Five things Clinton needs to do to keep her lead

Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump will soon make their closing arguments in what is setting up to be one of the nastiest campaigns in history.

The two will meet for only one more debate as they seek to won an election that will take place four weeks from today.

{mosads}Clinton is the heavy favorite after the last disastrous fortnight for Trump, which led Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) on Monday to say he would no longer defend his presidential nominee.

Yet Clinton must take care.

In August, her lead disappeared as she was accused of seeking to run out the clock.

Here are five things her supporters say she needs to do in the next four weeks.

Go positive and end on a high note 

The 2016 cycle has gone from ugly to downright nasty in one week flat.

Millions of Americans watched on Sunday night as the two candidates vying for the presidency exchanged barbs, slights and grimaces.

Clinton has taken to echoing first lady Michelle Obama’s call at the convention of “when they go low, we go high.”

She declined to counterattack when Trump invited women to the debate who have accused former President Bill Clinton of sexual harassment and assault, or when he raised their accusations.

In the final weeks, her allies are urging the campaign to stick with a positive message.

“During the closing argument phase of the campaign, she can finish up with a focus on her vision for the country and her desire and ability to move beyond partisanship not only from this campaign but the dysfunction in Washington,” one longtime Clinton adviser said.

“There’s obviously a yearning for that. And the more she can do to convey some measure of hope, the better.”

More town halls (and less rallies) 

Clinton allies by far and wide agree that the Democratic nominee is better and more comfortable in smaller settings like factory tours, diner stops, and in town halls than at larger rallies.

In fact, the campaign tried during primary season to place Clinton in small settings across Iowa, where she was able to speak directly to voters.

Democrats think she needs to keep doing that in the lead-up to Election Day. 

“She performs better at those types of events. She looks more comfortable and they highlight her strengths,” said Democratic strategist Jamal Simmons, adding that Clinton should hold smaller events with more message focus. “The more of her vision she can show over the next few weeks, the better.” 

Generate enthusiasm, particularly among millennials 

Clinton faces an enthusiasm gap with millennials.

A GenForward survey out last month found that 54 percent of voters aged 18 to 30 viewed Clinton unfavorably, compared to just 41 percent who had a favorable view of the former first lady.

The survey also showed that the same demographic had a much more favorable view of Obama.

“She has some work to do still to bring millennials over to our side,” one ally said. “She’s never going to be what Obama was to so many of these voters but she has to try really hard to get close before Election Day.” 

Take a chance, do something unconventional

Throughout the campaign, Clinton has chosen to go the safe route.

She took a more cautious approach at the outset of her email controversy, kept the press at arms-length for much of the campaign and even went with a safe vice presidential when she chose Sen. Tim Kaine, (D-Va.).

There’s nothing wrong with being cautious.

While Clinton could have sought a knockout blow of Trump at Sunday’s debate, her more careful approach left her with the lead. 

A new Marist-NBC poll found she had a double-digit national lead over Trump even with third-party candidates included.

Still, Clinton has to be careful about being too careful, and some think she should do something unexpected in the next few weeks to show she isn’t merely running out the clock.

“Four weeks is a lifetime in politics,” said Simmons. “She should put her foot on the gas. Being cautious does not always work to Hillary Clinton’s benefit and the objective still in my mind is that people still need to feel inspired to show up on Election Day.” 

Don’t let Trump provoke her

If Sunday night’s debate proved anything, it’s that Trump is willing to throw his entire arsenal at her—and then some.

He called Clinton “the devil” and threatened to throw her in jail if he wins the presidency.

And most Democrats never thought they’d see the day when the Clintons were in the same room as three of the women who say they were victimized by Bill Clinton.

But allies say she shouldn’t pay attention, particularly as the campaign season grows increasingly nasty by the hour.  

“Some of the things he says are meant to have a desired reaction,” said one longtime Clinton friend.

“He’s brilliant at this. So what she needs to do in the next month is keep her composure, run her own race and ignore him. The worst thing she could ever do is get down in the mud with him.”