The place to start is with safety.
America is a great country but American democracy is not working for everyone. We need look no farther than the Charlottesville violence, or the number of voters that believe the country is headed in the wrong direction, to understand that Americans are not satisfied with the status quo.
Donald Trump won the presidency because his slogan, "make America great again," resonated with more voters than did Hillary Clinton's slogan, "stronger together."
Trump's slogan, "make America great again," was interpreted by many of his supporters as, "let's return to the fifties when America was number one in the world and white men called all the shots." Clinton's tepid slogan was interpreted as "let's keep doing what Obama has been doing," an endorsement of the status quo.
Progressives need an effective alternative to "make America great again." Make America safe again. This reflects the reality that because of economic inequality and Donald Trump, most Americans are fearful. They fear for the future because the economy is not working for them and they do not have adequate healthcare, education, or housing. Many Americans fear for the future because of climate change.
In addition, the Charlottesville violence reminds us that many Americans are fearful because of the color of their skin, or their gender/sexual orientation, or their religion or country of origin. Donald Trump has brought bigotry and hate into the mainstream. He has legitimized the politics of resentment.
It's time for progressives to stand up to Trump's hate-filled conduct and proclaim to all Americans: We will make America safe again.
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