It is important to use issues and substance of course, but it is HOW you use the issues. Every campaign must have a positive message and a negative message tailored to the local constituency. An issues message must also be attached to a VALUES NARRATIVE. It must hit people in heart and the gut, NOT just the head. You see Rob Quist doing this very well in Montana. He is making healthcare a VALUES message WHILE using it to attack Gianforte, framing the Republican as a greedy out of touch millionaire wanting to strip people of healthcare so he can have tax cuts for himself that he doesn't need. It is a great populist issue AND values message.
How much to use Trump as a campaign issue to attack Republicans will depend upon the particular race. It is also very early to be using that. There will be some places that like Trump in 2018 but the right Dem could win if he/she runs the right local campaign on issue and values that matter in the particular place. In purple districts where Trump become especially unpopular, damn right to use Trump against the opponent as ONE issue, but it can't be the only one. So how much and in just what way to use Trump again Republicans will depend on the place and the demographics there. In general, the party can use Trump by saying "Vote for Dems nationally to put on a check on Trump and his culture of corruption!", IF investigations and time bear out that he is in fact very corrupt. You can also GENERALLY attack Republicans on votes they have taken which Trump favored, depending, again, on the location.
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