Nothing is over

It has been a tough time for Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump since the Republican National Convention in Cleveland, as illustrated by recent polls that show him lagging behind. Recent comments he made even led CNN to ask: "Is Trump getting ready to lose-"

However, in his speech in Ohio on Monday -- which focused on how he intends to defeat the Islamic State group -- Trump sought to put the issue of national security (which has become exceedingly troubling to Americans since the terrorist attacks in San Bernardino and Orlando) back in the spotlight and at the center of the race. Trump knows the current administration failed in this regard. He isn't giving up.

Trump read his speech from a teleprompter. It has its advantages, conveying a responsible demeanor and preventing "misunderstandings." The big question is whether the speech will spark the change he needs in swing states such as Pennsylvania, Florida and Ohio.

During the speech, Trump spoke about cooperation with NATO countries and other allies to defeat Islamic State. He also discussed the need to win the war taking place online. It's hard to call these revolutionary proposals.

Trump's main policy shift on Monday came in the form of a hardened stance on immigration. New immigrants from "problematic" countries won't be allowed in, until further notice, he said. Trump does not want hostile immigration. Liberals certainly won't like it. Many Americans, however, do.

Trump was mostly speaking to his Republican base. To those millions of people who already voted for him (over 14 million) in the primaries, and to the many millions more he needs to even have a chance of winning in November. The recent polls point to the difficulties he is encountering, even in Republican states such as Georgia. His speech on Monday was aimed primarily at his voters in Georgia, Arizona and Utah -- less so at Florida and Ohio.

In the craziest electoral race America has ever known, nothing is over yet. A quote in The Wall Street Journal explains why that may be: "[Democratic presidential nominee] Mrs. [Hillary] Clinton is the second most unpopular presidential nominee in history -- after Mr. Trump." With a quote like this, who can really bet on the winner to emerge on Nov. 8? Just a reminder: The two candidates still have to face off in three debates.

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