Subject: RE: For research: This Week on the Campaign Trail
From: "Lykins, Tyler" <[email-masked]>
To: "Walsh, Tom" <[email-masked]>, RR2 <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 6 May 2016 14:55:02 -0700

Looks good, just added one link.

From: Walsh, Tom
Sent: Friday, May 06, 2016 5:47 PM
To: RR2
Subject: For research: This Week on the Campaign Trail

It's been a disastrous week for the GOP. Now that Ted Cruz and John Kasich have both dropped out of the race, Donald Trump is the Republican Party.

Problems for Republicans extend far beyond the Cleveland convention, which many top GOP leaders have already vowed to avoid. With Trump as their nominee, any remaining hope Republicans had of concealing their true colors is gone. Party leaders shouldn't be surprised though - this was a crisis of their own making. For years, the Republican Party has elevated extreme voices, using divisive campaigns that sought to exploit unfounded fears for political gain. Now they're stuck with the most reckless, dangerous and divisive nominee in modern history.

In every primary contest, Republican voters continue to report in exit polls that their primary has been divisive - in some cases, more than half report they feel betrayed by their own party. Meanwhile, in poll after poll, Democratic voters are reporting that our primary has energized the party and that they're enthusiastic about our candidates. It's clear that the enthusiasm gap favors Democrats.

From now until Election Day in November, Democrats will hold Trump accountable for his offensive rhetoric and dangerous ideas. We're fighting for the American people, and for the values of inclusion, hard work, dignity and opportunity for all. Looking to our convention in Philadelphia, we will not only emerge united, but we will nominate the next President of the United States.

Supreme Court Vacancy

It's been 51 days of Republican obstruction<http://factivists.democrats.org/senate-judiciary-misses-key-milestone-under-gop-obstruction-2/> since President Obama nominated Chief Judge Garland to the Supreme Court, passing the average amount of time it takes the Senate to hold a hearing on a nominee. While Republicans continue to avoid doing their jobs, Senators like Chuck Grassley have admitted it would be a "gamble" to allow Trump to fill the Supreme Court vacancy. And the American public agrees: 62% of voters don't trust Trump to nominate a new Supreme Court justice. If Americans agree that Donald Trump lacks the judgement to nominate a Supreme Court justice, when will the GOP? Job well done, Senator McConnell<http://factivists.democrats.org/job-well-done-senator-mcconnell/>.

The Campaign Trail

Trump clinched his party's nomination, but something's not quite right... Will any former GOP nominees or presidents endorse Trump<http://factivists.democrats.org/will-any-former-gop-nominee-or-president-endorse-trump/>? So far, it's looking pretty bleak. Mitt Romney, John McCain and the former Bush Presidents still have yet to throw their support behind Trump. But things got especially awkward when Paul Ryan, the highest ranking House Republican and chair of the Republican National Convention, said that he cannot endorse<http://factivists.democrats.org/dnc-statement-on-paul-ryan-refusing-to-endorse-donald-trump/> Trump. But Ryan, with his fellow Republicans, paved the way for Trump.

From flip-flopping on campaign funding<http://factivists.democrats.org/really-rich-trump-flip-flops-on-campaign-funding/> to calling the National Enquirer "professionals<http://factivists.democrats.org/guess-which-outlet-donald-trump-just-called-professional/>," Trump also reminded us this week that he's about as knowledgeable<http://factivists.democrats.org/watch-trumps-palin-esque-response-on-russia/> about foreign policy as Sarah Palin, and all he knows is what's on the internet<http://factivists.democrats.org/dangerous-donalds-conspiracy-theories-all-i-know-is-what-is-on-the-internet/>.

WATCH<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bD9yaWd3WT4&feature=youtu.be>

<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bD9yaWd3WT4&feature=youtu.be>

Even the former Secretary of Defense, Robert Gates took to the airwaves<http://factivists.democrats.org/watch-roberts-gates-says-dangerous-donald-is-unfit-to-be-commander-in-chief/> to question Trump's grasp of foreign policy, saying Trump is someone "who doesn't understand the difference between a business negotiation and a negotiation with sovereign powers." Gates' comments are a reminder that Trump clearly lacks the judgment, experience, and temperament to be our next commander-in-chief.

