Keller @ Large: Will Voters Elect Another 'Law And Order' Candidate?
BOSTON (CBS) - Donald Trump took us all back to 1968 Monday when he described himself as the "law and order" candidate, a line that Richard Nixon used with great success back then.
And unfortunately, some of the same conditions that created fertile ground for that strategy in '68 are once again present today -- terrifying violence, conflict between citizens and police, red-hot rhetoric, and a sense that in some places, things are getting out of hand.
So it makes sense for Trump to brand himself as Mr. Law and Order. Most voters do sympathize with the tough job police have, and Trump's call for supporting them will appeal to many of them. So will his support for a death penalty for cop killers. It won't matter that he actually says very little about how he'd improve law and order. In this campaign, it seems, it's the thought that counts.
But Trump's prospects for converting those views into new voter support may be tougher than you'd think. America in 2016 is a very different place than it was 48 years ago, more diverse, with much more voting by groups that may find Trump's rhetoric more race-baiting than presidential. After years of declining crime rates, crime is less of an issue now than it was then. And Hillary Clinton is significantly less "soft" on law and order issues than Nixon's opponent was in 1968.
Perhaps other issues will pop up and turn all this crime talk into a campaign footnote. Maybe Trump's pandering, and Clinton's to come, will turn off more voters than it attracts.
One thing we know for sure - it isn't 1968 anymore. And given what a horrible year that was for our country, that's a good thing.