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Clinton and Surrogates Pivot Away From Trump, Toward Her Agenda

Stump speeches increasingly have fewer attacks on GOP nominee

Democratic presidential nominee and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton (R) debates with Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump during the final debate in Las Vegas last week. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)
Democratic presidential nominee and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton (R) debates with Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump during the final debate in Las Vegas last week. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)

The Democratic presidential nominee and some surrogates are pivoting from attacks on Donald Trump toward how she might enact her agenda and work with Congress.

At campaign stops Sunday in North Carolina and Monday in New Hampshire — both battleground states in the race for the White House and Senate — Clinton mentioned Trump here and there. She mocked him. She urged Democrats to vote in large numbers.

But, in both states, Clinton focused most of her remarks on her broad collection of domestic policy proposals. The new tactic comes as several polls give her a double-digit lead nationally over Trump.

She pitched her plan for “the biggest” federal investment in new jobs since World War II, her plan for “half a billion new solar panels,” an infrastructure overhaul proposal, a “modern” electrical grid, paid family leave and other proposals.

The Democratic nominee increasingly is alluding to a desire to repair relations with congressional Republicans, some of whom she will need to pass legislation.

“We’ve got to break through the gridlock and the dysfunction that has unfortunately marred Washington,” Clinton said. “We have got to get back to listening respectfully. We can disagree without being disagreeable.”

After her remarks Monday, Clinton danced for a few moments on stage as “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” blared through the loudspeakers.

[(VIDEO) White House Watch: ‘Big Guns’ Set to Hit Campaign Trail]

At a stop in Cleveland ahead of a Clinton campaign event in Toledo, Ohio, Vice President Joseph R. Biden, Jr., was a bit more overt about leading Democrats’ pivot to Nov. 9, the day after Election Day.

“We all know the nightmare of a Trump presidency,” Biden said. “I’ve given up on talking about Trump.”

“Hillary’s going to win this election,” Biden said to applause, according to a pool report released by the White House.

At the Toledo event, Biden did not focus on the GOP nominee. But in one candid moment, the vice president said of Trump, “I’d like to take him behind the gym in high school” and the Republican standard-bearer made the kind of lewd comments about his sister that were heard on a leaked 2005 “Access Hollywood” video.

Like Clinton, Biden’s remarks largely focused on her policy agenda.

By serving up red meat to their Democratic supporters, it appeared the Clinton campaign is in full get-out-the-vote mode — including for congressional races, as Democrats try and win back control of the Senate.

[As Election Nears, Obama to Dive Into Congressional Races]

That has been President Barack Obama’s message for weeks, as he has hit swing states urging Democrats to both vote and encourage their cousin “Pookie” to join them.

“Presidents can’t do everything on their own,” Obama said at a rally in North Las Vegas, Nev. “So we can’t elect Hillary and then saddle her with a Congress that is do-nothing, won’t even try to do something, won’t even get their own stuff passed, much less the stuff you want passed.

“All they got to offer is blocking and obstructing every step of the way,” Obama said. “We’ve got to have a Congress that’s willing to make progress on the issues Americans care about.”

Contact Bennett at johnbennett@cqrollcall.com. Follow him on Twitter @BennettJohnT.

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