I would say that one of the critical elements in the rise
of Conservatism in the modern American political landscape was what Nixon termed as "the
silent majority." On some levels, the social unrest of the 1960s went very far in
alienating this group, contributing to the feelings that their voices were not being
validated by the political authority and social
landscape:
The Silent Majority was mostly
populated by blue collar people who did not take an active part in politics. They did,
in some cases, support the conservative policies of many politicians. Others were not
particularly conservative politically, but resented what they saw as disrespect for
American
institutions.
Whether
valid or not, Nixon's invocation of this group resonated and helped to articulate the
condition of Conservative validation. Adding to this was the concept of the "Reagan
Democrat," who came to prominence as traditional Democratic voters broke with their
party and voted for the Conservative Reagan in 1980 and 1984. These individuals were
almost a modern incarnation of the Nixonian "Silent
Majority:"
..."Reagan Democrats" no longer saw
Democrats as champions of their working class aspirations, but instead saw them as
working primarily for the benefit of others: the very poor, feminists, the unemployed,
African Americans, Latinos, and other groups. In addition, Reagan Democrats enjoyed
gains during the period of economic prosperity that coincided with the Reagan
administration following the "malaise" of the Carter Administration. They also supported
Reagan's strong stance on national security and opposed the 1980s Democratic Party on
such issues as pornography, crime, and taxes.
I think that both
emerging demographics in Nixon and Regan's times, the last two strong Republican
presidents, might help to explain the resurgence of
Conservatism.
No comments:
Post a Comment