07.06.15

Following a flurry of controversial comments from Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, Blue Engine founder Erik Smith tells the Washington Post that Trump’s comments may reverberate beyond himself – impacting the entire 2016 GOP field. The Post writes, “Erik Smith, a Democratic strategist who worked on Obama’s campaigns, said the danger for Republicans is that Trump becomes ‘an anchor’ weighing down the party’s brand, especially with Latino, millennial and independent voters.” Smith says the GOP field has ground to gain with key audiences, and that Trump, in effect, calls potential shortcomings into stark relief. He says, “The truth is this entire field is currently reinforcing their party’s worst perceptions among the voters they need the most. Trump simply super-charges it. He turns the volume up to 11.”

To read the full article, click here.