Subject: Daily Political Guidance -- Thursday, May 5
From: "Moore, Colby" <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 5 May 2016 07:56:58 -0700

This email is intended to provide a brief summary of key Political Department priorities, including recent news and principal travel.  It includes the following components:

  *   Recent News
  *   Polls
  *   Upcoming Principal & Staff Travel
  *   Upcoming Political Events
  *   Upcoming State Party Events
  *   Election Clips

RECENT NEWS\

*         A tape has been released of Arizona Senator John McCain at a private fundraiser in Arizona last month warning of a Donald Trump nomination<http://www.politico.com/story/2016/05/trump-latinos-mccain-222810>. In the tape, McCain said that if Trump is the GOP Presidential nominee, he has "no doubt that this may be the race of [his] life." He particularly cited the backlash in the Hispanic community against Trump.

*         The governor of California on Wednesday approved raising the legal age<http://www.oregonlive.com/today/index.ssf/2016/05/california_raises_legal_age_to.html#incart_river_index> to buy tobacco for smoking, dipping, chewing and vaping from 18 to 21. Democratic Gov. Jerry Brown said he signed the measure along with four others restricting tobacco use in various ways. In April, Hawaii became the first state in the nation to raise the legal smoking age to 21 and more than 100 local jurisdictions around the country have made the change, including New York, Chicago and San Francisco.

*         The latest attempt to overhaul how money is doled out to school districts across Illinois stalled Wednesday after Gov. Bruce Rauner<http://www.chicagotribune.com/topic/politics-government/government/bruce-rauner-PEPLT0009070-topic.html> threw cold water on the plan<http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/politics/ct-illinois-education-funding-met-0505-20160504-story.html>, despite doubts the measure had enough support to reach his desk in the first place. At issue is a proposal pushed by Sen. Andy Manar, D-Bunker Hill, to rewrite the state's school aid formula following years of complaints that districts less able to prop up their bottom line with property tax money are falling farther behind those flush with property tax dollars.

*         Nebraska Senator Ben Sasse published a Facebook post this morning<http://www.politico.com/story/2016/05/ben-sasse-trump-facebook-post-222833> where he laid out his argument for a one-term, problem-solver candidate. Sasse has been a vocal critic of Trump, but, even after a Draft Sasse PAC urged him to get in the race as a third party candidate, has shut down all attempts to get him to run. Instead, he is using his platform to encourage others to run.

POLLS

*         NJ - Presidential - Democratic Primary - +28 Clinton (Monmouth, 5/4)<http://www.monmouth.edu/assets/0/32212254770/32212254991/32212254992/32212254994/32212254995/30064771087/d689fc25-56ed-482b-bbb8-edbd9e49a6e2.pdf>

*         US - Presidential - Democratic Nomination - +12 Clinton (Pew Research, 5/5)<http://www.people-press.org/files/2016/05/05-05-2016-Foreign-policy-topline-for-release-1.pdf>

*         US - President Obama Job Approval - +1 Approve (Pew Research, 5/5)<http://www.people-press.org/files/2016/05/05-05-2016-Foreign-policy-topline-for-release-1.pdf>

*         US - President Obama Job Approval - +6 Approve (Gallup, 5/4)<http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2016/images/05/04/rel6b.-.2016.general.pdf>

*         US - President Obama Job Approval - +1 Disapprove (Rasmussen, 5/5)<http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/obama_administration/obama_approval_index_history>

