THE FUTURE: as seen by the GOP versus the Democratic Party. The GOP has been heavy on slams against what it hates. Affordable health care for all is “socialism.” Racial equality and women’s rights deny freedom. Clean environment means hurting economy.

GOP: keep things simple and speak in single voice. Capitalism: good. EPA: bad. Army: good. Peace: bad (U.S. looks weak). Prisons: good. Legalize drugs: bad. 2nd Amendment: good. Mass shootings: don’t touch our guns! Prayer in school: good (if approved Christian prayer).

The Democratic Party is not so black-and-white. Various interest groups voice opinions. There is no “single” voice. The candidates argue about issues. The Dems seem like the Federation of Planets, on Star Trek. The GOP seems like Romulans: they eat worms and kills things.

The GOP followed Lee Atwater and has the lead in “branding” things. Use bad words for things you oppose, no matter how good. Use good words to describe your things, no matter how vile. It’s how they slammed rational approaches to higher education by calling them “free.”

The problems we face as a country and as a planet are not simple. What do things look like at the end of the GOP’s fondest day? Probably a lot like a 1950s TV series. People smile, go to church every week, and experience few deep problems. Oh - and everybody’s white.

There might be disorder in Dems’ approach, but that is the nature of reality. There is no “single voice” or “fondest day.” There are problems to be addressed, but there always will be problems. At least the Dems present plans. The GOP didn’t have plans from 2017 to 2019.

With control of the White House and both houses of Congress, the GOP only could tear down things built over the course of several decades by both parties, but couldn’t come up with a health plan or a comprehensive plan for immigration (in a nation largely of immigrants).

Two words crystalize the GOP’s failures of the past 20 years: health care. Of 36 countries ahead of the U.S. in quality of care, all but two have some form of socialized medicine. We pay the most, by far, per capita. Say again? Socialism is evil? Free market solves everything?

Some MAGA supporters never will listen to reason. They’re still searching for a basement to a pizzeria in Georgetown. (Hint: there’s no basement.) They are not interested in facts. Others will listen to facts. We need to be patient and explain reality to them.