S6:E25 The New Right
The New Right Manipulated Evangelicals into Conservative Republican Politics
A small group of men calling themselves The New Right had a major role to play in bonding some evangelicals to the Republican Party. Yet many Christians don’t know who these guys were or how they used money and influence to accomplish their goal.
Let’s meet the fellas. One was named Paul Weyrich. Weyrich’s contribution to the movement is that he knew how to organize people, a skill he learned from watching liberal protests. He was a former radio newsman from Wisconsin, member of the Melkite Greek Catholic Church when he thought the Roman Catholic Church became too liberal. He saw how liberals were organizing in the US and decided to do something similar with conservatives. The goal was to bring together politicians, activists, money, and the press to have a unified front. Organizational skills were his secret weapon.
Howard Phillips was a follower of RJ Rushdoony’s Christian Reconstruction plan. He gutted the Office of Economic Opportunity for Richard Nixon and then founded a think tank called The Conservative Caucus. He said “we organize discontent” meaning that the New Right used emotional issues to rile up their base.
Then there was Richard Viguerie. He was the king of bulk mail. The New Right used his services to advocate for their kind of politicians, for Anita Bryant, and to raise money. His company RAVCO was investigated for fraud.
These men and more were vital in bringing some evangelicals into the Republican Party.
Our guest today is Rick Perlstein, author of amazing history books like Reaganland and The Invisible Bridge. Special thanks to my friend Paul Hastings of the Compelled podcast for lending me his voice about the San Antonio Independent Christian Film Festival.
Sources:
- Reaganland and The Invisible Bridge by Rick Perlstein
- Mobilizing the Moral Majority: Paul Weyrich and the Creation of a Conservative Coalition, 1968-1988 by Tyler J. Poff pages 22-23
- The Evangelicals by Frances Fitzgerald
- Weyrich, Memorandum, April 16, 1973, Paul M. Weyrich Scrapbooks. But accessed through Mobilizing the Moral Majority: Paul Weyrich and the Creation of a Conservative Coalition, 1968-1988 by Tyler J. Poff page 18
- Christian Reconstruction: RJ Rushdoony and American Religious Conservatism – by Michael McVicar
- Memo from Gerald Ford Library
- The 1974 Campaign Finance Reform Act
- James Robison at the Religious Roundtable
Discussion Questions:
- What was meant by “we organize discontent”? Is this a statement Jesus would have made?
- Have you ever heard of the New Right guys before?
- Google Paul Weyrich and watch videos of him talking. How does he use language to stir fear in others?
- Are there issues that politicians can use to push your buttons? What are they? Why?
- Why are some evangelicals driven by these push button issues?
- How was the New Right able to use issues of sex to steer some evangelicals?