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Bush and the Christian Right: The Triumph of Pragmatism

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Religion and the Bush Presidency

Part of the book series: The Evolving American Presidency Series ((EAP))

Abstract

The above statement is an exaggeration, but it largely fits the conventional wisdom about the Bush presidency and the Christian Right. To be sure, Bush may be the best president the Christian Right movement has ever had. Yet to say that the movement has “taken over the White House” does not dovetail with reality. The story is much more complicated, as Bush has been a friend to the movement but has frustrated social conservatives at the same time.

The Christian Right has infiltrated and taken over the White House—in the person of the President of the United States. If Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson had sat down some 15 years ago and created the profile of their perfect president—a born-again Christian from the Bible Belt, flagrantly open about his faith—George W. Bush would fit it almost to a T.

—Rich Lowry, editor of National Review writing in the Washington Post (August 10, 2003)

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Authors
  1. Mark J. Rozell
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. George Mason University, USA

    Mark J. Rozell (Professor of Public Policy, the author of numerous studies on religion and politics) (Professor of Public Policy, the author of numerous studies on religion and politics)

  2. Hauenstein Center for Presidential Studies, Grand Valley State University, USA

    Gleaves Whitney (Director) (Director)

Copyright information

© 2007 Mark J. Rozell and Gleaves Whitney

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Cite this chapter

Rozell, M.J. (2007). Bush and the Christian Right: The Triumph of Pragmatism. In: Rozell, M.J., Whitney, G. (eds) Religion and the Bush Presidency. The Evolving American Presidency Series. Palgrave Macmillan, New York. https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230607354_2

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