“A silent majority and government by the
people is incompatible.”
– Activist politician Tom Hayden
Although Bruce Barton (Photo-Left) served in Congress from 1937 to
1940, he is esteemed for his literary works. He had a wide range of interests
that included literature, politics and religion.
As owner of his own
advertising agency, he knew the public’s Achilles heal. “One needs to arouse
desires and stimulate wants. Convince people they are dissatisfied with the old
so they buy the new.”
While working on Calvin Coolidge's campaign, he wrote:
"It seems as if this great silent majority has no spokesman. But Coolidge
belongs with that crowd: he lives like them; works like them, and understands.”
Those that sit silently in protest as others speak out finally assumed a
relevant name: “the silent majority.”
Throughout our history, management of our government has
suffered from one missing ingredient; too many people are “AOL.”
Our founders
gave us a union of states that assured the colonies they would run it. It would
not run them. But the colonies did not trust government or themselves. Many
were content with independence alone.
They had the loose Articles of
Confederation, so why change what worked?
In 1787, once the doors of Convention
Hall were locked our framers knew selling this theory of government run by the
people would be onerous.
It took over a year to get these skeptical colonies to
sign on the dotted line.
“Action can cure fear and hesitation and
doubt.”
– Lewis Howes
Political theorists have defined the silent majority as
the largest unspecified group of people in our country. They do not express
their opinions publicly.
These are Americans who do not join in any
demonstrations against anything, nor belong to a counterculture. They don’t
participate in public discourse. This group is overshadowed in the media by
every more vocal minority.
Although many are discontent, they never speak up
publicly. They hide out on Facebook knowing it is a safe place to wine and
whimper.
They never speak up in support of the vocal minority who tenaciously
defend their rights and liberty.
“When the silent majority opens its mouth, it
is usually to yawn.”
– Gerd de Ley
The silent majority exists in middle-class America. Its
members lean both left and right, but in the last decade it’s over-run with
self-anointed independents. They’ve always been right of center in their
beliefs, but it has taken a major act of vexation to bring them out of their
cocoons to make a statement.
In his 1969 election campaign, Richard Nixon asked
the silent majority for their support, promising to end the unpopular Vietnam
War. The day after, his numbers soared to 77 percent in Gallup Poll surveys.
Supportive telegrams and letters streamed in to the White House.
“For democracy to work, we must heed the
views of all, even the silent majority that never speaks."
– Ivana Fredrick
It was the post-election narrative that Barack Obama was
elected twice because black voters turned out in greater proportion than whites
for the first time in history. But this is only a convenient story that
obscures the awkward truth. Both times he ran, the silent majority stayed home
because his challengers didn’t inspire them.
But during the election of 2010
after the passage of Obamacare, Democrats suffered their worst Congressional
defeat. They paid a hefty price for solidarity to pass a bill that robbed
America of their private health care. And the silent majority fought back.
But
their enthusiasm turned to apathy the next election. Obamacare failed, and we
had economic stagnation yet they stayed home again.
“Silence is a fragile thing. One loud noise,
and it’s gone.”
– Alan Moore
Last presidential election, pundits and polls predicted
Hillary Clinton would become the first woman president of our country.
Clinton’s campaign slogan declared “Love Trumps Hate."
But voters were
ready to embrace that fear.
There were thousands of silent, secret “Trumpeters”
who misled media and the pollsters.
The aftermath of a decade of progressive
leadership woke up the sleeping giant again.
While media focused on Clinton’s
base, a wave of unassertive voters deserted their security of anonymity and did
what media claimed was impossible – they elected Trump.
Voters who were
unwilling to publicly admit they supported Trump turned down the ballot box
privacy curtain to have their voices heard.
“A voice is a human gift; it should be
cherished and used.”
– Margaret Atwood
Last election, the silent voters slipped by unnoticed
until Election Day.
Donald Trump was the anti-establishment option whom silent
majority voters force-fed to the GOP.
But the accepted wisdom that Trump
succeeded in awakening a popular movement of anger and frustration among those
who were embittered with progressives kicking dirt on their free market liberty
would prove temporary.
Within months after the election, they squirmed back
into the security of obscure self-sequestration and have not been heard from
since.
Each passing day as the media and progressive left publicly bare false
witness against Trump, their voices are “MIA” again.
Why elect a president
if you won’t openly support him?
“Words mean more than what is set down on
paper.”
– Maya Angelou
Since our founding, the silent majority has only risen to
the occasion when they had little choice but to defend their turf or lose it.
During the two great wars, the silent majority came forward to stop the spread
of fascism, and communism that threatened their liberty.
After the terrorists
murdered 2,996 Americans, they appeared again to support the war on terror with
a vengeance.
But unfortunately the patriotism of the silent majority is only at
their convenience.
Once a tragedy has ended and the threat is over, they cannot
be found until a “scud missile” falls on top of them.
“Freedom consists not in doing what we like,
but in having the right to do what we ought.”
– Pope Saint John Paul II
Nobel Prize laureate Malala Yousafzai told us, “When the
whole world is silent, even one voice becomes powerful.” Our country was
founded by “a vocal minority” of impassioned men who knew America deserved
better than the hand the king dealt them. They stood tall when America needed
leadership.
Thomas Paine, labeled a misfit, woke up the silent majority with
his pamphlet “Common Sense.”
Samuel Adams, Thomas Jefferson, John Adams,
Alexander Hamilton, Patrick Henry, Ben Franklin, James Madison and George
Washington were key players in creating the United States and mothering its
incubation. They risked their lives every day for America.
There were no wimps
among our founders.
“Leadership is the capacity to translate
vision into reality.”
– Warren Bennis
General George Patton told us: “Lead me, follow me, or
get out of my way.”
Since our founding, the vocal minority has led in
protecting liberty and freedom while the silent majority thrives behind their
obscurity.
But we need both active leaders and followers.
And the silent
majority has demonstrated they are willing to step up when they are needed.
And
more than ever America needs them to step forward now.
Our nation needs us all
to support the rebuilding of our free markets and our belief in the American
Dream that was rekindled last election. The vocal minority needs help from the
silent majority ASAP!
“Leadership is a choice you make, not a
position you have taken.”
– Ingrid Claus
We need to pull the plug on the demagoguery and turmoil
of the far left’s drama and get involved with healthy debate and
decision-making.
The silent majority can no longer ignore they have a duty to
take an active part in the running of their government.
It also belongs to
them, not just the vocal minority.
Remember, he who controls government in 2020
has control for a decade.
”Just because you do not take an interest in
politics doesn't mean politics won't take an interest in you.”
– Pericles
Contributing Columnist William Haupt III is a retired professional journalist,
author, and citizen legislator in California for over 40 years. He got his
start working to approve California Proposition 13.
