George Bush and the Religious Right: a case study in the rhetoric of interest group politics

Abstract

In terms of potential voter mobilization, the Religious Right is the most powerful vote-getting faction in the Republican Party. Therefore, it is easy to understand why a Republican candidate for the presidency would cater to such a group. This thesis explores the history of the religious conservative movement, its impact on the Republican Party, and the up and down relationship between the Religious Right and George Bush. The focus will be on the development and maintenance of this relationship as seen through the rhetoric of several Religious Right leaders, as well as rhetoric from President Bush and other members of the Bush Administration. The purpose of this analysis is to explore and show how Bush rhetorically mediated the competing needs of keeping the Religious Right in the Republican camp while at the some time preventing them from taking complete control of the party. This focus allows the exploration of the changing relationship between Bush and the Religious Right, and events that may have provoked rhetorical changes in his speech texts and that of his administration members. Finally, I explore how this relationship ultimately played out, and what the future holds for the Religious Right and G.O.P candidates for the presidency.