Upcoming PRINCIPAL AND Staff Travel

TODAY
PRINCIPALS
DWS - Philadelphia, PA

CEO/POLITICAL/CONSTITUENCY STAFF
None Scheduled

FRIDAY
PRINCIPALS
DWS - Philadelphia, PA & Delaware

CEO/POLITICAL/CONSTITUENCY STAFF
Amy Dacey - Columbus & Cleveland, OH

SATURDAY
PRINCIPALS
VPOTUS - Dover, DE

CEO/POLITICAL/CONSTITUENCY STAFF
Amy Dacey - Columbus & Cleveland, OH

SUNDAY
PRINCIPALS
None Scheduled

CEO/POLITICAL/CONSTITUENCY STAFF
None Scheduled

Upcoming political events

  *   5/7/2016 - Guam Primary
  *   5/10/2016 - West Virginia Primary and Nebraska Republican Primary
  *   5/17/2016 - Oregon Primary and Kentucky Democratic Primary
  *   5/24/2016 - Washington Republican Primary
  *   6/4/2016 - Virgin Islands Democratic Caucus
  *   6/5/2016 - Puerto Rico Democratic Caucus
  *   6/7/2016 - California, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico, South Dakota Primaries and North Dakota Democratic Caucus
  *   6/14/2016 - DC Democratic Primary

Upcoming state party events

*         5/5/2016 - DC Democratic Party - Central Committee Meeting

*         5/6/2016 - 5/7/2016 - Maine Democratic Party - State Convention

*         5/7/2016 - Tennessee Democratic Party - Jackson Day Fundraiser

*         5/7/2016 - Connecticut Democratic Party - State Convention

*         5/7/2016 - Louisiana Democratic Party - POWER UP 2016 Training

*         5/7/2016 - Missouri Democratic Party - Executive Committee Meeting

*         5/7/2016 - Delaware Democratic Party - Delegate Selection Caucus

*         5/9/2016 - Delaware Democratic Party - Kent County Executive Committee Meeting

*         5/11/2016 - Indiana Democratic Party - "How to be a State and National Delegate" Webinar

*         5/12/2016 - Tennessee Democratic Party - Women's Event

*         5/12/2016 - Indiana Democratic Party - VAN Webinar

*         5/13/2016 - 5/15/2016 - Alaska Democratic Party - State Convention and Auction

*         5/14/2016 - Nevada Democratic Party - State Convention

*         5/14/2016 - Georgia Democratic Party - PLEO Level Delegate Elections

*         5/15/2016 - Maine Democratic Party - State Committee Meeting

*         5/17/2016 - Virginia Democratic Party - Tech Community Fundraiser

*         5/17/2016 - Delaware Democratic Party - Democratic Leadership Reception

*         5/18/2016 - Delaware Democratic Party - New Castle County Executive Committee Meeting

*         5/19/2016 - Indiana Democratic Party - VAN Webinar

*         5/20/2016 - Mississippi Democratic Party - JJ Hamer Dinner

*         5/21/2016 - Mississippi Democratic Party - State Convention

*         5/21/2016 - Maryland Democratic Party - State Central Committee Meeting

*         5/21/2016 - Michigan Democratic Party - Congressional District Conventions

*         5/21/2016 - Kentucky Democratic Party - County/Legislative District Caucuses

*         5/21/2016 - Delaware Democratic Party - Presidential Preference Pre-Primary Caucus

*         5/21/2016 - North Carolina Democratic Party - District Conventions

*         5/21/2016 - Washington Democratic Party - Congressional District Caucuses

*         5/21/2016 - Missouri Democratic Party - Jackson County Truman Days

*         5/22/2016 - Vermont Democratic Party - State Convention

*         5/22/2016 - 5/23/2016 - New York Democratic Party - State Convention

*         5/23/2016 - Delaware Democratic Party - Sussex County Executive Committee Meeting

*         5/24/2016 - Tennessee Democratic Party - Women's Event

*         5/25/2016 - Alaska Democratic Party - State Central Committee Meeting

*         5/26/2016 - Indiana Democratic Party - VAN Webinar

*         5/28/2016 - 5/29/2016 - Hawaii Democratic Party - State Convention

*         5/28/2016 - Wyoming Democratic Party - State Convention

*         5/28/2016 - Wyoming Democratic Party - Nellie Tayloe Ross Diner

ELECTION CLIPS

2016 - Presidential

Democratic Party Candidates

Hillary Clinton

Clinton's dilemma: To punch or not to punch<http://www.politico.com/story/2016/05/hillary-clinton-donald-trump-election-strategy-222821>

Hillary Clinton's advisers have one big warning for her as she prepares to run against Donald Trump: Don't get trampled like Jeb Bush. Top operatives in Clinton's Brooklyn headquarters have studied closely the various strategies deployed by the Republicans felled by Trump - including that of the former Florida governor, whose passivity in the face of Trump's taunts and insults doomed his once-inevitable seeming campaign. They also took notes as Sen. Marco Rubio tried and failed to match Trump in an unflattering game of personal insults.

