GOOD MORNING from Philadelphia, where it’s the last day of the Democratic convention. August is four days away and there are 103 days until the election. Hillary Clinton speaks to the Democratic convention tonight. How will she do?
‘YES, WE STILL CAN’ -- Michael Grunwald: “President Obama sent a simple message Wednesday night: Yes, we still can. Obama’s convention speech in Philadelphia framed the 2016 election in a very Obama way: The audacity of hope over the politics of fear, optimism over darkness, solutions over slogans, togetherness over division, a supremely qualified public servant in Hillary Clinton over an amateur-hour con artist in Donald Trump. America, he declared, is already great, and Clinton will make it greater … ‘She’s made mistakes, just like I have, just like we all do,’ he said [of Clinton]. ‘That’s what happens when you try.’” http://politi.co/2awyJTi
--OBAMA on Trump: “He’s selling the American people short,” Obama said. “We are not a fragile or frightful people. Our power doesn’t come from some self-declared savior promising that he alone can restore order.”
--BIDEN: “His speech included a litany of Biden-isms — ‘literally,’ ‘never, never, ever,’ ‘I mean this sincerely,’ ‘I’m deadly serious’ — that have become a kind of running soundtrack in the White House. He called Michelle Obama ‘kid’ and the president of the United States ‘Barack.’ He gave an inexplicably random shout-out to ‘my buddy Chris Dodd.’ But he also brought tears to many eyes with his emotional reminiscence of his late son Beau, ‘an incredibly fine man,’ and with his recognition that so many families have endured heartbreak like his.
“He delivered an efficiently brutal takedown of Trump as a cynical, empathy-deprived egomaniac who ‘doesn’t have a clue about the middle class,’ which is the ultimate insult in Bidenworld, and inspired chants of ‘Not a Clue’ from the delighted crowd. Biden also pointed out that the catchphrase Trump delivers with such glee, ‘You’re fired,’ is not the kind of thing that nice people enjoy saying. He scoffed that Trump is now running as a champion of ordinary people, prompting a classic Biden putdown: ‘That’s a bunch of malarkey!’” http://politi.co/2ajrGK
HOW IT PLAYED -- NYT (two columns, A1) “OBAMA CHAMPIONS OPTIMISM, PASSING BATON TO CLINTON” http://nyti.ms/2apq4T4 … WaPo (five columns, A1) “Making a case for optimism” http://bit.ly/2abLGj6 … Drudge banner, “PASS THE BATON *AND $20 TRILLION IN DEBT” … HuffPo banner, “THE AUDACITY OF HOPE” … WSJ (five columns, A1) “Democrats Rally Behind Clinton” … NYPost, “OBAMA 3.0 Prez: Hill’s Just Like Me” http://nyp.st/2a6FWFP ... NY Daily News, “LOCK HIM UP...Comrade Trump’s treasonous call for Russia to hack Hill”
PARALLEL BETWEEN BIDEN ‘16, CLINTON ‘08 -- Last night, Vice President Joe Biden said, “The 21st century is going to be the American century. Because -- because we lead not only by the example of our power, but by the power of our example.” At the 2008 convention, Bill Clinton said, “People the world over have always been more impressed by the power of our example than by the example of our power.”
FLASH -- On Fox News this morning, Donald Trump said Russian President Vladimir Putin is a better leader than President Barack Obama.
SCOOP -- The co-founder of Republican Women for Hillary will have a prime speaking role tonight ahead of Hillary Clinton’s address to the Democratic convention. Jennifer Pierotti Lim, who works at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, has received national attention in recent weeks for helping organize her fellow Republicans to support Clinton. The convention schedule is ever changing, though, so the timing of her speech could shift.
WHAT HILLARY SHOULD SAY -- From a veteran Democratic operative who worked on the Obama campaign. “A well-done convention tells a highly scripted and politically potent story punctuated by a speech by the nominee that sums up that story for what will be the largest non-debate audience they see all campaign. For Clinton that means three things: raising the stakes for the election, shedding some light on what motivates her everyday, and make a direct appeal to the Obama voters to turnout for her in November. Her goal is mostly to persuade people who supporter to be willing to get off the couch and stand in line for her, it's not about persuading some mythical group of swing voters. If zero people who voted for Romney vote for her, but almost all the people who voted for Obama do, she will win by an electoral margin larger than Obama beat Romney.”
