Tens of millions of Americans are aghast at what is taking place in our country. Neighborhoods burned by angry mobs, an entire section of Seattle “occupied” by anarchists, the city council of Minneapolis voting to eliminate its police department, public monuments and statues trashed, popular TV shows canceled because they show law enforcement in a favorable light, over 700 cops injured during “mostly peaceful protests.”
Most Americans are horrified by these offenses, but fearful. They know that objecting to the violence or challenging the overarching accusation from the Left – that our country is “profoundly racist” – is dangerous. The woke mob will shame you and get you fired.
No one will stand up for you; no one will protect you. It is safer to remain silent.
In 1969, Richard Nixon called on the “silent majority” to push back against anti-war activists protesting America’s involvement in Vietnam. President Trump tweeted those words recently, suggesting correctly that most of the country opposed the chaos in our streets.
Harry Enten, writing at CNN, derides the reference to a “silent” majority, arguing that polling at the time accurately reflected Nixon’s broad support, which later translated into his landslide reelection.
Enten writes that today’s polls show that President Trump lacks such broad backing. He is correct that the president does not have Nixon’s high approval ratings. But he fails to note that on several issues the public is aligned with the president.