Make America great again — two versions for 2018

Republican candidates are frightened to separate themselves from Trump’s agenda, and Democrats have nothing to offer other than criticizing Trump’s agenda. Here is how candidates in both parties can do better.

Republican candidates running for office this November can separate themselves from Trump and attract more voters by rejecting his slogan “Make America Great Again” in favor of the slogan “America has been and continues to be great, as exemplified by Donald Trump”.

The problem with MAGA is that it does not account for Trump’s success or for America functioning in any way, and it has led to a misdirected attempt to disrupt the status quo.

“America has been and continues to be great, as exemplified by Donald Trump” is a superior slogan to MAGA in that it accounts for Donald Trump’s private and public success. It gives America the credit it deserves for enabling Trump’s success. It answers the question “How bad can America be given Donald Trump’s success as a businessman and as a politician?” “America has been and continues to be great, as exemplified by Donald Trump” is the better, internally consistent and truer slogan for all of Donald Trump’s supporters

Every voter who believes in MAGA will support Republican candidates who adopt the slogan “America has been and continues to be great, as exemplified by Donald Trump.” Voters who do not support Trump because they are concerned about the changes he has made in the name of MAGA will support Republican candidates who support “America has been and continues to be great, as exemplified by Donald Trump,” because it acknowledges that there is much in the status quo that is worth preserving.

Similarly, Democratic candidates running for office this November can indicate their fundamental agreement with the need to Make America Great Again and attract more voters, by adopting the slogan “America has been and continues to be in great decline, as exemplified by Donald Trump”.

MAGA correctly implies that America once was great, is no longer great, and needs to be made great again. The problem with MAGA is that it does not state the cause of America’s decline, and it does not state the solution. The slogan “America has been and continues to be in great decline, as exemplified by Donald Trump” correctly identifies Donald Trump’s success as the problem, and correctly identifies precluding that success from happening again as the solution.

This approach will attract all voters who oppose Trump, as well as voters who believe simply opposing Trump is not enough; that Trump’s success is not a fluke but will be repeated, unless systemic changes are made in America, changes that may go the heart of our economic and political practices. All voters who find Trump’s ways abhorrent, and therefore a horrible reflection on America, will support this slogan.

In short, Republicans who adopt the slogan “America has been and continues to be great, as exemplified by Donald Trump” will attract Trump supporters and other voters who want to preserve the policies and practices that allowed Trump to succeed. Democrats who adopt the slogan “America has been and continues to be in great decline, as exemplified by Donald Trump” will attract those voters opposed to Trump, as well as those voters want to destroy the practices that have allowed Trump to succeed.

May the best slogan win.