-- “Can Clinton meet the moment?” by Annie Karni: http://politi.co/2apwrpf
DAILY DONALD -- “Donald Trump Calls on Russia to Find Hillary Clinton’s Missing Emails,” by NYT’s Ashley Parker in Doral, Florida, and David Sanger in D.C. with Alex Burns, Amy Chozick and John Harwood in Philadelphia, and Eric Lichtblau in D.C.: “Donald J. Trump said on Wednesday that he hoped Russian intelligence services had successfully hacked Hillary Clinton’s email, and encouraged them to publish whatever they may have stolen, essentially urging a foreign adversary to conduct cyberespionage against a former secretary of state. ‘Russia, if you’re listening, I hope you’re able to find the 30,000 emails that are missing,’ Mr. Trump said during a news conference here in an apparent reference to Mrs. Clinton’s deleted emails. ‘I think you will probably be rewarded mightily by our press.’“Mr. Trump’s call was another bizarre moment in the mystery of whether Vladimir V. Putin’s government has been seeking to influence the United States’ presidential race … When asked whether he would recognize Crimea ‘as Russian territory’ and lift the sanctions, Mr. Trump said: ‘We’ll be looking at that. Yeah, we’ll be looking.’...
“Mr. Trump later tried to modify his remarks about hacking Mrs. Clinton’s emails, contending they represented an effort to get the Russians to turn over their trove to the F.B.I … With the political conventions coming to an end on Thursday, Mr. Trump is expected to receive his first national security briefings from American intelligence agencies in coming days.” http://nyti.ms/2aMcqq7
--“Harry Reid To Intel Community: Give Donald Trump Fake Briefings,” by HuffPost’s Ryan Grim and Sam Stein -- Reid: “‘How would the CIA and the other intelligence agencies brief this guy? How could they do that? I would suggest to the intelligence agencies, if you’re forced to brief this guy, don’t tell him anything, just fake it, because this man is dangerous … Fake it, pretend you’re doing a briefing, but you can’t give the guy any information.’” http://huff.to/2a6x9U7
--“Post reporter barred, patted down by police, at rally for Trump running mate” (second-most read story on WashingtonPost.com) by WaPo’s Paul Farhi: “Post reporter Jose A. DelReal sought to cover Pence’s rally at the Waukesha County Exposition Center outside Milwaukee, but he was turned down for a credential beforehand by volunteers at a press check-in table. DelReal then tried to enter via the general-admission line … He was stopped there by a private security official who told him he couldn’t enter the building with his laptop and cellphone.
“When DelReal asked whether others attending the rally could enter with their cellphones, he said the unidentified official replied, ‘Not if they work for The Washington Post.’ After placing his computer and phone in his car, DelReal returned to the line and was detained again by security personnel, who summoned two county sheriff’s deputies. The officers patted down DelReal’s legs and torso, seeking his phone, the reporter said. When the officers — whom DelReal identified as Deputy John Lappley and Capt. Michelle Larsuel — verified that he wasn’t carrying a phone, the reporter asked to be admitted. The security person declined. ‘He said, ‘I don’t want you here. You have to go,’ DelReal said.” http://wapo.st/2aprJYH
TRAIL WATCH -- Hillary Clinton is heading to Omaha, Nebraska, Aug. 1. Robby Mook, Clinton’s campaign manager, said in a Playbook Breakfast Wednesday morning that the campaign sees opportunity in Nebraska’s Second Congressional district, the Omaha-based Republican seat currently represented by Brad Ashford, a Democrat. On the same day, Tim Kaine will campaign at a “homecoming rally” in Richmond. The events will come after their Ohio and Pennsylvania bus tour.
SPOTTED -- Fox News’ Megyn Kelly and Dana Perino at the CNN Grill Wednesday night. Kelly was drinking a glass of wine, and Perino what appeared to be a mixed drink. The pair was accompanied by three bodyguards. Kelly spoke with CNN chief Jeff Zucker, Anderson Cooper and Don Lemon, according to several tipsters. Pix of Megyn and Dana http://bit.ly/2apIv9U ... http://bit.ly/2asM914
OVERHEARD: As Kelly walked into the pricey CNN space, one onlooker said, “that’s the Planned Parenthood lady,” presumably referring to Cecile Richards.
