Anyone? … Anyone at all?

He inspired generations with his vision of America.

The current guy’s vision includes divisive rhetoric, and dismissive nicknames for political opponents.

The other guy’s economic program focused on supply-side economics, advocating for tax cuts and deregulation to stimulate growth.

The current guy’s foreign economic policy: “Tariff-the-hell out of them.” Domestic policy: Tax breaks for the rich. (Yes, check it out. And there are other sources.)

The first guy famously referred to the Soviet Union as the “Evil Empire” in a 1983 speech to the National Association of Evangelicals—Yes, Christian voters. He framed the Cold War as a moral struggle between freedom and tyranny.

In 2022, the current guy referred to Vladimir Putin’s actions in Ukraine as “genius” and “savvy.” And when he started “peace” talks this year, the president of Ukraine wasn’t invited.

On the 40^th anniversary of D-Day, the other guy, said in a speech, “These are the men who took the cliffs. These are the champions who helped free a continent. These are the heroes who helped end a war.”

The current guy’s former chief of staff reported that he referred to American soldiers who died as “suckers” and “losers.” This is the guy with a long list of moral offenses, but it doesn’t appear to matter to Evangelical voters who emphasize biblical authority, personal faith in Jesus Christ, and moral values.

The other guy referred to Washington—and by extension, America, as “a shining city on a hill.”

Contrary to the current guy’s mantra, Make America Great Again—suggesting that the nation has lost its greatness—America remains a global leader.

From the internet and microchips to AI and space exploration, U.S. companies like Apple, Microsoft, and NVIDIA continue to shape America and the world’s future, fostering free enterprise and innovation.

American successes range from medical breakthroughs–Penicillin,  polio vaccine (whoops, I better stay away from that last word. Sorry, Bobby.), open-heart surgery, the first successful organ transplant, MRI, artificial heart, The Human Genome Project, HIV/AIDS treatments, CRISPR gene editing, mRNA vaccines (whoops, there’s that word, again.), CAR-T cell therapy, bionic prosthetics… To advancements in space exploration. Anyone remember Alan Shepard, the first American in Space?, Apollo moon landings, Voyager probes, space shuttle program, Hubble Space Telescope, The International Space Station, Curiosity and Perseverance rovers on Mars, New Horizons the first spacecraft to fly by Pluto, and the James Webb Space Telescope.

Anyone think America isn’t already great? … Anyone at all?

The current guy cut funding and hundreds of researchers and medical specialists from  the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, and Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority.

The other guy was an actor supporting America’s artistic achievements around the world.

Because the Kennedy Center receives federal funding, the current guy dismissed the organization’s head and took the position for himself.

America’s cultural impact, however, is enormous–from Taylor Swift to Stephen King, Steven Spielberg to Ralph Lauren—America sets the standard.

Despite enduring a great Civil War, America’s democratic values continue to shine as a beacon of freedom, democracy, and equality. Its greatness doesn’t need to be restored—it needs to be recognized in the millions of citizens who have upheld its progress, resilience, and the ideals that defined it and continue to define it.

So… do you remember the name of the guy in the picture?

Anyone? … Anyone, at all?