Democrats can’t assume anymore that Republican voters will only show up when Trump is on the ballot, or that mere mention of him will turn independents off, said Sean McElwee, who heads up Data For Progress, the progressive polling firm.

“Trump is a uniquely unpopular and polarizing figure, and I think it’s a playbook that worked for a long time,” McElwee said. “But last night shows there are ways for Republicans to inoculate themselves against it.”…

“We have a massive credibility gap with voters, and we’re screwed if we don’t get it right,” this former DCCC staffer said. “Voters think we’re elitist and out of touch. They find it offensive that we paper this over with endless ads about some old school country club Republican is a Trump twin.”

This former staffer added that voters just weren’t buying it, and that Trump wasn’t a “get out of jail free card.”