DWS DRAMA -- “DNC insiders detail months of escalating dysfunction” by Isaac Dovere in Philly: “Debbie Wasserman Schultz wasn’t supposed to ask Joe Biden to come to her daughter’s bat mitzvah. [DNC] staff had sent the chair to the vice president armed with four specific requests for getting him involved in raising money for the party. She decided to scrap them for two of her own. First, she asked Biden to do a fundraiser for her own re-election to her House seat in Florida in the primary challenge she’s facing next month. He agreed. The second was to get down to Boca Raton for the bat mitzvah. Biden’s staff balked. They offered to tape a video message from him instead, hoping that would satisfy her. Wasserman Schultz eagerly said yes. They played it for everyone who came.” Lots of great details about White House/DNC drama http://politi.co/2abOpJv
CLICKER – “The 21 harshest Trump burns from DNC Day 3,” by Dan Spinelli and Bianca Padró Ocasio http://politi.co/2aMhyuk
FAT CHANCE -- “Democratic donors, allies offer reward for Trump tax returns,” by AP’s Julie Bykowicz: “Moishe Mana, a top fundraiser for Clinton, has offered to give $1 million to the charity of Trump's choice if he makes [his tax returns] public. He joins an unnamed Republican donor working with Clinton ally David Brock who has made a similar offer of $5 million. ‘Through his financial documents, we are trying to break into the image that he's portraying to the American people,’ said Mana, a real estate developer in Miami. ‘He says he’s a successful businessman who wants to do for the country what he did for his company. Well, go ahead, show me the money.’” http://apne.ws/2apvT2I
MICHAEL HIRSH on Politico, “Role Reversal: The Dems Become the Security Party”: “Set aside the truthfulness of these claims for a moment. Wednesday night confirmed a dramatic shift, perhaps even a reversal, of the roles the two major parties have been identified with for several decades. For the first time, perhaps, since Vietnam, the Democratic Party is now the party of national security expertise—not just in its own rhetoric, but in the eyes of national-security specialists on both sides. One of the most striking facts about the election of 2016 is that a sizeable majority of Republican foreign-policy professionals appear to agree with Obama and Biden. They believe that Trump is a far greater danger to U.S. national security than Clinton is—and many of them say they will even vote for her.” http://politi.co/2az69lg
FRANK BRUNI, “Freedom From Fear”: “[Obama] made Trump look teeny tiny; he may well make Clinton look small, too, though that clearly wasn’t and isn’t his intent. A high bar has been set for her speech on Thursday night. His speech reflected a fascinating role reversal this election cycle, with the Republicans — or, at least, the Republican presidential nominee — speaking in stormy terms about America’s failures while the Democrats stress how much sunshine there really is. At least since Ronald Reagan’s declaration of ‘morning again in America,’ the G.O.P. has tended toward optimism and uplift, but Trump has little interest in cheerleading. So Democrats have grabbed the pom-poms.” http://nyti.ms/2awzbRd
PIC DU JOUR -- @dmartosko: “It’s begun. Trump has built a wall in front of his press conference podium” http://bit.ly/2apxs0I
JIM RUTENBERG in the NYT’s Mediator column, “Clinton’s Convention Is Made for TV. Trump’s Was Made for Twitter”: “Hillary Clinton has so far been putting on a better television show in Philadelphia than Donald J. Trump did in Cleveland. Expectations had it the other way around. Mr. Trump is the bona fide television sensation, a former maestro of a hit reality series, and he had promised to bring some ‘showbiz’ to the proceedings. Yet it’s Mrs. Clinton who has had the celebrities and musical acts that ‘Tonight Show’ bookers’ dreams are made of — Alicia Keys, Meryl Streep, Paul Simon, Elizabeth Banks, Lenny Kravitz and Lena Dunham. It’s Mrs. Clinton who has had the more professionally produced show. And at least for the first two nights, it’s Mrs. Clinton who has had the bigger ratings, by several million people.” http://nyti.ms/2adSocr
--In the new issue of Bloomberg Businessweek, Jesse Drucker and Stephen Wicary uncover that four of Trump’s closest aides have been traveling to Cuba for the past three or four years, scouting potential sites and investments despite the U.S. trade embargo prohibiting its citizens from exploring commercial opportunities there or promoting tourism. http://buswk.co/TrumpCuba
SNEAK PEEKS -- TIME Magazine cover: “The Games Changer,” about gymnast Simone Biles. http://bit.ly/2ay9lOE
-- Katie McGinty, the Democrat running for Senate in Pennsylvania, will speak tonight at the convention. Here’s a first look at her remarks: “The truth is that fear and economic anxiety reach far and wide across our country. Hard-working people feeling anxious and insecure. It’s real -- it certainly isn't just people complaining. The choice is how we respond to that fear and that anxiety. On one hand, we can respond with more fear, with blame -- pure poison in this great melting pot country.
