"... Dems are trying to scare the sh-t out of you, and there’s plenty of fodder with which to do it [thank you, #Lyin'Donald]." Go for it, Dems!!

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The deadliest weapon against Donald Trump? His own words.
By Greg Sargent, July 12, 2016

Top Democrats are launching a new, $500,000 ad campaign today aimed specifically at winning over millennial voters and women in presidential swing states, and the chief weapon used in the spots is this: Donald Trump’s own words about abortion, immigrants, wages, and climate change.

The new ads — which were provided to this blog in advance of their release — are being launched by the pro-Clinton Super PAC Priorities USA, and combine footage of Trump with animation and a “WTF” theme, which suggest a particular focus on young voters. They are digital spots, and will run on Facebook, Instagram, Pandora, and Pre-Roll in Ohio, Virginia, Florida, New Hampshire, Colorado, Nevada, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, and New Hampshire. Here they are:

— The first ad, called “Chauvinist,” shows footage of Trump saying: “When I come home, if dinner is not ready, I go through the roof.” It then asks: “A chauvinist for president? WTF? Not in our America!”

— The second ad, called “Choice,” shows footage of Trump saying “there has to be some form of punishment” for abortion. It then asks: “Punishment for women? WTF? Not in our America!”

— The third ad, called “Deportation Force,” shows footage of Trump saying that there will be a “deportation force” to carry out mass removals. It then asks: “A deportation force? WTF? Not in our America!”

— The fourth ad, called “Climate Change,” shows footage of Trump saying: “Global warming? A lot of it’s a hoax.” It then asks: “Climate change — a hoax? WTF? Not in our America!”

— The fifth ad, called “Minimum Wage,” shows footage of Trump saying: “Having a low minimum wage is not a bad thing for this country.” It then asks: “Since when are low wages a good thing? WTF? Not in our America”

— The sixth ad, called “Education,” shows footage of Trump saying: “We’re going to cut the Department of Education.” It then asks: “Cut the Department of Education? And Pell grants? WTF? Not in our America!”

Justin Barasky, a spokesman for Priorities USA, tells me that all this signals that Dems will make major investments in targeting millennials in coming weeks and months. This is interesting in the context of Bernie Sanders’s expected endorsement of Hillary Clinton today, which could also help drive young voters to get behind Clinton. It’s notable that highlighting Trump’s stance on specific issues — and not just his awful quotes — is seen as the way to reach these voters. The focus on climate in particular as a motivator of millennials is an underappreciated facet of this election.

Beyond this, the ads — which were launched in conjunction with other groups, such as Planned Parenthood, the League of Conservation Voters, the Latino Victory Fund, and EMILY’s List — also once again reveal two core assumptions driving Dem strategy against Trump. First, Dems believe that one of the most potent tools for generating enthusiasm among key Dem constituencies, and key swing constituencies such as college educated white women, remains Trump’s rich store of disgusting quotes and ideas. Second, for all of Trump’s widespread media exposure during the last year, Dems remain convinced that many of these voters are still unaware of the full existing range of specific quotes and ideas in all their Trumpian wretchedness. When voters are exposed to them, Dems believe, they will conclude that a Trump presidency could be nothing short of a full blown catastrophe for this country and its future. In other words, Dems are trying to scare the sh-t out of you, and there’s plenty of fodder with which to do it.

While Trump’s antics and utterances have rendered him the most unpopular major party nominee in recent memory, Clinton’s negatives are also quite high, and she is weighed down with a number of vulnerabilities. So Dems still expect the election could be very close. And they see massive investments in energizing core Dem constituencies against Trump — as well as turning key swing constituencies such as independent and suburban women against him — as key to victory.
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