Whether or not his slogan is a dog whistle is a matter of perception. For example, I love the Sonic commercials that feature two guys in a car enjoying the array of products available there. As a gay person, I see a funny gay couple frequenting their favorite establishment. A straight person likely sees two buddies, perhaps escaping the demands of a wife, kids, and household chores, out shooting the breeze at their favorite establishment. See? Same commercial, different understanding based on what we perceive.
Is the slogan "Make America Great Again" a racist dog whistle? Well, yes, if you're a white supremacist. But for others--I would argue a majority of others--it's not a dog whistle. Instead, it's about job opportunity (real opportunity, not minimum wage jobs with a higher minimum wage), safer communities (ones where police are allowed to do their jobs effectively and safely, and where people can legally have a firearm to protect themselves), where all of us have a chance to live a peaceful and comfortable life if we choose to do that (because no matter how hard we try, or how many government benefits we allot, some people will choose to forgo such things), and a country that is a real player in world affairs. It's about what many perceive as eight years of community unraveling--race relations are worse than they have been in decades, crime is increasing, and everywhere we look, we see violence. Cities are broke, we still have a substantial number of people addicted to drugs, and thousands of veterans and civilians are homeless.
When you look at things from that perspective, it's easy to see that "Make America Great Again" isn't a call for going back to a time when straight, white people held a majority. Rather, it's a desire to see our country as she can be if better decisions are made.
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