Re “The chaos ahead will make today’s look tame” (Oct. 4): Thanks for printing this thoughtful commentary. I found both of the NBC News polls rather shocking.

The first said that “45% of Republicans said they supported the MAGA movement over the party.” I’ve been waiting over 10 years for any coherent explanation of what MAGA actually means. Will we be great again when we have sweatshops making clothes with workers earning a few dollars a day? When there are no foreign cars available for sale?

The second said that “58% of Democrats said they supported progressive causes more than the Democratic Party.” Doesn’t “progressive” imply actual “progress” towards something better? How does embracing the socialist policies that have consistently failed for a century equate to progress or getting better?

Beware the power of meaningless slogans that appeal to those who forgo actual thinking and embrace change for the sake of change.

— John Henry Williams, Oceanside