Hillary Clinton's new ads use Republican leaders-and Donald Trump himself-to bash Trump<http://qz.com/676684/hillary-clintons-new-ads-let-republican-leaders-and-donald-trump-himself-bash-trump/>

After Donald Trump's convincing win in the Republican party's Indiana state primary this week-and the departure of his main rival Ted Cruz from the race-it appears he really will be Hillary Clinton's rival for the US presidency, however surreal it might still be to some. (His victory has many Republicans leaving the party, and even burning their voter registration cards.) For Clinton, the question now becomes how to best attack Trump. Luckily for her, recent months have provided plenty of fodder. In two early attack ads, she's letting Trump himself, and his Republican detractors, do the work for her-without Clinton herself appearing once in either ad.

Bernie Sanders

Bernie Sanders in the Democratic race "until the last vote is cast"<http://www.cbsnews.com/news/campaign-2016-bernie-sanders-in-the-democratic-race-until-the-last-vote-is-cast/>

The Democratic race is just about over. Bernie Sanders won Indiana Tuesday night, but essentially split the delegates with Hillary Clinton, who now has 92 percent of the delegates she needs for the nomination. But Sanders told "CBS Evening News" anchor Scott Pelley he's not going anywhere -- he's staying in the race until the very end.

Republican Party Candidates

Donald Trump

Donald Trump Reaches Out, Quietly, to Republican Establishment<http://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/06/us/politics/donald-trump-gop.html>

Donald J. Trump, turning his attention to the general election, has begun quietly reaching out to key elements of the Republican establishment as he seeks to unite the party behind his candidacy before his anticipated battle against Hillary Clinton. Mr. Trump, who is expected to run on a nonideological platform of his own design, is trying to reassure party officials that he understands there are certain norms even he needs to follow as the Republican nominee, and that he is capable of producing an organization and infrastructure that can sustain a costly general election campaign. His team, already working to transform a lean operation into a national presidential campaign apparatus, has been reaching out to members of Congress and Washington think tanks; strategizing on how best to take on Mrs. Clinton and woo supporters of her primary opponent, Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont; and planning to head to Cleveland next week to help direct the party's July convention, according to aides.

Donald Trump hints at changing stance on minimum wage<http://www.cbsnews.com/news/donald-trump-im-open-to-doing-something-on-minimum-wage/>

Donald Trump suggested Wednesday that he would be open to lifting the minimum wage, switching his previous primary campaign stance that the U.S. could not afford to hike the current federal rate of $7.25 per hour. Asked specifically if he was "open to raising the minimum wage" during an interview with CNN's Wolf Blitzer, Trump responded: "I am open to doing something with it, because I don't like that." "But," he added, "what I really do like is bring our jobs back so they're making much more than the 15 dollars."

Sen. Ben Sasse isn't done with Donald Trump. Not hardly.<https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2016/05/05/in-lengthy-tweetstorm-senate-gops-top-trump-critic-doesnt-back-down-he-doubles-down/>

Sen. Ben Sasse (R-Neb.) has said what many other GOP senators and officials undoubtedly wanted to say but have opted not to: Donald Trump could be a disaster for both the GOP and the country. Sasse is still the only sitting GOP senator to say he simply won't vote for Trump under any circumstances. And now, even as many who labeled the now-presumptive nominee all manner of things -- including "unstable" and "dangerous" -- say they would somehow still prefer a man with those deficits to Hillary Clinton, Sasse isn't backing off.

Thanks,

Colby Moore
Executive Assistant to the National Political Director
Democratic National Committee
O: (202) 488-5044
C: (704) 430-7163
[email-masked]<mailto:[email-masked]>
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