I think the biggest tell that the current Republican Party is no longer the party of Ronald Reagan is its complete lack of positivity. I mean, sure, Reagan went down some dark paths scaring us with stories of welfare queens and godless commies. But he also presented the United States of America as a shining city on a hill and was endlessly enthusiastic about not just our past, but our present and future as well.
Now and for the past few years, the GOP has been so committed to messaging with fear and anger that the sudden wave of happy, optimistic Democrats and their appeal to voters have caught them completely off guard. Worse, they seem incapable of generating any positivity themselves. And specifically in Michigan, their options to find a Reagan-like personality on their team to somehow get that mojo back appears to be, well, limited.
Editor's note: John Auchter is a freelance political cartoonist. His views are his own and do not necessarily reflect those of Michigan Public, its management, or its license holder, the University of Michigan.
