We old-timers can remember when Dick Nixon used the "silent majority" as a means of appealing to all those who felt ignored by the prevailing social and political movements of the 1960's. In part, this was an attempt to cozy up to unreconstructed segregationists without being labeled a racist himself. But it was also a way to speak to people who felt that protests against the Vietnam War were unpatriotic and that our military deserved respect--which, all too often, it did not get from anti-war protesters. And to those who believed that the "War on Poverty" and other social programs favored the [implicitly undeserving] poor while the middle-class was ignored. There was also that very substantial fraction of Americans--perhaps an actual majority--who rejected the mores of the drug culture and the sexual revolution. The members of Nixon's "silent majority" were not homogeneous, although many of the elements overlapped; they were united, however, in feeling left out.
In a very different era, Democrats should reach out to a new silent majority. I am put in mind of this by two pieces: one, an article on The Huffington Post by Bill Curry, suggesting that Republicans still set the agenda, the second, the wonderful Gail Collins' column on the GOPher YouTube debate.
One place for Democrats to invoke the silent majority is in the immigration debate. Unless Republicans have a sudden attack of good sense and nominate John McCain or Mike Huckaby (probably the most dangerous potential nominee for Democrats, but that will be the subject of a later post), the GOP is going to get very nasty on the subject. And the media, which loves nastiness and simple slogans, will play along.
The truth is that immigration, like health care, is a very complicated subject. But good sense on such subjects (health care is another) is easily overridden by simple slogans. To counter this tendency, Democrats must appeal to the majority of Americans who don't mouth off on immigration, but who, although they may not be able to enunciate their position in a few words, know that the issue is complex.
I envision a Democratic candidate speaking along these lines: "Most Americans know that the vast majority of undocumented immigrants are not drug dealers or terrorists, but poor people who need to feed their families. Most Americans know that undocumented immigrants take on some of the hardest, least-rewarding and worst-paid jobs in America. Most Americans know that even while on one hand we said that those undocumented immigrants were breaking our laws, we welcomed and encouraged them with the other--welcomed them to do the jobs we didn't want to do, and to the jobs we wanted done cheaply. And most Americans know that we simply cannot round up the twelve million or more undocumented immigrants and simply ship them out of our country.
"Now, knowing that, what should we do? [Follow with the candidate's prescription for a tough-but-fair policy.]"
The same can be true for the health-care debate. "Most Americans know..."
What's needed is not to dumb-down the message, but to counter the sense that the people with the simple slogans represent the feelings of most Americans. To do that will require resolution and repetition: Nixon did not invoke the silent majority once; he used it every day during the campaign. Democrats need to do the same.
This approach should be easy for Democrats: we have been giving vent to the feelings of the unheard for well over a century.
In a very different era, Democrats should reach out to a new silent majority. I am put in mind of this by two pieces: one, an article on The Huffington Post by Bill Curry, suggesting that Republicans still set the agenda, the second, the wonderful Gail Collins' column on the GOPher YouTube debate.
One place for Democrats to invoke the silent majority is in the immigration debate. Unless Republicans have a sudden attack of good sense and nominate John McCain or Mike Huckaby (probably the most dangerous potential nominee for Democrats, but that will be the subject of a later post), the GOP is going to get very nasty on the subject. And the media, which loves nastiness and simple slogans, will play along.
The truth is that immigration, like health care, is a very complicated subject. But good sense on such subjects (health care is another) is easily overridden by simple slogans. To counter this tendency, Democrats must appeal to the majority of Americans who don't mouth off on immigration, but who, although they may not be able to enunciate their position in a few words, know that the issue is complex.
I envision a Democratic candidate speaking along these lines: "Most Americans know that the vast majority of undocumented immigrants are not drug dealers or terrorists, but poor people who need to feed their families. Most Americans know that undocumented immigrants take on some of the hardest, least-rewarding and worst-paid jobs in America. Most Americans know that even while on one hand we said that those undocumented immigrants were breaking our laws, we welcomed and encouraged them with the other--welcomed them to do the jobs we didn't want to do, and to the jobs we wanted done cheaply. And most Americans know that we simply cannot round up the twelve million or more undocumented immigrants and simply ship them out of our country.
"Now, knowing that, what should we do? [Follow with the candidate's prescription for a tough-but-fair policy.]"
The same can be true for the health-care debate. "Most Americans know..."
What's needed is not to dumb-down the message, but to counter the sense that the people with the simple slogans represent the feelings of most Americans. To do that will require resolution and repetition: Nixon did not invoke the silent majority once; he used it every day during the campaign. Democrats need to do the same.
This approach should be easy for Democrats: we have been giving vent to the feelings of the unheard for well over a century.
2 comments:
The Collins piece was hilarious.
and we tell the truth in our jests!
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