Papers by Lindon Layton Best
The landscape of British politics is currently in a very turbulent and uncertain phase, as much t... more The landscape of British politics is currently in a very turbulent and uncertain phase, as much that had once been taken for granted in British politics has become malleable and unpredictable. It is just such an environment that extremist politics gains in momentum and popularity. In Britain, the strongest of such extreme parties is the Far Right nationalist party known as the British National Party. In this essay, the relationship between the British National Party and the news media is examined, especially in regards to how the news media reporting affects the successes and victories gained by the BNP, whether for better or worse.
In this dissertation we will review the evolution of the relationship between religion (specifica... more In this dissertation we will review the evolution of the relationship between religion (specifically religious groupings and a candidate"s religious affiliation) and the presidential elections of the United States. Since the 1980s, the relationship between religion and presidential elections has been a strong factor in deciding the outcome of elections. Religious matters are amongst the strongest factors that can influence the successes and failures of candidates. In this dissertation we will investigate the nature of these religious factors; and the impact that they can have upon a candidate"s campaign. We shall do this within a historical context and attempt to understand to what extent this religious element existed before the 1980s (itself a transformative election) and the role that it has played since. We will use a mixture of sources to come to an understanding of the way that candidates have both acted upon and reacted to religious influences; using contemporary news sources, televised broadcast messages, transcripts of the speeches of candidates, statistical data and the commentary of academics. Ultimately, we will find that the state of the interplay between religion and presidential elections as it exists today is an artificial entity with definable traits that unite those candidates who attempt to interact with it. We will find that it is the product of an active decision by the Presidential Campaign of Ronald Reagan to capitalize on the emergent evangelical Christian political grouping where his opponent, President Carter, had failed to do so. We shall also determine that the role played by the afore mentioned religious factors are far more nebulous now than it was in the landmark election of 1980 and stands in defiance of any attempt to place rigid binary constructs of party alignment upon it. We shall find that the religious vote is no longer uniformly Republican as is so often assumed, but is in truth a fluid and evolving factor. With recent shifts in the make-up of the key political religious demographic (evangelical Christians) towards younger and more socially Student Number: 7280773 3 progressive voters, the Democratic Party as the party of progressives and reform is presented with a chance to capitalize on a new support base. This is striking, as this support base stands where once the Republicans were considered to hold almost exclusive support. Student Number: 7280773 4
political rhetoric that is termed "Rhetorical Misdirection". This titular form of rhetoric that i... more political rhetoric that is termed "Rhetorical Misdirection". This titular form of rhetoric that is examined is the rhetoric employed by politicians when they attempt to gain the support of an electorate who might otherwise be disinclined to support their respective parties due to ideological, cultural or social bias. Through pursuing rhetorical narratives that would be pleasing to these groups, parties are then better equipped to gain their support and subsequently gain power and political office. The referenced misdirection exists in the willingness and force with which these reforms are then implemented. Through the analysis of political rhetoric from two different governments and the subsequent transformation of that initial campaign rhetoric into government policy, this dissertation tests the hypothesis that Rhetorical Misdirection exists as previously described. Ultimately, this dissertation finds that the nature of Rhetorical Misdirection is not tied solely to traditional electoral cleavages based upon loyalty to one party, but rather to post-modern concerns as well. This dissertation then provide ways in which this understanding of Rhetorical Misdirection might be used to better understand and predict the behaviour of political rhetoricians in future elections, as well as understanding how rhetoricians may have previously implemented Rhetorical Misdirection. 7
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Papers by Lindon Layton Best