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Thursday, January 31, 2013

Kendall Coffey on Social Issues and the Fall of the Silent Majority

Earlier this month, Richard Nixon would have celebrated his 100th birthday.

In Kendall Coffey's latest tweet, he discusses changing demographics from 1972 to 2012, social issues and the fall of the silent majority in the latest presidential election. He discussed how Nixon was usually demonized by Baby Boomers but how he has nevertheless had a profound role in shaping America’s political landscape.

Particularly, his role in shaping the so-called "Silent Majority," a term which is usually used to describe the foundation for Republican success that has lasted until fairly recently.  The term encompasses value issues, including "faith, patriotism, and law and order, as well as a shrewd manipulation of attitudes concerning intellectualism." It is this "Silent Majority" that allowed the Republican Party to attract the blue collar voters that had been a mainstay of the party of FDR for decades.

Kendall Coffey also discusses the change of this silent majority to a "Vocal Minority" and how this is due in part to changing demographics.