Trump's 'law-and-order' gamble

[yallerdawg]

From The Hill, Mike Lillis

Trump, who is on the verge of becoming the Republican presidential nominee next week, has begun to characterize himself as "the law-and-order candidate" in the wake of last week's mass shooting in Dallas, where a sniper killed five police officers and wounded another seven.

It’s a loaded phrase, harkening back to the 1960s, when Republican presidential candidates Barry Goldwater and Richard Nixon adopted it during the campaigns of 1964 and 1968, respectively. The expression was perceived as carrying racial connotations — a dog whistle to white voters amid civil rights protests — so Trump's resurrection of the language could further erode his standing with minority voters.

With that in mind, some political experts suggested Trump's "law-and-order" push is another indication that the billionaire businessman sees the surest route to the White House in energizing the white, male, working-class voters who largely constitute his base, rather than shifting his general-election message to appeal to minorities and women.

"He is trying to win an election primarily with the working and middle class white vote, where he thinks law and order will resonate," Julian E. Zelizer, political historian at Princeton University, said Tuesday.

Read it all at: http://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/287635-trumps-law-and-order-gamble