**Want FOX News Halftime Report in your inbox every day? Sign up here.**
On the roster: Obama’s legacy on the line in Philly - Trump urges Russia to hack Hillary, share emails - I’ll tell you what! - Sometimes, you have to break the seal
OBAMA’S LEGACY ON THE LINE IN PHILLY
PHILADELPHIA – Donald Trump’s base voters are motivated. Will Hillary Clinton’s be?
In large part that is up to President Obama and Vice President Joe Biden. As they take the stage tonight here at the Wells Fargo Arena, the men who bested Clinton in 2008 will try to convince the members of their party that electing her is a dire necessity.
The first two nights of the convention were designed to cast Clinton in something of human terms – likeable enough one might even say. That work will continue Thursday as daughter, Chelsea, follows suit of Ivanka Trump in introducing her nominee parent.
But it was Bill Clinton, reedy in voice and red of eye, who made the case for Hillary the Human. The former president seemed so enfeebled and wistful that it was almost a bequeathal to his long-suffering wife. America’s former emoter-in-chief found his old game at the crucial moment to give that gift to his wife.
Add in the hackneyed stuff about the highest, hardest glass ceiling and plenty of other testimonials, Democrats made the case for their nominee as someone who cares for the struggles of other people.
That’s not nearly enough though.
Republicans were given plenty of cause to fear Clinton at their convention, but to this point, the terror factor has been limited here. Republican nominee Donald Trump has been an object of mockery or distain, but not yet menace.
Expect that to change tonight as Obama, Biden and vice presidential nominee Tim Kaine take the stage.
But it feels sometimes these days that if there is nothing new that Obama could ever say. His remarks often seem perfunctory and if generated by some Obama quote bot. Part of this is the fact that by the end of a second term, a president has outlived the public’s capacity for interest – if not also his own usefulness. Another part of it, though, is that Obama tends to be passive, even uninterested, in the topic’s he’s discussing.
And if Obama cannot make his own initiatives seem interesting anymore, how will he make Clinton seem like someone worth watching?
The answer will likely be to cast in stark terms the threat Democrats face from Trump and that Clinton is the one he is leaving behind to defend it. She is Gandalf. Trump is the dragon.
Since his legacy is on the line, perhaps Obama will be able to summon more than his listless lines of late.
[Today’s speaker lineup: Headlining speakers are President Obama and Vice President Joe Biden along with Clinton’s vice presidential running mate Tim Kaine.]
TIME OUT: STREETS OF PHILADELPHIA
The streets in Philadelphia may look much different than their cobblestone ancestors, but there is one city street that still follows much of its original path. Hidden City Philadelphia: “Old York Road once ran from Philadelphia to New Hope, Pennsylvania. From there it crossed the Delaware River to Elizabeth, New Jersey and onward to its destination, New York City. Old York Road still exists in Philadelphia, running in tandem with Route 611 at the intersection of North Broad Street and Oak Lane before heading north out of the city through Cheltenham, Elkins Park, and into Montgomery County. The road was one of the earliest, most significant land routes in the mid-Atlantic region and was the first highway of any appreciable length built in America.”
Flag on the play? - Email us at HALFTIMEREPORT@FOXNEWS.COM with your tips, comments or questions
SCOREBOARD
Average of national presidential polls: Clinton vs. Trump: Trump +2.4 points
Generic congressional vote: Democrats +2.8
TRUMP URGES RUSSIA TO HACK HILLARY, SHARE EMAILS
NYT: “Donald J. Trump said Wednesday that he hoped Russia had hacked Hillary Clinton’s email, essentially sanctioning a foreign power’s cyberspying of a secretary of state’s correspondence. ‘Russia, if you’re listening, I hope you’re able to find the 30,000 emails that are missing,’ Mr. Trump said, staring directly into the cameras. ‘I think you will probably be mightily rewarded by our press.’ Mr. Trump’s call was an extraordinary moment at a time when Russia is being accused of meddling in the U.S. presidential election. His comments came amid questions about the hacking of the Democratic National Committee’s computer servers, which researchers have concluded was likely the work of two Russian intelligence agencies.”
I’LL TELL YOU WHAT!
The Perino and Stirewalt podcast finally has a name: I’ll Tell You What. Which sort of makes sense since they tell you so much about politics, trivia, and in the case of this week’s edition, political arcana like the Smoot-Hawley Tariff. Dana and Chris have it all from Philadelphia LISTEN AND SUBSCRIBE HERE.
Power Play: Clinton, Hispanics and the DNC - Chris is always sunny in Philadelphia! First up, Clinton delegate and campaign surrogate David Goodfriend, explains whether Hillary Clinton is better equipped to be president than her husband Bill was heading into the Oval Office. Israel Ortega, senior writer for Opportunity Lives, discusses whether Republicans can reclaim the Hispanic vote as their voter registration numbers continue to rise. Join us for Power Play here from Philadelphia with Chris Stirewalt.
PLAY-BY-PLAY
Nate Cohn explains Donald Trump’s best path to the White House - NYT
Trump’s morning tweetstorm on Hillary Clinton - WashEx
Understanding Trump and Putin - New York Review of Books
Trump won’t release his tax returns, says Manafort - The Hill
Sasse on DNC hack: ‘Soviet-Style Aggression Has Escalated’ - Office of Sen. Ben Sasse
Pro-GOP group calls out Dems for leftward lurch - Philadelphia Enquirer
AUDIBLE: BUT YOU’RE GOOD ENOUGH, GOSH DARN IT!
“I’m not a strategist. I just go. Don’t confuse me with a political strategist.” – Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn., on why he doesn’t want to be the new chairman of the Democratic Party’s campaign arm if they receive a majority in the Senate.
FROM THE BLEACHERS
“Jimmy Carter for years monitored elections where there was corruption. Did anyone ask him his position on the DNC’s obvious rigging?” – Andrea Jamison, Warwick, Pa.
“Dems want to fight air conditioning. GOP will fight ISIS. Kerry on…” – Clint Dare, Austin, Texas
SOMETIMES, YOU HAVE TO BREAK THE SEAL
BBC: “An Australian fur seal that fell asleep in a public toilet block in Tasmania has been safely relocated. A council work crew was startled to find the [265lb] seal, who they named Sammy, taking a nap in the women’s toilets at Mersey Vale Lawn Cemetery on Tuesday. Sammy was sedated and taken to a nearby beach to be released. The cemetery is about [a little under 550 yards] from the ocean and it is believed Sammy may have swum up a creek to reach it.”
AND NOW, A WORD FROM CHARLES…
“I think the focus of [former President Bill Clinton’s] speech is to turn the country’s attention on her, to turn the convention to her. Everyone knows the anti-Trump argument. Now we’ve got to hear the pro-Hillary argument.” – Charles Krauthammer on “Special Report with Bret Baier.”
Chris Stirewalt is digital politics editor for Fox News. Sally Persons contributed to this report. Want FOX News Halftime Report in your inbox every day? Sign up here.
Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more Fox News politics content.
More from Politics
