Subject: Undeliverable: DNC Talking Points: Cruz Out, Trump is the GOP
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From: "Miranda, Luis" <[email-masked]>
To: "Miranda, Luis" <[email-masked]>
CC: "Paustenbach, Mark" <[email-masked]>
Subject: DNC Talking Points: Cruz Out, Trump is the GOP
Date: Wed, 4 May 2016 02:02:51 +0000
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Subject: DNC Talking Points: Cruz Out, Trump is the GOP
From: "Miranda, Luis" <[email-masked]>
To: "Miranda, Luis" <[email-masked]>
Cc: "Paustenbach, Mark" <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 4 May 2016 02:02:51 +0000

DNC Talking Points
Cruz Out, Trump is the GOP
May 3, 2016

Topline Message:

*         The results of the primaries in Indiana are the culmination of a disastrous week for the Republican Party.

*         With Ted Cruz's capitulation, the GOP's problems now extend far beyond their convention.

*         Donald Trump simply doesn't have the judgment or temperament to be President, and the American people know it.

*         Ted Cruz may have been the least-liked politician in Washington, but Trump is one of the least liked men in America, and Democrats will hold him accountable for his offensive rhetoric, dangerous ideas, and lack of judgment every single day between today and November 8th.

*         In Indiana, like in other primaries over the past few weeks, the vast majority of Democratic primary voters said our primary had energized them, and majorities would support either one of our strong candidates. A majority of Republicans, on the other hand, conceded that their primary has been divisive and 53% said they feel betrayed by the Republican Party.

*         The next President of the United States will be nominated at our Democratic convention in Philadelphia.

Republicans Had Their Worst Week Ever

*         In just seven days, Republicans saw their former House Speaker call one of their candidates 'Lucifer in the flesh,' watched a desperate, mathematically-eliminated campaign announce a Vice Presidential pick and get ridiculed for it, and then kicked off the Indiana primaries with accusations that Ted Cruz's father was tied to Lee Harvey Oswald. That last allegation was made by Dangerous Donald Trump based on a tabloid story he saw in the National Enquirer.

*         Now the GOP is stuck with the tabloid-touting reality TV star as their presumptive nominee, a divisive candidate whose ugly campaign rhetoric is tied to dangerous proposals that would drag America backwards and make our country less safe.

*         More than 7 out of 10 Democrats are energized by our primary. Last week, in Connecticut and Pennsylvania respectively, 67% and 71% of Democrats reported feeling energized by our primary. Today in Indiana it was three-quarters of Democratic voters who said our primary has energized our party, and a majority of Democrats who voted today expressed support for either one of our candidates.

*         In Indiana, exit polls showed that 53 percent of Republican primary voters say they feel betrayed by the Republican Party. A majority of Republicans concede that their primary has been divisive, and easily a third of Republicans would prefer to stay home or support an alternative candidate than vote for Trump in November.

*         And the Republican Party is less popular than it's been in more than two decades.

A Crisis of Their Own Making

*         For years, GOP leaders have pushed a cynical and feckless political strategy that exploits unfounded fears of immigrants, minorities, the poor, the LGBT community and more, all for political gain.

*         They have sold hardworking Americans the empty promise of trickle-down prosperity, while strangling America's middle class with backwards economic policies that only enrich those already at the top.

*         Donald Trump's impending nomination after Tuesday's results is the ultimate, sad culmination of the success of that strategy. Trump is the modern Republican Party.

*         Trump's Republican opponents didn't stand up to him because after years of elevating extreme voices in their party, they didn't want to alienate them. Democrats won't hesitate to fight for the vast majority of the American people, who share our values of inclusion, hard work, dignity and opportunity for all, and we'll hold Republicans on the ballot at every level accountable for their standard bearer.

*         The Republican establishment is having trouble coming to terms with their nominee, and even some of them are acknowledging Trump is dangerous and lacks the judgment to be Commander in Chief.

o   Former Secretary of Defense Robert Gates on Sunday said that he's troubled by the fact that Donald Trump doesn't listen to anyone, and raised serious questions about Trump on foreign policy. Between his contradictions and threatening our most important alliances, Donald Trump would put our country on a dangerous path.
Democrats Will be United

*         Democrats will emerge united from our primary and our convention.

