For the Record: Jeb's new slogan, Bernie's new ad

Good morning, everyone! It’s the day that everyone transfers all their neighbors’ excess candy to their coworkers, via their adorably-costumed children. Grab your caffeine now to counteract the inevitable afternoon sugar crash. Over the weekend, we continued to debate whether Jeb Bush is a viable candidate, whether or not changes should be made to Republican debate moderation, and what the cutoff age should be for trick-or-treating because seriously, don’t ring our doorbell if you’re already shaving.

Before you slip into a Snickers-induced desk nap, remember to follow your For the Record crew on Twitter (@jmestepa, @joannaallhands, @RGJBrettMcG) and read us first thing every morning on your smartphones.

JEB BUSH: STILL PROBABLY ON THE MAIN STAGE

Mr. Fix-It. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

Once believed to be a lock for the Republican nomination, Jeb Bush’s popularity has fallen far behind Donald Trump, Ben Carson and Marco Rubio. Or, to put it another way, Jeb Bush is far less popular among voters than meat-eating is among vegetarians. Time to throw in the towel? Nope, time to try a new slogan. Clearly what was holding the campaign back was the Jeb! slogan. After focus-grouping (Jeb), #jeb and **b, they finally settled on “Jeb Can Fix It” – a slogan that made everyone ask, “Is ‘it’ your campaign, or … ?” Still, Bush’s strategists noted in a leaked document that around this time in 2012, GOP front-runners included noted non-presidents such as Michele Bachmann, Rick Perry, Newt Gingrich and Herman Cain. Meanwhile, The Des Moines Register’s Brianne Pfannenstiel says Iowa voters may not be ready to settle down with Trump, Carson et. al. just yet.

GOP DEBATES CHANGES TO GOP DEBATES

How many of them would have been around for the February NBC debate, anyway? Seriously, though, we’re asking. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Unless there’s a replacement on the horizon, it looks like there will be one less debate on the GOP calendar in 2016. Following last week’s CNBC debate in which candidates and pundits derided the questioning both during and after the debate, the Republican National Committee nixed a February debate that was to be hosted on CNBC’s sister network, NBC. The move to cancel a debate over complaints about fairness isn’t unprecedented (the Democratic National Committee canceled a Fox News-sponsored debate in 2007) but it does raise questions about what Republican candidates envision out of future debates. Ben Carson told ABC’s This Week that he wants more time for introductory statements and more “disseminating the information about the candidates” (so, just two hours of reading aloud from campaign fliers?) Perpetual second-tier candidate Lindsey Graham wants smaller groups on stage and equal time for all candidates. And Ted Cruz wants moderators to have voted in a Republican primary at some point in their lives. The next debate is in eight days. USA TODAY OnPolitics’ David Jackson has more.

THE NEW SOUNDTRACK FOR MICROWAVING POPCORN

He’s only shouting so you can hear him if you leave the room. (AP Photo/Jim Mone)

Cruz broke the presidential campaign commercial seal back in April (seriously, April!), and now it’s Bernie Sanders’ turn to get into the TV game with his first ad for the 2016 race. Viewers in Iowa and New Hampshire will have the chance to DVR past the new spot in the coming days and weeks, but you can catch the full spot here. Is your YouTube blocked at work? Here’s the summary: The voiceover touts Sanders’ outsider status and long career of fighting the establishment, while the video is the consolidation of every available clip in which Bernie is almost smiling. Since the first Democratic debate last month and her testimony before the Benghazi committee, Hillary Clinton has solidified her front-runner status over Sanders, so the spot couldn’t come at a better time for Team Bernie. Will this successfully spread the Bernie brand to the four Iowa/New Hampshire voters who haven’t met him yet? USA Today OnPolitics’ David Jackson has more.

HUSH, JIMMY

Jimmy, we hardly knew ye. Bad Lip Reading presents the highlights of the first Democratic debate and confirms what we all suspected: Nobody involved had any idea who Jim Webb was.