LS, DJT DID appeal to my emotions. Making America GREAT again, was a damn fine slogan. He grew up in the same America as many of us here on FR. We understood what our nation was once (and we often reminiscence and comment how we miss that USA.) Perhaps this was the reason the emotion was so intense. The USA was revered; we loved our nation intensely. Today's America is not anything we recognize.
Our party will never be in the 21st century when most of our members are so old they've forgotten their pride in what we were and how much we accomplished as a nation. Their loss is our downfall. Until we once again bring civics, history, and GOD (not necessarily in that order) into our public schools, we will never see progress in growing the party.