- Indiana Republican Primary
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Kasich for America
May 3, 2016
TO: Interested
Parties
FROM: John Weaver, Chief
Strategist
RE: What's Next
Tonight’s results are not going to alter
Gov. Kasich’s campaign plans. Our strategy has been and continues to be
one that involves winning the nomination at an open
convention. The
comments from Trump, on the verge of winning in Indiana, heighten the
differences between Governor Kasich and his positive, inclusive
approach and the disrespectful ramblings from Donald Trump.
Prior to tonight’s primary, the Kasich campaign had already secured a large plurality of Indiana delegates committed to Governor Kasich at a multi-ballot convention as part of the pre-primary delegate selection process.
The Indianapolis Star wrote about our success two weeks ago. You can read about it (here).
Gov. Kasich will remain in the race unless a candidate reaches 1,237
bound delegates before the Convention.
Here’s why:
I. Gov. Kasich remains the candidate best positioned to win a contested convention.
• A plurality of Trump delegates will support him after the first ballot.
• He can unite the Party better than anyone else. Trump's cynical sowing of division will render the GOP into angry, irrelevant status for decades.
II. Gov. Kasich is the only Republican who can win in
November.
• Delegates
want to win in November, and only Gov. Kasich can defeat Hillary
Clinton. According to the Real Clear Politics polling average
Clinton
leads Trump by more than 6 points on average. Meanwhile, Gov. Kasich
leads Clinton by over 7 points. A Trump nomination means the end of a
Republican Congress and scores of local, legislative and state
constitutional offices will be lost for a generation.
III. Gov. Kasich offers Republicans and Americans a refreshing
choice of hope, inclusion and conservative reform.
• Nearly
60 percent of GOP voters have voted for a candidate other than Donald
Trump. Republican primary voters deserve to have a choice in the
remaining contests and we intend to forcefully give them one.
Americans
overwhelmingly want to vote for Governor Kasich in a general election.
A detailed analysis of the Electoral College confirms Governor
Kasich
is the only one who can win. Both
Trump and Cruz would lose to Clinton by considerable margins in a
head-to-head race, winning just 210 and 206 Electoral College votes,
respectively. By contrast, Kasich comfortably defeats Clinton, racking
up 304 Electoral College votes to her 234. Read
the full analysis (here).
IV. The future of the Republican Party and America is at stake.
Gov. Kasich will not simply give up.
• The Mad Hatter Gibberish pushed by Trump during the primary would weaken America. His proposals would divide us, put American workers in the unemployment line and put our national security at risk. And a Clinton presidency would be at least four more years of international drift, a liberal Supreme Court, and more big government at the expense of job creators, entrepreneurs and families.
V. Gov. Kasich has the experience, vision and leadership abilities needed in our next President.
• A Kasich Presidency means a conservative Supreme Court; the return of money, power and influence to the states; a balanced budget and tax reduction, unleashing job creators; faith that our nation’s challenges can be solved by families and local communities; and a White House that prioritizes doing what’s right over what’s political expedient.
This is the stark choice that confronts Republicans between now and when a nominee is chosen in Cleveland. Gov. Kasich looks forward to continuing to compete with Donald Trump in the upcoming primaries through California on June 7th.
Our Principles PAC
Statement from Katie Packer, Chair, Our Principles PAC
"While tonight's Indiana primary results increased Donald Trump's delegate count, Trump remains short of the 1,237 delegates needed to win the GOP nomination."A substantial number of delegates remain up for grabs in this highly unpredictable year. In addition, there is more than a month before the California primary -- more time for Trump to continue to disqualify himself in the eyes of voters, as he did yet again today spreading absurd tabloid lies about Ted Cruz's father and the JFK assassination.
"We continue to give voice to the belief of so many Republicans that Trump is not a conservative, does not represent the values of the Republican Party, cannot beat Hillary Clinton, and is simply unfit to be President of the United States.
"We will continue to educate voters about Trump until he, or another candidate, wins the support of a majority of delegates to the Convention."
Democratic
National
Committee
DNC Chair Statement on Tonight’s Primary Results
WASHINGTON - DNC Chair Debbie
Wasserman Schultz issued the following statement on tonight’s Indiana
primary results:
“Tonight’s results in Indiana are the culmination of what can only be described as a disastrous week for the Republican Party. Clearly the GOP’s problems go well beyond their convention.
