Trump and the Silent Majority

There’s a silent majority in this country that ultimately makes or breaks a presidency.

As the saying goes, "silence is golden." Since it's golden, Trump can't help but like the silent majority, I suppose. The real question is: does the silent majority like Trump?

Before going further, let's look back at Richard Nixon, who put the silent majority front and center during his successful 1968 presidential campaign. Four years later, he won a second term, largely due to the silent majority's ongoing support for winding down the Vietnam War and pushing back against the youth counter-culture. Then, the Watergate scandal blew up in his face. The rest is history.

The silent majority liked Nixon's policies, but not necessarily his personality. When he could no longer govern effectively, he essentially had to fire himself. America turned over a new leaf then, just as it does now.

Back to Trump. In a historical context, he acts as a 21st-century version of Andrew Jackson, a bull in a china shop. That’s why his opponents never miss a chance to call him a "Big Mouth." 

In my opinion, the silent majority sticks with him because of his "Big Stick" policy. Trump's version of the Big Stick, even more so than Teddy Roosevelt's, is a potential game-changer for the existing world order. To put it bluntly: North Korea must be the last rogue nation with nuclear weapons. Iran? Don't even think about it.

National security trumps the radical socialism that is sucking the Democratic Party dry. Polls might indicate otherwise, but the most convincing polls will be the upcoming elections. By then, hopefully, voter ID will have ceased to be a burning issue it is today.

Sooner or later, Democrats will win back the White House. Trump, a former registered Democrat, knows this only too well. In American politics, the wilderness is merely a temporary stop, as the silent majority always forces a course correction. Self-correction is a blessing. Treasure it. 

Author: renqiulan