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The Democratic National Committee has released titled 鈥淩etrumplican Party." It鈥檚 a (somewhat) clever 90-second attempt to tie the entire GOP to the careening semitrailer that is the Donald Trump presidential campaign.

Is that fair? Well, it鈥檚 true that Mr. Trump鈥檚 belligerence appeals to a portion of the Republican electorate. Otherwise he would not have popped up to 13 percent in .

And some pundits argue that Trump鈥檚 connection to the GOP runs deeper than polls indicate and that he鈥檚 articulating the basic beliefs of the party grass roots, such as the need for a tougher approach to illegal immigrants. Republican leaders may be trying to get Trump to tone down his message, but what they鈥檙e really worried about is that he鈥檚 a monster they鈥檝e created, .

鈥淭he Republican Party can鈥檛 dump Trump because Trump is the Republican Party,鈥� Mr. Milbank writes.

But come on 鈥� 13 percent in the polls in a split field is far from a broad-based endorsement. That means 87 percent of GOP voters want someone else. And 52 percent of Republicans say they have an unfavorable view of The Donald. It鈥檚 as arguable that the GOP is the Party of Ben Carson聽as much as the Party of Trump.

The 鈥淩etrumplican Party鈥� video does point out some connections between Trump鈥檚 harsh rhetoric on immigration and the other candidates. It shows a clip of former Gov. Rick Perry of Texas talking about rapes committed by Hispanic immigrants, for instance. Most of its time, though, is spent showing other GOP candidates echoing Trump鈥檚 vow to repeal President Obama鈥檚 order to stop prosecution of certain categories of illegal immigrants, including those brought to America as children and those who have kids who are US citizens or legal residents.聽

Pretty much all the GOP candidates made the same vow long before Trump came on the scene. Hispanics oppose this position, but the thing that鈥檚 stirred up vehemence is Trump鈥檚 dismissive tone and his connection of Mexicans with criminality.

All the major GOP contenders with the exception of Ted Cruz have explicitly said they don鈥檛 support that part of Trump鈥檚 message.

The real issue that interests us in the 鈥淩etrumplican鈥� controversy, however, is whom the DNC鈥檚 video is aimed at.

Swing voters? There really aren鈥檛 that many of those, as we鈥檝e written in the past. Most 鈥渋ndependent鈥� voters are just partisans who like to think of themselves as free agents.

Republicans? No, it鈥檚 unlikely the DNC thinks it鈥檚 going to lure disaffected members of the GOP across the aisle.

We鈥檇 say the DNC ad, like many such ads in this portion of the election cycle, is aimed at the party鈥檚 own supporters. It鈥檚 supposed to raise scorn for the other side聽and rally the troops.

In a time of rising partisanship, voters are motivated more than ever by a loathing for the other side, writes University of Virginia political scientist Larry Sabato in Politico.

鈥淚ncreasingly, Americans are voting against the opposing party rather than for their own,鈥� .