“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 this morning with accusations that Ted Cruz’s father was tied to Lee Harvey Oswald. The absurdity of that last allegation was compounded by the fact that Dangerous Donald Trump, who is just a hair’s-breadth away from securing the Republican nomination, based it on a tabloid story he saw in the National Enquirer.
“No wonder the Republican Party is less popular than it’s been in more than two decades. Just today, exit polls in Indiana showed that 53 percent of Indiana Republican primary voters say they feel betrayed by the Republican Party. And in recent weeks, exit polls in primary after primary have shown that a majority of Republican voters believe their primary has been divisive, with as much as a third preferring to either stay home or vote for an alternative, rather than voting for their eventual nominee.
“Meanwhile, Democratic voters are proud of their candidates and it shows each time they go to the polls. 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.
“Today it’s clearer than ever that none of the Republican candidates has the judgment or temperament to serve as our Commander in Chief. The next President of the United States will be nominated at our Democratic convention in Philadelphia.”
“Tonight’s results in Indiana are the culmination of what can only be described as a disastrous week for the Republican Party. Clearly the GOP’s problems go well beyond their convention.
“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 this morning with accusations that Ted Cruz’s father was tied to Lee Harvey Oswald. The absurdity of that last allegation was compounded by the fact that Dangerous Donald Trump, who is just a hair’s-breadth away from securing the Republican nomination, based it on a tabloid story he saw in the National Enquirer.
“No wonder the Republican Party is less popular than it’s been in more than two decades. Just today, exit polls in Indiana showed that 53 percent of Indiana Republican primary voters say they feel betrayed by the Republican Party. And in recent weeks, exit polls in primary after primary have shown that a majority of Republican voters believe their primary has been divisive, with as much as a third preferring to either stay home or vote for an alternative, rather than voting for their eventual nominee.
“Meanwhile, Democratic voters are proud of their candidates and it shows each time they go to the polls. 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.
“Today it’s clearer than ever that none of the Republican candidates has the judgment or temperament to serve as our Commander in Chief. The next President of the United States will be nominated at our Democratic convention in Philadelphia.”
Indiana Democratic Party
Ted Cruz Latest Victim of the Mike Pence Effect
Mike Pence’s ideology hurts economy opportunities for the state,
political allies too
INDIANAPOLIS
– Like Indiana’s economy and national reputation, Republican
Presidential Candidate Senator Ted Cruz tonight became the latest
victim of Governor Mike Pence’s deep unpopularity with Hoosier voters.
“Hoosier Republicans rejected Ted Cruz this evening and in the process, rejected Mike Pence. The fact that a majority of Republican voters found the candidate their own Governor endorsed too out of touch speaks volumes about how unpopular Mike Pence has become with Hoosiers across the state,” said Drew Anderson, communications director. “It’s no secret Mike Pence and Ted Cruz are two peas in a pod with their social agenda as they have driven away economic opportunities and scared off young Hoosiers and moderates of their own party. The fact is, though, Mike Pence is simply not getting the job done, and it’s why Hoosiers are coalescing around John Gregg and his common sense ideas to move Indiana forward.”
Cruz earlier this primary considered Indiana a ‘must-win’ state and tied his fortunes to Mike Pence – another politician that prioritizes a social agenda ahead of the state’s well-being. And after what was labeled a ‘lame’ endorsement by some in the national media, Mike Pence still traveled the state with Cruz and even appeared in radio and television commercials on his behalf. This effort all fell short as Donald Trump won Indiana’s Republican Primary this evening.
So overall, it appears that Mike Pence just shot another air ball as Indiana’s governor.
“Hoosier Republicans rejected Ted Cruz this evening and in the process, rejected Mike Pence. The fact that a majority of Republican voters found the candidate their own Governor endorsed too out of touch speaks volumes about how unpopular Mike Pence has become with Hoosiers across the state,” said Drew Anderson, communications director. “It’s no secret Mike Pence and Ted Cruz are two peas in a pod with their social agenda as they have driven away economic opportunities and scared off young Hoosiers and moderates of their own party. The fact is, though, Mike Pence is simply not getting the job done, and it’s why Hoosiers are coalescing around John Gregg and his common sense ideas to move Indiana forward.”
