Did the Republican convention offer a new vision? Or more of the same?

It seemed to me that if the Republican Party was searching for one unifying message to unite not just the political right but also large swaths of the center and left, that message was clearly: “Survive Till ’25.” The promise is that the American people will get instant relief on Day 1 of the next Trump administration.

Is there a more powerful image to illustrate the “Survive Till ’25” narrative than the sight of Donald Trump, his right ear freshly bandaged after the assassination attempt he endured just two days before, triumphantly walking into the Milwaukee arena to the notes of his signature song, Lee Greenwood’s “God Bless the U.S.A.”?

In politics, timing is everything. Someone in the Trump campaign needs to make the case for a pivot away from the stale “Make America Great Again” slogan toward the far more relevant “Survive Till ’25.”

What better indictment of the Biden administration than to insinuate that President Biden’s “work harder for less” policies have made life more difficult and dangerous for the American people, and have taken us from the unprecedented peace and prosperity of the Trump era to the survival mode mind-set of the Biden era?

Luana Dunn, Medford, N.Y.

Former ambassador, governor and presidential candidate Nikki Haley’s address at the Republican National Convention suggested that the Trump machine was making its pivot toward the center. Throughout the gathering, Republicans made their greatest effort to create the appearance of a “big tent” where culturally, racially and generationally diverse voices are being heard. The convention even included representatives of labor and mild dissenters, including Ms. Haley, who said: “You don’t have to agree with Trump 100 percent of the time to vote for him.”

In his early appearances at the convention, Mr. Trump himself appeared traumatized by his horrific near-death experience. He is human, after all; he is mortal. But that does not mean he is a fundamentally changed man, nor will that necessarily change his worldview or priorities.

And indeed, at the beginning of Mr. Trump’s acceptance speech, we saw the same self-restrained presidential persona he displayed during President Biden’s self-immolation at their debate. He started his address with a dignified description of his tragic encounter with a mass shooter and the near loss of his own life, before veering off course into a farrago that lasted well over an hour. We were even treated to an appearance by “the late great Hannibal Lecter.”

He is a phenomenal salesman who is pulling off perhaps the greatest stunt in history: He is selling authoritarianism to America, and, according to the polls, he is succeeding.

Mr. Trump has, by a bullet, been transformed into a heroic figure. There is no disputing either that heroism or the nature of Mr. Trump’s vision for the country.

Eric Radack, Santa Fe, N.M.

As a 27-year-old gay man and a proud liberal, the thought of supporting Donald Trump feels almost sacrilegious. Even though President Biden stepped aside, the Democrats face a long battle. My doubts were solidified after watching Teamsters President Sean O’Brien address the Republican National Convention — but so was my sense of a way forward.

What inspired Mr. O’Brien to take the stage ? He realized the likely outcome of this election, and he knows what is at stake for the people he represents. His speech inspired me to take a hard look at the Democratic Party’s strategy, or lack thereof.

Just because we are going to lose this election doesn’t mean we have to lose all of the progress we have made toward causes that impact some of the most vulnerable people.

Working against Mr. Trump has not worked for us. It has only led to division and gridlock. The colossal sums of money that political action committees have raised and are now withholding from Mr. Biden’s campaign underscores our strategic missteps. Imagine if we redirected these resources and offered them to Mr. Trump’s campaign, with the condition that he include some progressive policies in his agenda. If one thing gets Mr. Trump’s attention, it’s money. And Democrats have a lot of it. But we also have a lot on the line that we are going to lose if we continue down this path.

LGBTQ+ rights, gun reform, two wars abroad, the rise of antisemitism, a migrant crisis, mounting student debt and the skyrocketing costs of elder care are all at stake.

We need to remember that politics is the art of the possible. If the Democratic Party continues to push a losing strategy, we will all suffer the consequences. By strategically supporting Mr. Trump and leveraging our financial power, we can ensure that at least some of our progressive values are represented in the next administration. This isn’t about abandoning our principles; it’s about being smart and strategic in an incredibly challenging time.

It’s time to be pragmatic, to work towards solutions that benefit all Americans, regardless of party affiliation. Let’s channel our energy into securing a future that includes all of us, even if it means making difficult choices now.

This isn’t the easy path, but it’s the necessary one. Let’s rise to the occasion and steer our country towards a future where our values and our people thrive. This only works if we all keep an open mind.

Cal DiJulius, New York

On the third night of the Republican National Convention, vice-presidential nominee J.D. Vance said, “We’ll commit to the working man.”

This is in line with the effort to advance a revisionist history of Donald Trump’s first term as president. Just as Mr. Trump’s congregation believe he won the 2020 election, many of them also believe the economy was booming then, the country was healthy, and everyone was prosperous.

Anyone who can shake that amnesia will remember that in July 2020 Americans were dying of a virus Mr. Trump originally said was no worse than the flu; millions had lost jobs; grocery shoppers could not find necessities in the stores; and the “working man” or woman was either risking their life at an essential job or at home with children who were gearing up for more remote learning.

In July 2020, the Dow Jones Industrial Average hovered around 26,000. Today, it has climbed as high as 41,000. Not every American follows the stock market, but no Wall Streeter should forget.

The Teamsters president who spoke at the Republican National Convention who spoke at the RNC may have forgotten, too. The modern Republicans have done a great deal to undermine unions.

So the question voters should ask is: What did Mr. Trump do for you in his four-year term? Sure, he piled his own grievances onto your troubles, but did he do anything to help anyone except billionaires?

Working people are smarter than you think, Mr. Vance. We know what the Trump administration did not do, so your promise falls flat. We know what the Biden-Harris administration has accomplished for us. We know who will fight for working men — and don’t forget women, Mr. Vance.

Phyllis Gobbell, Nashville

I blasted my circadian rhythm watching Donald Trump’s speech accepting the Republican presidential nomination last Thursday night. I had hoped for something fresh. What he served instead was the same old Dagwood salmonella sandwich, but this time with white bread replacing the standard dark rye and sourdough. Either way, it was impossible to swallow.

Jim Stasny, Falls Church

An unfair expectation

I cannot begin to understand why The Post’s July 18 article “These parents of a U.S. hostage in Gaza took their story to the RNC,” detailing Ronen and Orna Neutra’s courageous fight to free their son Omer, who was kidnapped by Hamas terrorists on Oct. 7, also includes the critical note, “When the Neutras speak publicly, they don’t talk about the ferocity of Israel’s counterattack.”

We are talking about two parents who are doing everything they can to bring their son home; they are in no way responsible for the actions of the Israeli government. Their suffering is made no less devastating by others who have suffered as a result of this terrible war that Hamas initiated, and that Hamas could end by returning all of the approximately 120 hostages and laying down their arms.

American Jewish Committee has been helping to lift the voices of the Neutras and many other hostages’ families in the aftermath of Oct. 7. I can tell you firsthand how thoughts of their loved ones — if they are injured, if they are hungry, if they are even still alive — are the thoughts that occupy their every moment.

The Neutras are singularly focused on one thing: Omer. As any parents would be. While Palestinian civilians have undoubtedly suffered greatly in this war, creating a false moral quandary by which the Neutras are somehow obligated to highlight the suffering of others is abhorrent and lacks the empathy and humanity we should be showing them and all the hostages’ families.

Ted Deutch, Washington

The writer is chief executive of the American Jewish Committee.