By Mark Vargas -
Donald Trump became the Republican nominee for president of the United States by declaring that "America doesn't win anymore," and that he'll "Make America Great Again." But after watching the United States' performance at the Olympics in Rio, my message to Mr. Trump is simple: America is already great.
After two weeks of nonstop competition amongst eleven thousand athletes from around the world, the United States took home the gold in the Olympic medal count. One hundred and twenty-one total medals for Team USA. China, a country Mr. Trump claims is always beating the U.S., had a total of 70 Olympic medals. Team USA also beat China on the gold medal count, 46-26.
So with all this campaign rhetoric about how Mr. Trump will make America start winning again, where were those stubby little Twitter fingers during Team USA's two-week domination at the Olympics? Where were the late night tweets about beating China, or the congratulatory messages for Team USA?
Trump is clearly obsessed with winning. In fact, under a President Trump, we'll be winning so much that we'll get tired of it, he says. But when it came to Team USA doing all the winning in Rio — Trump was nowhere to be seen, or heard. A rarity for sure.
Trump has built his entire political brand on the idea that America isn't winning anymore. We're losers and we lose at everything. We lose to China on trade deals. Our political leaders are losers who aren't smart enough to make deals with other countries. We're not safe, nor are we great. We just don't win anymore.
This ideology is dangerous, deranged and demoralizing. And any candidate or future candidate who thinks this is a winning message — think again — you'll lose. And to the current candidates down ballot — I'm sorry. The traditional campaign playbook needs to be thrown out the window this election cycle. If you're going to survive this year, you're going to need to play by a whole new set of rules to rise above the divisiveness and win. America is already great, but together, we'll make it even greater.
The damage caused by Trump's rhetoric will take a Herculean effort to repair. It's like America is in an emotionally abusive relationship, with Mr. Trump as the abuser. We've heard the message a thousand times. We can't win and we're losers. But thanks to Team USA and our gold medal performance in Rio, we're reminded that we're anything but.
Not much can silence the almighty winner Trump — except when it's America that's doing all the winning.
Mark Vargas, a Judson College graduate, is a former GOP U.S. congressional candidate in Illinois and has advised world leaders, government officials and candidates on political messaging, issue advocacy and electoral campaign strategies. Follow him on Twitter at @MarkAVargas.
THE OLYMPICS , THE ECONOMY & THE RULE OF LAW ARE TOTALLY DIFFERENT ISSUES.
It’s simple, Mark.
There are idiots on the voter rolls, and many of them are on “Twitter,” and on “Facebook” as well
Sports interests them, politics BORES them.
They pay attention to the athletes on the TV, but not to the government with it’s hand in their pocket.
And Mark, if you don’t believe we’re losing, go to any big-box store and count the clothing products being made in America, and I think you will have a few fingers and toes left over after the count.
Does this idiot Vargas really think when trump made that statement it included the Olympics?? Trump was talking about trade deals, dealing with foreign countries, Obama paying ransom for Americans, etc… Trump was talking about politics, things that matter to the average Joe.
I watched about 5 minutes of the sporting events called the Olympics…. I couldn’t have cared any less about it.
I care when American workers are screwed over by congress, when bad trade treaties are ratified, when Obama hides TPP so no one can read it all, I care when Obama give muslims a free pass into America without any vetting, I care when our criminal federal govt gives a free pass to the political elite and their rich friends, I care when Hillary gives foreign countries millions and millions of our tax dollars in return for a personal monetary favor, I care when illegal aliens are unlawfully given amnesty by Muslim Obama, I care when illegal aliens are allowed to bring illegal drugs into America… poisoning our children, I care when illegal aliens are getting tax credits they don’t deserve, I care when illegal aliens are stealing jobs from American citizens, I care that the federal govt is nothing but organized crime and disobeys our Constitution, the law on a daily basis, I care when dirtbag Obama unlawfully uses Executive orders to effectively write law, etc…. I could go on for an hour! You get the point you stupid idiot Vargas!!
The country’s marrying men. You must be as mentally deranged as those men, who want to marry men. You sound like a mini-Kinzinger, who won’t even talk about marrying men anymore. Now, go back to Obama-worship you stupid Illinois Republican: http://www.realclearpolitics.com/docs/2016_Reuters_Tracking_-_Core_Political_8.17_.16_.pdf
Sounds like Mark Vargas has no gripes with Hilary Clinton.
“Together, we’ll make it even greater”
What a juvenile cliche. What have we produced in the last 15 years when we’ve been “united”? A quagmire in the Middle East in an ill advised war, the Patriot Act which most Americans now hate, the economic and budget breaking “stimulus” and Obamacare which most Americans now hate. If Americans are ever united watch out for what’s about to happen to you.
Do these people even think things through before writing such sophomoric cliches?
Who cares about the Olympics? Vargas sounds like the type that would have loved the Gladiators in the Roman Coliseum while Rome crumbled around him.
If America is doing so great why does Vargas consider himself a Republican? Obviously he approves of the direction of the country under Obama.
What a stupid article. Trump was NOT talking about the Olympics. He was talking about the U.S. being a laughing stock in the world arena, someone who is easily out maneuvered by Iran, Mexico, and Russia. Even Putin thinks Obama is a fool and easily manipulated. Mark, would you prefer to hear the lies Hillary tells about “how great Ameria is” when there are more people unemployed, more people on food stamps, more racial tension, more debt?
Uh…. what kind of dumb thing is this?
I’d much rather be the best and richest country in the world economically than have ANY Olympic medals.
GOP nominee Donald Trump on Wednesday presented a plan for granting undocumented immigrants legal status, the latest turn in his ever-evolving stance on immigration.