*         Both Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders have been clear they'll work hard in November to ensure we don't let a Republican like Trump drag our country backward.

*         While we recognize that any campaign will see the intensity level rise down the stretch, we expect our candidates to maintain a tone that helps us build toward the general election.

*         Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders have drawn sharp differences with one another, but overwhelmingly they've been focused on substance and how to best move America forward.

*         Because the Party's platform is a statement of our values, the DNC is committed to an open, inclusive and representative process. Both of our campaigns will be represented on the Platform Drafting Committee, and just as we did in 2008 and 2012, the public will have opportunities to participate.

*         Democrats know that we're stronger when more voices are heard, and when we stand together to move our country forward, we'll see that in Philadelphia at our convention.

Dangerous Donald Trump is Reckless, Lacks the Temperament and Judgment to Serve

*         The Economy: Trump's unfounded predictions<http://www.cnbc.com/2016/04/03/trump-predicts-very-massive-recession-in-us.html> of recession and warnings against investing in the stock market are reckless, and economists have already predicted his policies could start an international trade war and cause a global recession.

*         Foreign Policy: Trump's threat to pull back from our most important military alliances<https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/donald-trump-and-the-end-of-nato/2016/03/04/e8c4b9ca-e146-11e5-8d98-4b3d9215ade1_story.html> in NATO sends a dangerous message, which is particularly troubling in light of his past praise of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

*         Nuclear Proliferation: Trump has refused to say he wouldn't use nuclear weapons on European territory, then suggested South Korea<http://www.salon.com/2016/04/04/his_most_terrifying_interview_yet_why_trumps_sit_down_with_bob_woodward_should_have_america_petrified/> and Japan should either develop nuclear weapons or pay the United States for protection against North Korea.

*         On abortion: Trump has taken multiple positions on abortion - from a dangerous and offensive call to punish women who get an abortion, to saying he would allow states to restrict women's rights, to saying abortion laws are set but he would eliminate them with judicial appointments.

The GOP's Problem with Women Voters

*         All of the Republican candidates have made it clear that the GOP doesn't stand with women.

*         Donald Trump is viewed unfavorably by 7 out of 10 women after an ugly primary in which he has regularly made offensive comments and shown a deep disrespect for women.

*         John Kasich said that he wants to see Roe v. Wade repealed, and when asked what kind of punishment that would lead to, he evaded the question by saying that it should be left to the states.

*         Ted Cruz said that even if a woman has been brutally raped, she should be forced to carry the pregnancy caused by her attacker to term.

*         In the past, the Republican candidates have opposed ensuring equal pay, family leave, and voted against the Violence Against Women Act.

*         Last month we marked Equal Pay Day, the day in 2016 when women's earnings have caught up with men's earnings from 2015. On average, women earn 79 cents to their dollar, and it's worse for women of color. All of the Republican presidential candidates would stand against protections that ensure greater equality in the workplace.

*         John Kasich has consistently belittled women and said that we don't need workplace protections, just a 'change of heart' among major employers.

*         Ted Cruz voted against the Paycheck Fairness Act three times and ridiculed the legislation as a 'show vote.'

*         Donald Trump stated that women would have pay equity if they did 'as good a job' as men.

Advantage, Democrats

*         Democrats are winning where it matters.

*         Hillary Clinton has earned more votes, well over 12 million - and far ahead of Donald Trump - while Bernie Sanders has  earned more than 9 million votes (well ahead of Ted Cruz and John Kasich), while also garnering more than seven million individual campaign contributions from low dollar donors.

*         If there is an enthusiasm gap, it clearly favors Democrats.

<http://www.democrats.org/>[SigDems]<http://www.democrats.org/><http://www.democrats.org/>Luis Miranda, Communications Director
Democratic National Committee
202-863-8148 - [email-masked]<mailto:[email-masked]> - @LuisMiranda<https://www.twitter.com/LuisMiranda>