memeorandum: The new Post-ABC poll shows just how badly Donald Trump blew his convention (Philip Bump/Washington Post)

10:15 AM ET, August 8, 2016

Top Items:

McKay Coppins / BuzzFeed:

Anti-Trump Republican Launching Independent Presidential Bid — Key players in the GOP's anti-Trump movement are preparing to launch an independent presidential campaign for Evan McMullin — a CIA veteran and the chief policy director of the House Republican conference — sources close to the effort told BuzzFeed News.

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, Washington Post, CNBC, Guardian, Daily Kos, Daily Wire, The Daily Caller, AOL, Mediaite, Hot Air, Independent Journal Review, The Resurgent, Raw Story, Business Insider, Lawyers, Guns & Money, The Week, Instapundit and The Slot

Shushannah Walshe / ABC News:

Former CIA Agent to Launch Independent Presidential Bid — Evan McMullin, a 40-year-old former CIA counterterror operative who is now the chief policy director of the House Republican Conference, will run for president as a third-party conservative alternative to Donald Trump, the group backing the candidate told ABC News today.

Discussion: Politico and The Week

Philip Bump / Washington Post:

The new Post-ABC poll shows just how badly Donald Trump blew his convention — Conventions are not complicated things. They are a few nights' worth of free media attention, during which each political party can make its best case to voters for the general election.

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, The Resurgent, Electoral-vote.com, Little Green Footballs, Daily Wire, New York Magazine and Outside the Beltway

Andrea Peyser / New York Post:

I can no longer justify calling myself a Trump supporter — MORE FROM: — That's all folks! I'm out. — Embracing the presidential aspirations of Donald Trump was, from the start, an exercise in magical thinking. In my heart, I wanted the smack-talking, hair-challenged …

Discussion: Raw Story and The Week

Patrick Svitek / The Texas Tribune:

George P. Bush, a Trump Holdout, Urges Support For Nominee … Land Commissioner George P. Bush, who has not endorsed Donald Trump, is now asking Texas Republicans to support the party's presidential nominee. — Addressing state GOP activists Saturday, Bush said it was time to put aside …

Discussion: NBC News, Talking Points Memo, Politico, Independent Journal Review, The Week, CNN, New York Magazine, Post On Politics and BizPac Review

Cyra Master / The Hill:
George P. Bush tells GOP to support Trump: report

Discussion: The Gateway Pundit and RedState

Ashley Parker / New York Times:

Donald Trump's Diet: He'll Have Fries With That — President Obama is so disciplined that his wife has teased that he eats precisely seven lightly salted almonds each night. — George W. Bush was an exercise buff, obsessed with staying trim by mountain biking and clearing brush at his ranch in Crawford, Tex.

Discussion: The Week

Frank Lavin / CNN:

Reagan Republican: Trump is the emperor with no clothes — A former government official in Republican administrations since the presidency of Ronald Reagan, Frank Lavin is the CEO of Export Now, a company that helps U.S. brands sell online in China. The opinions expressed in this commentary are his.

Discussion: Politicus USA

Abby Phillip / Washington Post:
George W. Bush administration official announces support for Clinton over Trump

Discussion: Politico

Rebecca Savransky / The Hill: Former Reagan political director: I'm voting for Clinton

Wall Street Journal:

Donald Trump Tries a Campaign Reboot — As the GOP nominee slumps in polls, he plans an economic speech in Detroit — Donald Trump is trying to quickly reset his presidential campaign to address worsening poll numbers and growing isolation from influential members of the Republican Party.

Bloomberg:

Trump to Propose Moratorium on New Financial Regulations — In a speech Monday in Detroit, the Republican presidential nominee will also call for a repeal of the estate tax. — kevcirilli — JenniferJJacobs — Donald Trump will propose a temporary moratorium on new financial regulations …

Discussion: Business Insider, The Daily Caller, No More Mister Nice Blog and The Week

Jim Hoft / The Gateway Pundit:

PHOTOS=> Hillary's Handler Carries DIAZEPAM Pen for Patients Who Experience Recurrent Seizures! — In recent bizarre events on the campaign trail a strange man was noticed at Hillary Clinton's side. — Via Mike Cernovich: … ** Danger and Play has much more.

Discussion: Vox Popoli and Mike Cernovich Presents …

Associated Press:

Iran says it executed nuclear scientist in US spy mystery — TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iran executed a nuclear scientist who defected to the U.S. and returned to the Islamic Republic under mysterious circumstances a year later, an official said Sunday, acknowledging for the first time that the …

Discussion: Instapundit, Taylor Marsh, Hot Air, CNN, The Daily Caller, USA Today, Power Line and The Atlantic

Saeed Kamali Dehghan / Guardian:
Iran executes nuclear scientist who returned to country from US

Discussion: National Review, Hot Air, New York Times and New York Magazine

Jacqueline Klimas / Washington Examiner:
Cotton: Clinton discussed executed Iranian scientist on email

Discussion: Daily Mail, Scared Monkeys, AFF, John Hawkins' Right Wing News, Israel Matzav, The Gateway Pundit and Pamela Geller

Jerry Markon / Washington Post:

As senator, Clinton promised 200,000 jobs in Upstate New York. Her efforts fell flat. — In her presidential bid, Hillary Clinton has made job creation a centerpiece of her platform, casting herself as a pragmatist who would inspire “the biggest investment in new, good-paying jobs since World War II.”

Discussion: Hot Air and The Week

Robert Barnes / Washington Post:

The crusade of a Democratic superlawyer with multimillion-dollar backing — PHOENIX — After a lopsided string of court victories knocking down state voting restrictions, Democratic superlawyer Marc E. Elias was literally flying high last week in his pursuit of other Republican-initiated voting laws …

Kathleen Gray / Detroit Free Press:

Former Gov. Milliken endorses Clinton over Trump — Several people unlikely to be seen at Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump's speech to the Detroit Economic Club later today belong to a pretty exclusive club. — Current and former governors of Michigan are either working …

Discussion: Talking Points Memo

Matt Hamilton / Los Angeles Times:

Man killed while playing ‘Pokemon Go’ in park near San Francisco's Fisherman's Wharf — A man was shot and killed while playing ‘Pokemon Go’ in San Francisco's Aquatic Park, authorities said Sunday. — A 20-year-old man was shot and killed while playing ‘Pokemon Go’ near San Francisco's Fisherman's Wharf …

Discussion: The Week

New York Times:

Katie Ledecky Smashes Her Own World Record in 400 Freestyle — After finishing, having roared through the last 50 meters of the 400-meter freestyle at a sprinter's pace, Katie Ledecky turned around to see the scoreboard. It told her what she surely already knew: she had won gold …

Discussion: New York Magazine

Nicole Auerbach / USA Today:
Katie Ledecky wins gold in women's 400 free, breaks her own world record

Discussion: Independent Journal Review, New York Magazine and The Week

David Edwards / Raw Story:

‘Polling can be skewed’: Four Trump surrogates go on CNN for mass denial of Trump's lousy polls — DON'T MISS STORIES. FOLLOW RAW STORY! — Four Donald Trump supporters insisted on CNN over the weekend that recent polls could not be trusted because they were “skewed” in favor of Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton.

Discussion: Political Insider blog, Washington Post and Independent Journal Review