And actually, Layton said it much better, and was clearly trying to bring people together, hence using the words:
“Love is better than anger. Hope is better than fear. Optimism is better than despair.”
“Better than” is a hopeful, peaceful message.
“More Powerful than” is a message that we want to crush you, it is a violent message that they will use force to bring “love”, in a 1984 Orwellian fashion.
Love is more lovely than hate, hope is more hopeful than hopeless, and light is brighter than darkness. Tautologies are easily understood by the feeble minded.