… The underlying political logic behind attacking “MAGA Republicans” is sound. Large chunks of the GOP are ensnared in a Trumpian cabal that is about a cult of personality rather than policy issues.
It may have taken the Biden team six months (and probably dozens of meetings) to realize that the 2022 election is, in effect, a referendum on the future of democracy rather than a routine fight over diverging economic policies. But trying to use the Trump slogan “Make America Great Again” as a Biden boomerang is too clever by half. It’s like getting caught up with the alliteration in the ungainly “Build Back Better.” …
We have long exaggerated the power of campaign consultants in both parties to cloud the minds of voters. In high-profile races, most TV ads cancel each other out. And it’s hard to think of any slogan in any off-year election in this century that made a difference. CONTINUED
Walter Shapiro, Roll Call
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