Clinton headed for landslide victory, says reports

Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton appears to be headed for a landslide victory, media reports.

Washington, Oct 19: Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton appears to be headed for a landslide victory, media reports, political experts and analysts said today, ahead of the third and final debate in Las Vegas.

"I think she's trending over 400," Republican strategist Steve Schmidt told MSNBC. To become the president, 69-year-old Clinton needs 270 electoral college votes. Getting more than 400 out of 538 is being seen as landslide.

Schmidt, a top strategist for the Republican party, said that Democrats are also headed to take control of the Senate and are close to taking over the House of Representatives. "If the elections were held today, I think Republicans are down 25 seats, as of today, with the trend line going in the wrong direction.

The panic is beginning," Schmidt said, reflecting the ground realities in the country. In the RealClearPolitics average of polls Clinton is leading by 7.2 percentage points, a gap which has rarely been bridged by any candidate in the past.

As per RealClearPolitcs analysis Clinton is already assured of 256 electoral college votes as against Trump’s 176. She needs 14 votes from 112 toss up electoral college votes. The New York Times today said Clinton has 92 per cent chances of winning the election.

The lead that Clinton has gained over the past two weeks is evident in various State and local polls. In Florida's Miami-Dade County, which is the largest county of the State, Clinton is leading Trump by 30 percentage points. In his home State of New York, Trump is trailing Clinton by 24 points.

And in a Republican stronghold of Arizona, Trump is trailing Clinton by five points. A Bloomberg poll released today said Clinton is leading Trump by nine points nationally. Trump alleged that these polls are rigged. "I do not believe the polls anymore," he said and claimed that media is not showing the polls in which he is doing well.

"You can't believe anything you see. I don't even believe the polls. I see these polls, and they're not terrible. They're sort of good. Actually, if the people come out and vote -- they are very nervous. I have a feeling this is another Brexit.

This is going to be interesting. They don't want to show you the good," he told supporters in Colorado. "If they take five polls of the same group, they will always show the bad one. But the bad ones fine, it's fine. You've got to get out and vote.

I'll tell you what, we are going to have one of the greatest victories in political history if we get out and vote," he said. "When Hillary develops the energy to go to events - she's got very small crowd. If she came up here, as an example, if she came here, she would have, let's say, maybe the little group on the right- hand, but it wouldn't be them," Trump said.

PTI