For the Record: 10 weeks of weirdness left

View this email in your browser Brought to you by USATODAY.com Ten weeks and a day: That's all that stands between America and the end of the weirdest election we've ever had. We had a campaign where a guy quit the race for 2 1/2 months, then jumped back in. We had a race where the vice presidential nominee actively campaigned for another candidate. We had a race where  a guy ran his campaign from prison, and still picked up 1 million votes. And this one is still weirder. Today's edition of FTR brings you the five-minute Donald Trump health assessment, a Twitter spat between a candidate and a polling company, and the possible end of the GOP as we know it. Like we said: It's weird out there. Septuagenarian challenges sexagenarian to health-status fight Dr. Harold Bornstein's degree shows he's a graduate of one of the world's top clinical medicine research institutions," but his demeanor says "Look, I'm not going to ask any prying questions on how it got up in there; I'm just here to help." And as Donald Trump's personal physician, he firmly stands behind his  glowing review of the Republican nominee's physical and mental health. "He would be fit because I think his brain is turned on 24 hours a day," he told NBC News last week. Bornstein says he wrote the brief note on Trump's health in five minutes last December, though he says he "thought about it all day." It's back in the spotlight now as Trump has tried to make debunked rumors about Hillary Clinton's health a campaign issue with less than 2 1/2 months to go before Election Day. Clinton has a two-page  health assessment posted on her website which reports the Democratic nominee to be in good health. On Sunday, Trump challenged Clinton on Twitter to release more detailed medical records. Still no word on when Trump will release his tax returns, though. Trump blowing up the old GOP one way or another Just before Trump entered the race last year, GOP chair Reince Priebus said, "We don't exist as a national party if we don't win in 2016." This November, no matter the outcome, the party will look entirely different  than what came before. If Trump wins, the party is his. It will be far more populist and "America first" than where the party stood just 15 months ago, with stances on everything from military action to trade deals to infrastructure spending projects delivered by Trump himself. If Clinton wins, the sizable faction of the GOP that gave Trump the nomination may walk away from the party altogether due to the party establishment's lack of support for the nominee. It would also be the longest stretch the Republicans have been out of the White House since the middle of last century. So what's next? If not a major shift in ideology, then it's going to be a massive rebranding effort. "You can take elements of a losing philosophy, tone them down and repackage them,'' says political analyst Joel Kotkin. A 4% gain every week should do the trick Libertarian candidate Gary Johnson likes his chances. "You know how crazy this election cycle is," he told Chris Wallace on Fox News Sunday. "I might be the next president. You know that, right?" Do we "know" that, really? We'll buy the part about the election cycle being crazy, but Gary Johnson is currently polling at 8% with about ten weeks left to go. We're also four weeks out from the first presidential debate, and Johnson needs to average 15% in five polls to get invited. Johnson told Wallace, "Yes, I would say game over" if he doesn't make it on stage. More from the campaign trail • Trump heading to Detroit for Labor Day Weekend. Dems: No fair, we already called it (Detroit Free Press) • Clinton, Trump should talk about making America's space program better than the Russia's, or at least better than Red Bull's (Florida Today) • Trump's campaign CEO facing allegations of anti-Semitism (USA TODAY OnPolitics) • Delete your account, Anthony Weiner. Seriously (USA TODAY OnPolitics) Do NOT provoke a Twitter war with a polling firm On Sunday, Green Party candidate Dr. Jill Stein spoke out against the killing of Harambe, a Cincinnati Zoo gorilla, on the three-month anniversary of his death. Public Policy Polling took all of 17 minutes to remind everyone that  Harambe is outpolling her. Invite others to enjoy For the Record newsletter. Thank you for subscribing to the For the Record. Got some feedback, a tip or just want to say hello? Email us at newsletters@e.usatoday.com. USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Satellite Information Network, LLC. Unsubscribe from the For the Record Why did I get this? Update my subscription preferences USA TODAY 7950 Jones Branch Drive McLean, VA 22102

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