In the 1850s there was an active political movement that became known as the “Know-Nothings,” because they considered themselves semi-secret, and members, when questioned about the group, were supposed to say “I know nothing.” Of course, a secret political party doesn’t have much effect, and quickly the Know-Nothings were pretty overt about telling everyone around them that they knew nothing, over and over again.
It seems to me there’s a semi-secret political party at work in the U.S. now: the People Who Know Better.