In Ohio, Trump-less GOP politicking going strong

INDEPENDENCE, Ohio (AP) — Nine miles from the red-white-and-blue-festooned arena where thousands of Republicans are extolling their new presidential nominee, other Republicans are uttering not a word about Donald Trump as they knock on doors and talk to voters.

Americans for Prosperity activists have been helping Sen. Rob Portman for more than a year, telling Ohioans that his Democratic rival, former Gov. Ted Strickland, has a terrible record on the economy.

[...] while there's celebration over Trump, there's also plenty of Trump-less party building as the GOP and its allies fight to hold onto their Senate majority.

Political and policy groups, including ones tied to GOP strategist Karl Rove, are holding events for donors in town for the convention, while minimizing their own presence at the convention itself.

Stayanchi seemed to have memorized the group's talking points and bemoaned past tax increases, state spending and depleted rainy day funds.

The entire Koch network is withholding its resources from Trump, another change from 2012 when they tried to oust President Barack Obama with big ad campaigns blasting his health care policies.

A focus group of Cleveland-area swing voters convened Sunday by Republican pollster Frank Luntz repudiated Trump as "intolerant" and "a wild card."