Social Conservatives' Adoption of a Subaltern Discourse After the 2012 US Presidential Election
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Date
2014
Authors
Frazier, Kevin
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
University of Oregon
Abstract
Mitt Romney’s defeat in the 2012 Presidential Election led to rampant speculation, both within and outside of the Republican Party, that President Obama’s victory required the GOP to re-evaluate its platform, leaders, and future. Some groups amongst the Republican coalition, specifically the Evangelical Christians, believe the electoral loss carries deeper meaning. They see the Democratic Party’s general success as a sign of America being ‘lost’. In response to the election, Evangelicals have formed a counter-public based on a narrative of defeat to increase its cohesiveness thus defining its political identity. Beyond politically defining Evangelical Christians, this report will inspect Pastors’ speeches, TV personalities’ testimonies, newspaper editorials, and previous studies regarding the 2012 election and stances on relevant issues to determine who is promoting this idea of a ‘lost’ America and why they stubbornly maintain this sentiment. Consideration of Evangelical sources will highlight their reasons for increasingly feeling morally threatened and politically trapped. While previous works have stressed the power held by Evangelical groups, this study will analyze the narrative giving them their influence.
Description
17 pages
Keywords
Evangelicals, Narratives, Social conservatives