In 1969, President Nixon gave a televised address addressing the war in Vietnam where he ended “to you, the great silent majority of my fellow Americans – I ask for your support.” This “silent majority” referred to a group of Americans who did not vocally support the anti-war movement – and thus, were silent. They were a constituency of blue-collar middle-class voters, many veterans of World War II, Korea, and Vietnam. Nixon’s plea paid off: his approval rating soared, and Time magazine named “Middle America” the 1969 Person of the Year.
In 2022, there is a new Silent Majority, comprised of the same constituency, and then some, over a new issue: abortion. The debate often centers upon whether one supports or opposes abortion. The reality is more nuanced. When polled on whether one supports a full ban of abortion or full permission, the numbers in Ohio – like those across the country – track 50/50.
But when pollsters break down the issue by particular stances, they find an overwhelming majority oppose a full ban on abortion. Pew Research’s recent poll of Americans found only 8% thought abortion should be illegal in every case. 19% believed abortion should be legal in every case. The other 73% agreed that abortion should be permissible on some level; the disagreements centered on how and why abortions should be performed.
Ohio is no different. A 2019 Quinnipiac poll found 82% of Ohioans believe abortion should be legal in some cases; the same survey found 61% of Ohio voters agree with Roe v. Wade’s decision. In 2020, Baldwin Wallace found 76% of Ohio voters believed abortion should be legal in some cases.
Ohio Republicans have long argued that they represent the views of Ohioans on abortion. If this were true, Ohio Republicans would follow this Silent Majority. But they do not. Instead, they passed the unpopular heartbeat bill in 2020 and are currently mulling a trigger ban to fully ban abortion – with no exceptions for rape or incest – against the will of this Silent Majority.
Let us be clear: on abortion, Ohio Republicans do not represent us Ohioans (as much as the vocal minority furiously penning a rebuttal to this letter would like you to believe).
We – you – are the new Silent Majority. Should Roe v. Wade be overturned, it will be time to become the Vocal Majority.
Trevor Rhodes
Mount Vernon
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