Clinton grapples with Trump popularity
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While Donald Trump kept himself firmly in the spltight—launching a social media defense of his treatment of women, listing possible Supreme Court nominees, and rapidly declaring an Egyptian plane crash an act of terrorism—all the while Democratic hopeful Hillary Clinton tries to figure out the best counter strategy.
So far, Clinton's unexpectedly tough battle with Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders has revealed her difficulty in making her candidacy widely accepted within her own party.
As the former secretary of state, throws a policy-filled kitchen sink at voters, Sanders' supporters can repeat whole sections of his campaign speech verbatim and Trump's backers chime in on cue when he asks who will pay for his proposed border wall with Mexico.
And her ability to define the race on her own terms could only get harder in a face-off with Trump, the dominant force in this presidential contest and a master of defining his opponents before they can define themselves.
"He's good at dominating the news cycle and changing the news cycle to fit his purposes," said Rick Tyler, former communications director for Texas Sen. Ted Cruz's failed presidential campaign. "He has this ability to just change the trajectory of where the news is going by using amazing distractions that are just too delicious to pass up."
