The Real Silent Majority
Just as he did in 2016, Donald Trump is running a divisive campaign that relies on stoking fear among an increasingly polarized America. With shameless near-endorsements of white supremacy, he has enchanted his base by convincing them that they represent the “silent majority” of Americans. This strategy comes straight out of Richard Nixon’s playbook, and it’s one Nixon used very effectively to foment conservative backlash in response to the radical movements of the late 1960’s. The problem with this strategy is that it’s no longer relevant; this country has changed dramatically since 1969, and Trump’s supporters were never a true reflection of the American public.
Back in the late 1960’s, the anti-war activists were considered a “vocal minority” who did not represent the political views of average Americans. In 2020, a vocal minority exists in the form of violent right-wing militias that support a president who has refused to condemn them. In stark contrast to his “law and order” rhetoric, Trump’s marching orders for these hate groups like the Proud Boys to “stand back and stand by” pose a grave threat to the rule of law. Just last week, a group of these domestic terrorists were arrested and charged with plotting to kidnap Michigan’s governor and start a civil war. In the coming weeks, I will not be surprised if Trump encourages these groups to engage in voter intimidation in an attempt to steal the election. So much for law and order. Trump does not oppose violence that serves his self-interest; his failure to commit to a peaceful transition of power should he lose the election poses an unprecedented threat to our democracy and adds fuel to the fire of hatred and chaos that has consumed this country for the past four years.
I would argue that the real silent majority is the 100 million eligible citizens who did not vote in 2016, perhaps because they did not believe that either political party would represent their interests, or because they were actively discouraged or prohibited from voting. Too many Americans have been convinced that their vote doesn’t matter, or face barriers that are intended to prevent people like them from casting their ballots. They have heard for decades that politicians don’t care about young people, poor people, or people of color. If these under-represented groups of voters believe that their elected officials will never serve their interests, their lack of participation creates a self-fulfilling prophecy. The advent of vast misinformation campaigns, accelerated by social media, geared towards discouraging these demographics from voting have deteriorated our democratic institutions even further.
The collective malaise that so many of us felt in 2016 has led us to this painful moment in our history. Elections are decided by those who show up and the fact is that older, whiter, and wealthier voters always show up. Our elected officials will only represent the interests of ordinary people if we hold them to account at the ballot box. The only way to revive our democracy now is for every American to vote like our democracy depends on it — because it does.
The Republican Party has only won the popular vote once in the past two decades (Bush vs. Kerry in 2004). They do not represent “Main Street” as they claim. They rely on this image to manipulate blue collar voters, but the Republican Party has shifted sharply to the right in recent years and can no longer be considered mainstream. Republicans have become increasingly desperate knowing that voter suppression is their only path to victory.
Trump is saying out loud what Republicans have been saying behind closed doors for decades. They cannot win a fair fight and they know it. This is why Republicans have fallen in line behind an authoritarian leader who is as desperate as they are to remain in power, democracy be damned. This election is not about Biden vs. Trump. It’s about democracy vs. autocracy, and the stakes could not be higher for the most vulnerable members of our society.
In 2016, the United States was downgraded from a “full democracy” to a “flawed democracy” for the first time, and we have failed to regain our former status as a beacon of democracy ever since. The main reason for this downgrade was a major decline in public trust of our political parties, elected officials, and government institutions. This came after years of gridlock in Washington that was exacerbated by a Republican Party that would not allow President Obama (who won the popular vote twice) to govern. Trump has spent the past four years fanning the flames of discontent and dismantling our democratic institutions, knowing that strengthening democracy could never work to his advantage. This fall, we can expect him to mount a campaign of voter suppression like this country has never seen. It’s time for the real silent majority of Americans to recognize that we have the power to revive our ailing democracy. We are the ones we have been waiting for.
We must win this election by a landslide in order to defeat not only Trump, but Trumpism. The Republicans must learn that enabling a malignant narcissist and failing to represent working class people guarantees the demise of their party. They must be made to regret their cowardice and their blatant hypocrisy. An overwhelming number of determined voters must make it clear that Trump and his lackeys are on the wrong side of history. In the famous words of Charlie Chaplin, “so long as men die, liberty will never perish.” The next generation will know them as villains and enemies of democracy.
Trump and the Republicans are counting on your hopelessness and resignation. At this very moment, they are orchestrating subversive operations to dissuade you from voting, and they are spreading outrageous lies to influence your vote. Don’t give them the satisfaction of withholding your vote when there is so much at stake. We must remain hopeful and determined, no matter how difficult that seems. Now is the time to summon that deep store of resilience we all possess. We must give our elected officials a lesson in democracy, and remind them who they work for. In 2020, we are the silent majority, and we must make our voices heard loud and clear at the ballot box.