Cruz earlier this primary considered Indiana a ‘must-win’ state and tied his fortunes to Mike Pence – another politician that prioritizes a social agenda ahead of the state’s well-being. And after what was labeled a ‘lame’ endorsement by some in the national media, Mike Pence still traveled the state with Cruz and even appeared in radio and television commercials on his behalf. This effort all fell short as Donald Trump won Indiana’s Republican Primary this evening.
So overall, it appears that Mike Pence just shot another air ball as Indiana’s governor.
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Republican National Committee
Reince Priebus @Reince
@realDonaldTrump will be presumptive @GOP nominee, we all need to unite and focus on defeating @HillaryClinton #NeverClinton
Kasich for America
KASICH FOR AMERICA CHIEF STRATEGIST JOHN WEAVER STATEMENT ON THE STATE OF THE RACE
Tonight, the Kasich for America campaign's Chief Strategist John Weaver issued the following statement:
"Our party is facing a clear choice between positive solutions that can win in November and a darker path that will solve nothing and lead to Hillary Clinton in the White House, a Democrat Senate and a liberal Supreme Court. As long as it remains possible, Governor Kasich will fight for the higher path. Ted Cruz ran a strong campaign, stood for conservative principles and exposed a lot about Donald Trump. Governor Kasich will continue to campaign and offer the voters a clear choice for our country."
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Democratic National Committee
DNC Chair Statement on Cruz Suspending Campaign and Trump Becoming Republican Presumptive Nominee
WASHINGTON – DNC Chair Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz issued the following statement on Ted Cruz dropping out of the Republican primary and Donald Trump becoming the GOP’s presumptive nominee:“Tonight, Donald Trump is the Republican Party. 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.
“While Ted Cruz was known for obstruction, having forced a government shutdown that cost the U.S. economy $24 billion and even opposing emergency aid for a region hit by a devastating hurricane, he didn’t stand up to Donald Trump until it was too late. None of the Republicans running for president did, because after years of elevating extreme voices in their party, they didn’t want to alienate them.
“The decades-old Republican strategy of exploiting unfounded fear of immigrants, minorities, the poor, the LGBT community and more, all for political gain, have laid the groundwork for Donald Trump. The Republican Party 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 looming nomination will be the ultimate, destructive culmination of the results of that strategy.
“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. Voters will have a clear choice come November, and Americans of every stripe, including those disillusioned and disaffected by this year’s unprecedentedly nasty Republican primary have a home in the Democratic Party. Our voters are energized, enthusiastic, and optimistic because our candidates are committed to moving America forward. And that’s why we’re going to win on Election Day in November.”
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Hillary for America
John Podesta Statement on Donald Trump as the Presumptive Republican Nominee
American Bridge 21st Century
More Like Ted Lose, Amirite?
With tonight's big Trump win in Indiana, you can tack "presumptive Republican presidential nominee" on to Donald Trump's long list of glaringly unpresidential descriptors. Here are a few others: conspiracy theorist, hate and fearmongerer, misogynist, foreSo better chug whatever Bailey's you've got left in your corn flakes, Reince, because the time has come for you and the rest of the Republican Party -- yes, even the #NeverTrumpers -- to get on board the Trump Train and unite behind Donald Trump as your party's nominee.
American Bridge President Jessica Mackler made the following statement on tonight's GOP primary result in Indiana:
"Donald Trump has at every turn disqualified himself from being commander in chief. And yet, he's consolidated the GOP into the Party of Trump, actively promoting a platform of alienation and division. It's a lose-lose situation, but Republicans only have themselves -- and their months of Trump-enabling -- to blame."
Here's a quick recap of
what the GOP is embracing in selecting Donald Trump as its
standard bearer :
- Unapologetic misogyny;
- "Punishment" for women who get
abortions and a hardline opposition to funding women's health
programs;
- Inflammatory anti-immigrant rhetoric and advocacy of the forcible deportation
of 11 million undocumented immigrants;
- Abhorrent xenophobic fear-mongering;
- Hawkish and amateurish foreign policy;
- Tax plans that cost trillions and
disproportionately boost the top 1%;
- Climate change denial;
- Proposals that threaten seniors and
future retirees earned benefits; and,
- Refusals to give hardworking Americans a raise.