“That’s the choice of Donald Trump, my opponent Pat Toomey and the whole Republican gang: Blame the Mexicans. Blame the Muslims. Blame the government. Build a wall. We also have a different choice. We can respond to that fear and that anxiety with something that's true to our greatest traditions and strengths. We can work together, and we can believe once again in the power of opportunity. We can know that diversity is our strength. We can stand for the dignity of every person.”
TOP TWEETS -- @MaggieNYT: “Unless I am missing something, Bloomberg is the first major public figure to openly question Trump’s sanity. It was not in the [embargoed remarks] … @KevinMaddenDC on Tim Kaine: “It’s a national, primetime address: why not make sure your candidate has a suit jacket that fits?” … @AshleyRParker: “ WAUKESHA -- Tough talk from @mike_pence: ‘I’m kind of a B-list Republican celebrity.” … @TimNaftali, former director of Nixon Library: “Trump’s doubling down by encouraging Russia to spy more is likely the most outrageous thing ever said by anyone wanting to lead a superpower” … Julian Sanchez (@normative): “Disappointed to see Trump outsourcing work American hackers could do.” … @BresPolitico: “Reagan: ‘Mr. Gorbachev, tear down that wall!’ Trump: ‘Mr. Putin, please hack those emails!’” … WSJ’s Reid J. Epstein (@reidepstein): “Eric Trump comes on stage in Scranton and tells the crowd that ‘I went to boarding school in Pennsylvania.’”
HAPPENING TODAY -- Playbook Live from the DNC: Doors open at 8 a.m. for back-to-back Playbook Live interviews with NextGen Climate President Tom Steyer and California Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom. A chat with Chelsea Handler at the DNC: Playbook co-authors Anna Palmer and Jake Sherman share cocktails and conversation with comedian, author and host of Netflix's first-ever talk show, Chelsea Handler at the Democratic National Convention. Today - doors at 4 p.m. Livestream both conversations: www.POLITICO.com/live
MEDIAWATCH – NYT, “After Ailes’s Departure, a Stony Silence at Fox,” by Michael M. Grynbaum and Emily Steel: “The Fox News skybox here turns into a hive of activity as the network’s star anchors analyze the Democratic National Convention for millions of viewers. When the cameras blink off, however, the banter has been replaced by something rarely heard in the television news business: silence. Megyn Kelly and her co-hosts, including Bret Baier and Brit Hume, have not been speaking during commercial breaks, according to two people with direct knowledge of the anchors’ interactions, who described the on-set atmosphere at Fox News as icy.
“During ads, the hosts are often absorbed with their smartphones ... Still, employees say there is a continuing split inside the network, with one camp of old-guard Fox News loyalists — some of whom owe their careers to Mr. Ailes — upset at his ouster. Some are resentful toward Ms. Kelly for cooperating with lawyers brought in by the network’s parent company, 21st Century Fox, to investigate Mr. Ailes’s behavior.” http://nyti.ms/2ajytn4
FOR YOUR RADAR -- “U.S. Secures Vast New Trove of Intelligence on ISIS,” by NYT’s Eric Schmitt: “The United States is poring over a vast trove of new intelligence about Islamic State fighters who have flowed into Syria and Iraq and some who then returned to their home countries, information that American officials say could help fight militants on the battlefield and prevent potential plotters from slipping into Europe. American-backed Syrian Kurdish and Arab militias have seized more than 10,000 documents and 4.5 terabytes of digital data in recent weeks while fighting insurgents in Manbij in northern Syria, near the Turkish border, a major hub for Islamic State fighters entering and leaving Syria, American officials said.” http://nyti.ms/2ajxW4I
IN THE SKIES -- “Boeing Considers Ending Production of 747,” by WSJ’s Jon Ostrower: “The world’s most recognizable airplane is coming in for a landing. Boeing Co. said in a regulatory filing Wednesday that it might stop production of the 747, ending nearly a half-century of building the plane that became the aircraft of choice for the U.S. president and other heads of state.” http://on.wsj.com/2ay0JYl3
OUR EARLY-MORNING PALS -- “No Snooze Zone: The Insanely Early Morning Routines of America's Favorite Newscasters,” by Bon Appetit’s Alex Beggs: Morning Joe’s Mika “Brzezinski’s alarm goes off anywhere between 3:30 and 4:00 a.m. She puts her contacts in, washes her face, brushes teeth, and gets into a car at 4:25 at the latest, with a pillow so she can sleep an extra 30 minutes.” Cameos: Gayle King and Charlie Rose. http://bit.ly/2ahWTjF
LATE NIGHT -- Stephen Colbert, defying Viacom, will continue to use his Colbert character -- kind of. http://bit.ly/2acZid6
HAPPENING TONIGHT -- Unity Concert featuring Snoop Dogg with music by DJ Samantha Ronson at the Electric Factory … Vote Revolt and AT&T hosting Mclyte and DJ D Nice … Lady Gaga, Lenny Kravitz and DJ Jazzy Jeff at “Camden Rising” party organized by George Norcross and Senate Majority PAC.
