Contenders past and present loom over 2022: The Note
The midterm elections are one week away.
The TAKE with Rick Klein
We're one week out, but already peering two years to the future -- and also to the recent past.
Look to 2024 out of Miami Gardens, Florida, on Tuesday, where President Joe Biden will rally with Democrats at a time and in a place that lets him square up against a potential opponent, Gov. Ron DeSantis.
Or look to Georgia, where former Vice President Mike Pence campaigns with Gov. Brian Kemp, in a state that former President Donald Trump is avoiding and that Pence hopes will prove an important point of distinction between the former ticket-mates.
It might look or feel more like 2012 in Nevada, where former President Barack Obama is hoping to reignite Democratic prospects in a state where the party's incumbents are perhaps more endangered than anywhere else.
And it's a last name from the political past offering a hint of the future Tuesday in Michigan, where Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., crosses a threshold by campaigning for the first time for a Democrat, Rep. Elissa Slotkin.
The trail is clogged with out-of-state ambitions in the closing days, including some potential contenders -- such as DeSantis and Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., who have their own reelections to get through on Nov. 8.
It's a reminder of how many narratives will be shaped based on the races to be settled over the next week. That includes, of course, judgments still being rendered around both Biden and Trump -- who may have more on the line in the coming days than anyone else.
The RUNDOWN with Averi Harper
President Biden is ramping up economic messaging, aiming to present a contrast between the two parties just a week before Election Day.
From touting the positive GDP report, the Inflation Reduction Act and the CHIPS Act, which aims to boost manufacturing, to taking aim at hidden fees and charges for American consumers to floating the idea of a "windfall tax" on oil producers for high prices -- a closing economic message seems to be emerging.
"I'm going to be spending the rest of the time making the case that this is not a referendum, it's a choice, a fundamental choice," Biden told reporters Saturday after casting his midterm ballot in Delaware. "A choice between two very different visions for the country."
Speaking to the economy and inflation would address what, according to the latest ABC News/Ipsos Poll, nearly half of voters say is the single most important issue in their vote for Congress. It's an issue that Republicans have hammered Democrats on for months and is arguably responsible for the confidence some in the party have in the run-up to Election Day.
Biden's effort continues throughout the week. He is expected to speak on Social Security and Medicare during a Florida trip Tuesday.
"President Biden and Congressional Democrats are committed to protecting and strengthening Social Security and Medicare," a memo from the White House claims. "Congressional Republicans have a very different vision."
The TIP with Alisa Wiersema
Voters in five states -- Vermont, Kentucky, Montana, California and Michigan -- have abortion-related measures on their ballots this year. As the issue plays out in Michigan's gubernatorial contest, the fate of the measure is also sure to lay the groundwork for how the issue of abortion could play out in a major presidential battleground state in the near future.
If voters approve Proposal 3 next week, the measure will amend the state's constitution to make reproductive freedom a fundamental right. Access to contraception and other reproductive services would also be enshrined in the state's legal code. The proposal was put forward after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade earlier this year.
Reproductive Freedom for All, a committee that is mobilizing efforts in favor of the measure, has received more than $40 million in donations during the last quarter. According to filings listed with the secretary of state's office, several nationally recognized advocacy groups such as Planned Parenthood and the American Civil Liberties Union donated heavily to the cause.
Meanwhile, Citizens to Support MI Women and Children, which opposes Proposal 3, raised just under $17 million through donations from various arms of the Catholic Church, as well as contributions from anti-abortion groups.
If Proposal 3 fails next week, its current statute regarding abortion will go into effect after being blocked in court. The law was last updated in 1931 and bans abortion at all stages of gestation except for cases in which a mother's life is at risk.
Power Trip
"Power Trip: Those Seeking Power and Those Who Chase Them" follows 7 young reporters as they chase down candidates in the lead up to the midterms with George Stephanopoulos guiding them along the way.
THE PLAYLIST
ABC News' "Start Here" podcast. "Start Here" begins Tuesday morning with a look at affirmative action after the Supreme Court heard arguments for two cases. ABC's Devin Dwyer leads us off. Then, ABC's Matt Rivers reports from Rio de Janeiro on the Brazil presidential election. And, ABC's Emily Shapiro discusses a turning point in the Delphi murder investigation. http://apple.co/2HPocUL
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW TODAY
- President Biden delivers remarks in Hallandale Beach, Florida, at 3 p.m. ET on protecting Social Security and Medicare and lowering prescription drug costs.
- The president participates in a reception for gubernatorial candidate Charlie Crist in Golden Beach, Florida.
- The president takes part in an event at Florida Memorial University for the Democratic National Committee, Christ and senatorial candidate Val Demings at 7 p.m. ET.
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The Note is a daily ABC News feature that highlights the day's top stories in politics. Please check back tomorrow for the latest.
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