Rhetoric Race and Religion
While President Obama gave a nod to religious leaders on the economy, immigration and gun violence in his fifth State of the Union on Tuesday (Jan. 28), his speech nonetheless included little mention of faith.
And then there was Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash., the No. 4 leader in the House Republican leadership, who delivered the GOP response. Her speech was more overtly religious and hinted at a term that has faded from Republican rhetoric in recent years: compassionate conservatism.
The mother of three, who describes her children as “the best alarm clock,” has already drawn allusions to former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as a woman of Christian faith who can present a new face for the GOP. Whether she can help resurrect the doctrine of compassionate conservatism may be a tougher job.
Popularized by former President George W. Bush, compassionate conservatism is the idea that the government should use traditionally conservative strategies to improve the general welfare of society, from poverty to urban education to HIV/AIDS.
“We believe in a government that trusts people and doesn’t limit where you finish because of where you started,” Rodgers said in her speech. “That is what we stand for — for an America that is every bit as compassionate as it is exceptional.”
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