Axios PM: Bush v. Gore II looks unlikely — 🧀 Biden pickup — 🎞️ Holiday movie showdown

1 big thing: Bush v. Gore II looks unlikely | Wednesday, November 04, 2020

Open in app View in browser   Axios PM By Mike Allen ·Nov 04, 2020 Good evening: Today's PM — edited by Justin Green — is 552 words, a 2-minute read.     1 big thing: Bush v. Gore II looks unlikely President Trump holds results in the East Room early today. Photo: Carlos Barria/Reuters   With Joe Biden closing in on 270 electoral votes, the Trump campaign filed a flurry of ballot-related lawsuits that legal experts say are unlikely to produce a Bush v. Gore sequel. 🧀 Biden will win Wisconsin, the AP projected this afternoon. Biden will also win Michigan, the AP projected. Biden can clear 270 electoral votes by hanging on in Nevada and Arizona — or winning Pennsylvania. Biden sought to portray himself as president-elect and healer-in-chief in an afternoon speech that included nods to Barack Obama, Trump and swing voters, Axios' Margaret Talev tells me. Biden said that "power can't be taken or asserted" and he wouldn't let Americans be "bullied," adding, "Every vote must be counted." "I'm not here to declare that we've won," he said. "But I am here to report that when the count is finished, we believe we will be the winners." Biden compared his margins to Trump's narrow 2016 margins, noted how unusual it is to beat an incumbent, and noted the Biden-Harris ticket is on track to eclipse the popular vote totals of any ticket in U.S. history. Americans must stop treating political opponents as enemies, he said. "We are not enemies. ... I will govern as an American president." Between the lines: Experts say they simply don't yet see strong vehicles emerging for a scenario where Supreme Court justices decide the next president, although it's too early to reach firm conclusions while votes are still being counted, Axios' Sam Baker and Stef Kight report. In Wisconsin, the Trump campaign has already said it intends to seek a recount. The state's 2016 recount ended up only changing 131 votes. Biden's current margin is more than 20,000 votes. In Michigan, the campaign is suing for access to vote-counting operations, and to stop the counting until then. They are filing a similar suit in Pennsylvania. In Pennsylvania, the biggest controversy is the state's decision to count mail-in ballots that were mailed by Nov. 3, but arrived later. A challenge to that extension is already pending at the Supreme Court. Four conservative Supreme Court justices have already expressed deep misgivings about extended ballot deadlines, and the court could take up a challenge to Pennsylvania's extension at any time. But that's only likely to happen, experts said, if those late-arriving votes are the tipping point in Pennsylvania — and if Pennsylvania is the tipping point nationwide. While the overall number of mail-in ballots this year is huge, the number of late-arriving mail-in ballots is believed to be pretty small.     2. Pics du jour Photos: Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images   Messages cover the security fence in Lafayette Square near the White House.     3. Catch up quick Sen. Susan Collins speaks in Bangor just after midnight. Photo: Robert F. Bukaty/AP   Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) won the hardest-fought race of her career, turning back a challenge by Democrat Sara Gideon, 51% to 43%, and surviving to serve a fifth term. Go deeper. So far the GOP has boosted the number of women in the House by at least 10 members. Go deeper. (More 2020 firsts). Last night's results appear to have cleared the field of challengers to House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, House leadership sources say. Go deeper. Much of Italy will be placed under a strict lockdown as of Friday. Go deeper.     4. 🎞️ 1 film thing: Holiday movie showdown moves home "The Croods: A New Age," via DreamWorks   The first holiday-movie faceoff of the COVID era will play out at home, Bloomberg's Kelly Gilblom reports: "Universal Pictures is planning a Dec. 18 online release for its newest animated film 'The Croods: A New Age,' a short three weeks after it first opens in theaters" at Thanksgiving. The $65 million movie "is the biggest film Universal plans to release this year under its new video-on-demand model," per Bloomberg. On Christmas Day, Disney releases its own animated picture, Pixar's "Soul," on Disney+.     Axios thanks our partners for supporting our newsletters. Sponsorship has no influence on editorial content. Axios, 3100 Clarendon B‌lvd, Suite 1300, Arlington VA 22201   You received this email because you signed up for newsletters from Axios. Change your preferences or unsubscribe here.   Was this email forwarded to you? Sign up now to get Axios in your inbox.   Follow Axios on social media: