just 1.7 percent ahead of Trump nationally on Wednesday, with 47
percent support to his 45.3 percent.
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![](../images/110316pics/news_n23.jpg)
Democratic presidential
nominee Hillary Clinton greets audience members at a campaign rally
in Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S. November 2, 2016. REUTERS/Brian Snyder
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ELECTORAL MATH
Clinton's position is stronger than national polls imply given that
the race is decided by the Electoral College system of tallying wins
on a state-by-state basis. Winning the presidency requires a
majority of 270 electoral votes, and Democrats have a built-in
advantage with large states such as California and New York
traditionally voting Democratic.
Clinton looked likely to win at least 226 electoral votes, meaning
she would need to pick up votes in "toss-up" states such as Florida,
North Carolina, Virginia, Ohio, Iowa, Arizona, Colorado and Nevada,
according to estimates by RealClearPolitics on Wednesday afternoon.
Trump, on the other hand, has a steeper path to climb, looking
likely to win 180 electoral votes, meaning he needs more votes from
the battleground states, the website showed.
Both candidates are focusing their final campaign efforts on those
crucial states.
Trump and Clinton have campaigned intensively in recent weeks in
Florida, which yields a rich haul of 29 electoral votes. A
RealClearPolitics average of polls in the state puts Trump 0.7 point
ahead of Clinton.
In North Carolina on Wednesday, Clinton deployed President Barack
Obama to make the case that Trump posed a unique threat to the
future of the country.
"The fate of the republic rests on your shoulders," Obama told
supporters in Chapel Hill, calling Trump temperamentally unfit to
lead the nation.
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Trump's campaign announced plans to run three ads during Wednesday
night's Game Seven of the World Series, held in Cleveland, Ohio's
second biggest city. The ads focus on the renewed controversy
surrounding Clinton's email server.
In an ad titled "Corruption," an announcer says: "Hillary cut deals
for donors. Now the FBI has launched a new investigation. After
decades of lies and scandal, her corruption is closing in."
(Additional reporting by Doina Chiacu and Steve Holland in
Washington, Jamie McGeever in London, Saqib Iqbal Ahmed in New York;
Writing by Frances Kerry and Alana Wise; Editing by Alistair Bell
and Leslie Adler)
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