PLAYBOOK IRL -- Lobby bar of the Ritz-Carlton Philadelphia at 3 a.m. http://bit.ly/2ay1noG … Blues Traveler frontman John Popper at the Chicago Rockin’ Blues concert last night http://bit.ly/2azgPAD
SPOTTED: Robert Draper and girlfriend Kirsten Powers sharing laughter and a bite late night at the Marriott bar … Josh Gad at Pat’s King of Steaks at 3 a.m. … Rep. Don Payne (D-N.J.) at Geno’s … Late night at the Logan: Leon Panetta, DNCC communications chief April Mellody, Kerry alum Drew O’Brien, DNCC communications staffers Leslie Lillard and Mary Schuneman … Charlie Crist, at the Ritz … NYC Comptroller Scott Stringer at the very very hip Elixir coffee bar Wednesday. ... Spotted on Amtrak train 84 to Philly Wednesday, which several folks took because the Acela was canceled: former Sen. Byron Dorgan, now with Arent Fox …
… Jonathan Capehart at the Aqimero Bar at the Ritz … Carole King at the Hotel Monaco … Wolf Blitzer at the Starbucks in the downtown Marriott (not spotted at the Ritz, like Zucker!) … George Stephanopoulos in workout gear walking through lobby of downtown Marriott yesterday morning ... Bret Baier at the Ritz Carlton late night, buying rounds … Ohio Rep. Tim Ryan in line for a cheesesteak at Geno’s, congratulating Bobby Scott on his speech introducing Tim Kaine … Stephanie Schriock at a Montana delegation breakfast at the Marriott getting a standing ovation.
SEND YOUR PHILLY SPOTTINGS to daniel@politico.com
OUT AND ABOUT -- Massive Obama staff reunion party hosted by Herbie Ziskend, Josh Lipsky, Eric Lesser and Jake Levine at Red Owl Tavern in Hotel Monaco in Philadelphia. The party ran from midnight to the bar’s closing at 4 a.m. Legions of Obama alumni crowded Red Owl and reminisced about the end of an era. SPOTTED: Jon Favreau, Jen Psaki, Austin Goolsbee, Cody Keenan, Bill Burton, Christina Reynolds, Tommy Vietor, Mike O’Neil, Johnny Dach, Arlie Slonim, Matt Szafranski, Matt Shapanka, Mike Blake, Katie Oyama, Kit Rosen, Dan Gross, Kenny Thompson, Kristin Jarvis.
SPOTTED AT THE ROOTS: The Breaking Barriers Concert presented by Bully Pulpit Interactive and powered by Pandora: Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, former Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter, Ronan Farrow, Ari Melber, Chris Hughes, Stephanie Hannon, Kyle Rush, Jenna Lowenstein, Jason Rosenbaum and Sarah Gálvez (who caught Questlove’s drumstick at the end of the night), Andrew Bleeker, Tim Lim, Ben Coffey Clark, Jen Nedeau, Sean Duggan, Shannon Lee and Drew Thurlow, Jocelyn Augustino, Ben LaBolt, Tucker Bounds, Meredith Carden, Heidi Nel, Adam Conner, Jon Favreau, Tommy Vietor, Michael Bassik, Josh Fryday, Sam Stein, Amanda Terkel, Tara McGowan, Lauren Miller, Pete Giangreco, Gaurav Shirole, Lauren Belive, Laurent Crenshaw, Phil Elliott, Jenna Golden, Rob Saliterman, Kaiya Waddell, Elise Shutzer, Michelle Stephenson.