The New York Times described what Trump's first 100 days as president would look like, noting, "many Americans are scared and anxious about the idea of him in the Oval Office." Here is a brief summary<http://factivists.democrats.org/would-trumps-first-100-days-agenda-do-anything-to-help-you-and-your-family/>:

<https://twitter.com/nytimes/status/727986926284845057>

Trump has failed to offer any policies that would grow jobs, raise wages or help American families build a better life. No wonder so many Republicans are running from endorsing their standard bearer. Will banning an entire religion help to boost your paycheck? Will taking healthcare away from 20 million Americans make your family more secure? Will building a wall with Mexico help reduce your student debt? Republicans do not have the answers.

Important Polls

*         According to an exit poll<https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/exit-poll-indiana-dems-excited-optimistic-gop-divided/2016/05/03/7bdb10a8-117e-11e6-a9b5-bf703a5a7191_story.html> conducted by AP, three-quarters of Democrats in Indiana say they've been energized by the nomination contest, but nearly six in ten Republicans say they think their party has been divided by their primary.

*         According to a poll<http://www.cnn.com/2016/05/04/politics/hillary-clinton-donald-trump-poll-general-election/> conducted by CNN/ORC, 56% of voters still view the presumptive GOP nominee, Donald Trump, unfavorably.

What people are writing in the states

*         On Wednesday the Nevada Democratic Party released a letter asking GOP Frontrunner Donald Trump to come to Nevada: Dear Dangerous Donald: Congratulations on last night's impressive 16-point victory in the Indiana Republican primary. Your big win forced Lyin' Ted Cruz to drop out and made you the inevitable Republican nominee for the White House. Even RNC Chair Reince Priebus has declared you are the presumptive presidential nominee and that Republicans must unite behind your campaign. Wow! On behalf of the Nevada State Democratic Party, I would like to invite you to come back to Nevada as soon as possible. General election, here we go! Nevada will be a key battleground up and down the ballot in 2016. We were already in a strong position to win Nevada for our Democratic presidential nominee, elect Catherine Cortez Masto to the U.S. Senate, pick up seats in Congress and take back our Democratic majorities in the Nevada legislature. But we're eager to see just how big of an albatross you can be for down-ballot Republicans. Read the rest of the letter here<http://nvdems.com/press/letter-nv-dems-invite-donald-trump-to-nevada/>.

*         On Friday the Florida Democratic Party Chair Allison Tant made the following statement: "Donald Trump is the most dangerous presidential candidate in living memory and every Republican U.S. Senate candidate in Florida believes he has passed the commander-in-chief test. Their willingness to turn over the most powerful military in the world to a pathological liar with poor impulse control disqualifies them from serving the people of Florida in the Senate. Floridians from all walks of life who have been targets of Trump's racism, sexism, and xenophobia will remember in November." Read the full statement here<http://www.floridadems.org/news/gop-senate-candidates-all-aboard-trump-train>.

*         On Wednesday the Iowa Democratic Party released a statement regarding Donald Trump's presumptive nomination: "Donald Trump oozes with misogyny and his treatment of women as objects is deplorable. His call for women who have abortions to be punished is a threat to women's health care. Trump's promise to repeal the Affordable Healthcare Act would jeopardize the health care of 20 million Americans. Donald Trump is not a champion of the working class and is head of an empire built upon the exploitation of working families. His inflammatory comments regarding immigrants, the building of walls and border closings are not in line with our nation's history of welcoming others. His use of ethnic slurs, racial outbursts and divisive rhetoric threaten the rights and liberties of minorities. Trump cannot be trusted to lead our nation. He cannot be trusted to appoint a nominee to the vacant seat on the Supreme Court. It is now official that Sen. Chuck Grassley is holding the seat open for a Donald Trump nomination. This is not in our nation's best interest, and today, the Iowa Democratic Party reiterates its call on Grassley to do his job and hold a hearing. " Read the full statement here<http://iowademocrats.org/idp-statement-on-presumptive-republican-nominee-donald-trump/>.

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