The “silent majority” was mentioned by President Nixon in 1969, who labeled middle Americans who weren’t protesting the Vietnam war or joining the counter culture — two activities being over-reported by the media of the day. The silent majority didn’t speak up much but respected traditional American values with a good-natured approach to political issues.
They were silent, but they voted. In 1972, Nixon was re-elected with one of the largest landslides in U.S. history — 520 electoral votes to only 17 for McGovern.
Today, most Americans focus on work and family and trust that our elected officials will work for us, and if they don’t, the folks who pay attention to such stuff will vote them out.
But after five years of hysteria over Donald Trump, the media have hyped so many radical liberal causes to the point where many conservative Americans feel they are an endangered minority. If we speak up, we feel we will be ridiculed or ostracized by our friends and co-workers or even lose our jobs. People with conservative bumper stickers have had their cars vandalized, and those wearing patriotic clothing have been harassed and physically assaulted.
There are so many issues that face us that we can easily be overwhelmed and simply give up on political discourse, which furthers the idea that liberals rule the day.