The Loudest Voice: Silent Voters
Despite all the talk about media influencing the voting population, an even more interesting storyline arose on Election Day this year, and that was the mysterious presence of Donald Trump’s “silent voters.”
Some of the most fascinating news stories that have come out of Trump’s presidential win have been the stories of people who voted for Trump that would totally not be expected.
One particular narrative that was covered nationally was of a Muslim woman who voted for Trump. In a Washington Post column, a former Wall Street Journal reporter and co-founder of the Muslim Reform Movement, Asra Nomani, exposed her ideals about voting for a candidate that is advocating for a Muslim-ban policy for the United States.
However, in her open confession about her voting choice, she talked about what it is like to be part of a minority group voting for a candidate that was essentially out to get her minority group. Nomani talked about how she is devout liberal, but she is ready to move on from issues of healthcare and mortgage-loan that plagued Obama’s presidency.
Plus, Nomani talked about what it would meant to be a Muslim in America under Donald Trump, something that she wasn’t very concerned about. “I have absolutely no fear of being a Muslim in a ‘Trump America,’” she said. “The checks and balances in America and our rich history of social justice and civil rights will never allow the fear-mongering that has been attached to candidate Trump’s rhetoric to come to fruition.”
“I have absolutely no fear of being a Muslim in a ‘Trump America” — Asra Normani
The concept behind being a “silent voter” is something we’ve never really seen in any prior election because of the clear distinction these candidates were from previous ones. .
The idea of the silent voter is essentially hiding your voting selection because of the possible stereotypes or fear that could occur from revealing your vote. In this particular election, silent voters were so popular amongst Donald Trump supporters because of the appearing bigotry of Trump that the media magnified.
Normani even discussed the idea of being silent by saying, “Even now the idea of speaking out as somebody who voted for Trump is earning me all sorts of lovely labels like ‘idiot’ and ‘f***er’ and all these other ideas that I think violate liberal values of free speech and self-determination. So I spoke out because I also believe we have to stand up for the dignity of all people and Trump voters are human beings, too.”
This Muslim woman was not the only member of this silent category however. One woman on Federalist.com makes the same claim, as a white woman. Afraid to reveal her political preference, she talks about how liberals have somewhat collapsed on their own ideologies during this election, and how she felt she needed to shake up the idea of politics for liberals.
The stories continue and continue, and what’s crazy about this whole silent voter thing is that…it led to a Donald Trump victory?
While it seemed like Donald Trump was a misogynist and unfit for the presidential role (thanks to the media), it led to this fear of making a vote for Trump public.
Using their ability to close the poll curtain and make their voice heard, these silent voters powered Trump to one of the most surprising victories in political history.
