As the Caravan Makes Its Way North, Trump's Law and Order Platform Will Win the Day
Facing police blockades and an end to their transnational trek to cross the southern border of the United States, 6,000-plus Hondurans resorted to violence this weekend as they forced their way across the Mexican border.
Pictures of battered Mexican law enforcement left in the wake of this mob were quickly buried by American mass-media coverage of the “brave” Honduran citizens as their march continued unimpeded.
These poor souls were marching north to find prosperity in America, and it mattered not to the media who they hurt, what authority they ignored or which laws they broke in the countries they passed through along the way.
In those violent moments, the migrant band had appeared nothing like the picture of illegal immigrants the modern left so often paints — that of a poor, peaceable people trekking miles without sustenance to find prosperity in America; only to be met with hateful, racist opposition.
This was a mob with a violent disregard for any code of law or sovereign border.
But to admit this would do irreparable damage to the left on the eve of the 2018 midterms and destroy the notion that the Republican fear of aggressive criminal immigrants has no foundations in reality.
CNN would go on to instead cover the plight of individual mob members, calling their “grit and determination” unquestionably inspiring.
Images of the injured Mexican officials and ravaged border barricades that had been unlucky enough to stand between that mob and its goal, however, were far too inconvenient to be run; and they quickly went to work burying them.
Images of these increasingly prevalent migrant and domestic left-wing mobs strike fear in the American populous.
Americans hate violent mobs and aggressive social upheaval. It makes them feel unstable and unsafe. As it should. There is simply no place for violence in a democratic republic with numerous ways to achieve progress through peaceful means.
This assertion has been put to the test time and again, and always rung true. There is no better example than that of Richard Nixon’s first successful bid for the Oval Office.
Running against incumbent Vice President Hubert Humphrey, Nixon branded himself the “law and order” candidate in a time of unparalleled social upheaval — a champion to defend the “silent majority” of Americans from the violent left-wing mob that had been permitted to tread upon the American civil discourse. Those who were tired of seeing mob rule at the heart of political change in the U.S. found solace in Richard Nixon.
At the heart of Nixon’s 1968 charge was one of the most successful campaign advertisements of all time: “The First Civil Right.”
The brief ad, set to a crescendo of dissonant chords, presented flickering images of the left-wing mobs and riots of the early 60s, as well as the bloodied civilians and police officers who fell victim to them, and concluded with Nixon’s most important campaign promise:
“In a system of government that provides for peaceful change, there is no cause that justifies resort to violence. Let us recognize that the first civil right of every American is to be free from domestic violence… We shall have order in the United States.”
This message would resonate heavily with Americans fed up with, and terrified by, the anti-Vietnam War mobs and riots of recent years.
Nixon would win the presidency by a stunning 301-191 margin, and re-election by a landslide 520-17 margin just four years later.
The “silent majority” had twice spoken, and Nixon’s mandate was unquestionable. The American electorate had made clear its desire for safety, stability and establishment of order.
It would come as no surprise then that Donald Trump’s 2016 campaign platform, one littered with Nixonian undertones and promises of stability and order, resonated with a voting base untapped and forgotten by the Republican elites of recent memory.
Progressive America, in response, showcased just how tone-deaf they truly are by doubling down on the actions that turned centrist voters against the Democratic Party.
The result has been the Two-Year Tantrum — a period of left-wing civil disobedience defined by lawlessness and violence.
Starting on Inauguration Day 2017, the left took to the streets of D.C. hurling rocks, looting businesses and setting the streets ablaze as they gave chase to every red-hat wearing American they could find.
This lawless mob mentality persisted, taking root in every facet of the left’s politics. Progressives took every opportunity to transgress against conservative Americans in the days, and months, following Trump’s swearing-in; doing everything from shouting Republican politicians out of restaurants to flipping police cars and halting traffic in America’s metropolitan centers.
Just last week, pro-life activists were physically assaulted by leftists in broad daylight. The elevation of Justice Kavanaugh was met with screaming mobs on the steps of the Supreme Court.
Even Democrat politicians such as Democratic Senator Ben Cardin of Maryland have gone so far as to say we should “try to help” the aggressive mob of migrants currently rampaging through Mexico toward our borders.
President Trump has taken note of the left’s contentment in employing mob rule to further their agenda — joking recently that the GOP is the party of “jobs” while the Democrats are the party of “mobs.”
And if the American electorate’s response to the lawless political climate of the early 60s is any indicator of what the average American voter wants in 2020, the Democrats are in trouble.
America needs stability. The “silent majority” is looking for a Nixon.
Trump fits the bill not only in messaging and platform but also in his character flaws. His often-damaging paranoia and arrogance heavily lend themselves to the likeness.
Should Trump look to cement a clearer mandate to lead in 2020, he must distance himself from those personal pitfalls and insecurities that destroyed President Nixon; but his campaign must play to the same tune that resonated for Nixon in 1968.
The GOP can ensure further victory by taking those passing jokes about the leftist mob and making the focal point of their 2020 campaign the promise of a stable America. One that respects its code of law and ensures Americans their “First Civil Liberty” — the right to domestic tranquility and peaceful political discourse.
The views expressed in this opinion article are those of their author and are not necessarily either shared or endorsed by the owners of this website. If you are interested in contributing an Op-Ed to The Western Journal, you can learn about our submission guidelines and process here.
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