Now that the two party conventions are over, America finds itself at a crossroads. Does it believe that America is in a dark stalemate place that the Republicans think where it is, or is still the greatest country on earth where its best days lie ahead as the Democrats have suggested in Philadelphia?

Having attended both conventions where the Republicans held theirs in Cleveland and the Democrats held theirs in Philadelphia, the vision that both parties laid out could not be starker.

What’s ironic is that being in Philadelphia sounded a lot like being at a Republican convention. The Democrats sounded hopeful, optimistic and big-hearted with their message of inclusion and how more work needs to be done to include all Americans in the American Dream.

The Republicans stressed the chaos and despair between the mass killings in urban areas between the locals and police to the uncontrolled terror around the globe with the rise of ISIS and uncontrolled leaders such as Vladimir Putin of Russia and others in China and North Korea.

These are two very different interpretations of America and I believe the Republicans have made a huge tactical error that will cost them votes in November.

In his prime time speech, President Barack Obama even quoted Ronald Reagan’s “shining city on a hill.” In doing so, Democrats with President Obama taking the lead have seized the decades old Republican story line that America’s best days lie ahead.

In other words, last week’s convention was a pivotal moment that the GOP will regret arguably for the next few election cycles. Here’s why: as the head of the party, Trump has tossed aside a successful story line crafted by Reagan that American’s are always looking to the future. By declaring that he is the “law and order candidate,” Trump declared that he is the person that can make America great again, where tranquility and peace reigned and where everyone knew their place not around the world, but in local communities. Think America the way it was in the 1950’s.

But that’s the problem. We’re not in the 1950’s. It’s 2016 and the world and local communities are more diverse, complex and connected than ever before. In other words, we cannot and should not go back to the way things were. Why would we? African Americans and other minorities were severely discriminated against. America virtually had no trading partners, with the exception of Canada and Europe and America was much more concerned about a nuclear war with Russia.

The long and short of it is that America is always looking forward, always forging ahead for its next chapter in its history. The Democratic National Convention, ironically took place in the birthplace of America, represented all of our best ideals, hopes and aspirations, while the Republican convention represented our worst fears and darkest thoughts.

Standing in the convention hall last week in Philadelphia, I whispered to a friend of mine who is the former national Republican Party chair that this felt like a Republican convention with flags waving and patriotism so thick it created lumps in your throat. It’s a stunning shift of messages and juxtaposition between the two parties and it will be interesting to see if the Democrats claim this mantle for the next few election cycles.

Clinton and Trump have record high unapproval ratings and this race will be a race about who can create a narrative that they are better to be the steward of America’s next chapter. Based on the messages coming out of Philadelphia the Clinton campaign has Trump in checkmate.

We’ll see how long it lasts.