Trump Hires Veteran GOP Pollster

What, exactly, does Manafort do for Trump? His official title is “convention manager,” says campaign manager Corey Lewandowski. “The primary focus of the campaign has been, one, running and winning elections. And that’s my job,” Lewandowski told me recently. “And ensuring we amass 1,237 delegates or more to secure the nomination at the convention. And that’s Paul’s job.” Washington Republican operatives who know him say that Manafort’s real job is to professionalize the Trump campaign, and they all agree on his abilities…. All of Washington also agrees on what Manafort’s addition to the team means: The Trump campaign is getting a makeover. Hailed as a master of delegate and convention strategy, Manafort was initially brought in to help the campaign survive—or, better yet, avoid—a contested convention. Even though Trump has now effectively secured the nomination, it’s unlikely Manafort’s role will be reduced, at least not without an internal campaign fight. He’s not known to play second fiddle. Reed ran Bob Dole’s 1996 presidential campaign and hired Manafort as a senior adviser. He says Manafort’s nickname around the office was the Count: “He’d come in with everything but a cape,” Reed says. “He liked to be in charge.”