Many times history is said to repeat itself, and that
statement may be true with this situation. The election campaigns of 1968 and
2016 have been strikingly similar in a few ways so far. Yes, they have had
their differences, but some of the tactics dealing with police that Donald
Trump is using today almost mirrors the way Richard Nixon approached it in
1968.
Trump
is trying to gain votes by rallying behind police officers nationwide, saying
that they are “some of the most mistreated people in the country”. This
statement is very similar to what Richard Nixon had said, claiming himself as
the “law and order candidate” of that election.
He was supportive of the police and all their work and he made it known.
Nixon’s approach was well thought
out, and it worked. A big reason that probably helped Nixon’s cause that
violent crimes were much on the rise in 1968, going up 85% in nearly 7 years
(according to usatoday.com). Thus isn’t the case today, in which this approach
may not be quite as effective in gaining votes for Trump. However, one reason
it may work for Trump, is that his stance has forced his opponent, Hilary
Clinton, to take an anti-police force stance. She has stated that “police
violence terrorizes communities”. This
stance that she took may help Trump gain many more votes from people that
support the police, which would be good for his campaign efforts.
So, all in all, this stance from
Trump is quite a “déjà vu” moment, so to speak. And we will have to wait and
see if Trump’s efforts pan out like Nixon’s did.
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