--At the Human Rights Campaign and Everytown for Gun Safety “United Against Hate” Party: Surprise musical guest Tiffany! jumped in the middle of the evening’s dance party to perform “I Think We’re Alone Now.” Party favor of the night: HRC’s special edition “Make America Gay Again” and “Make America LGBTQ Again” hats.
SPOTTED: Sens. Chris Murphy and Amy Klobuchar, Rep. Mark Takano, HRC President Chad Griffin, Everytown President John Feinblatt, Robby Mook, Hilary Rosen, Fred Hochberg, Lucy McBath, Moms Demand Action President Shannon Watts, Courtney O’Donnell, Brad Hoylman, Chris Sgro, Robbie Kaplan and Rachel Lavine, Wilson Cruz, Dustin Lance Black, Richard Socarides, Anna Greenberg, Dana Milbank, Raymond Braun, Sarah McBride, Kris Perry and Sandy Stier, Jim Obergefell, Campbell Spencer, Ben Sheehan.
SPOTTED at yesterday’s Clinton alumni lunch, a big gathering at the American Museum of Jewish History, where Tony Podesta and Bill Clinton spoke: DSCC IE chief Mindy Myers, Laura Capps, Jenny Backus, Rica Rodman, former Sen. Chris Dodd, Jackson Dunn, Kim Cubine, Steve Rabinowitz, Laurie Moscowitz, Bill Daley, Tom Nides, Steve Elmendorf, Karen Skelton, Susan Brophy, Dee Dee Myers, Lee Satterfield, Diana Rogale and Joe Eye, David and Ann Castagnetti, David Prior and Kris Balderston.
REMEMBERING MARK WEINER – NECN: “Weiner’s company, Financial Innovations, has for decades made campaign merchandise such as t-shirts and buttons for the Democratic National Convention and political candidates including President Barack Obama and current presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. He is a longtime friend of the Clintons. He has held leadership positions throughout the Democratic Party and was involved in presidential campaigns since 1976.” http://bit.ly/2awzRWN
BIRTHWEEK (was yesterday): David Spielfogel ... Lauren Durham ... Sarah Feinberg, Iraq veteran (Marine Corps) and Booz Allen Hamilton consultant … Amy Tilley … (was Tuesday): Erin Gloria Ryan
BIRTHDAYS: Huma Abedin, the pride of Kalamazoo, Mich. … Richard N. Haass, CFR president … BuzzFeed’s Ruby Cramer (h/t Jen Epstein) … Liz Cheney is 5-0 … Jay Zeidman, managing partner at Resolute Venture Partners… Scott Pelley is 59 ... Bill Bradley is 73 ... Dick Ebersol is 69 ... Patrick Boland, comms director and senior advisor for Rep. Adam Schiff and House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence …Torrie Miller Matous ... Kathy Dedrick, minority staff director for House T&I Cmte ... Betsy Werronen, longtime staffer to former Sen. Edward W. Brooke III and past D.C. GOP Chair … Sam Mondry-Cohen, Nats’ director of baseball research and development and a political junkie ... CAC’s Phil Ortiz ... Scott Pearson, executive director of the DC Public Charter School Board (h/t Jon Haber) ... Rep. Mark Meadows (R-NC) is 57 ... Sarah Jackson ... Politico’s Laura Nahmias and Lauren Kaplan
... Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras is 42 ... Carter campaign alum Becky Able is 69 (h/t Richard Able) ... Steve Deace, Iowa-based national conservative radio host ... Steve Glasser … Abigail Alger … New Hampshire’s Kevin Smith ... Grant Allen … Bill Cheney … Jesse Boatwright … Theresa Kehoe … Phil Rawson … Solenne Trequesser … John Lease … Satish Narayanan … Susanna Fleek Green … Henry Wachs … Kelly Landis ... Courtney Kube of NBC News ... Chandler Thornton, regional Northeast vice chairman of the College Republican National Committee ... Lea O’Neal, publisher of Welcome Magazine ... Brian Dotts ... Kirsten Fedewa ... Christopher M. Schroeder ... Scott Ferrell ... “Garfield” creator Jim Davis is 71 ... Linda Kelsey is 7-0 ... Sally Struthers is 69 ... Soulja Boy is 26 ... Cher Lloyd (“The X Factor”) is 23 (h/ts AP)