Exploring the Polyvocal Leadership Problem in the Pro-Life Movement: The Case of Rush Limbaugh and Sandra Fluke

This thesis focuses on examining the statements that Rush Limbaugh's made regarding Sandra Fluke following her Congressional testimony on the Conscience Clause in February of 2012. In particular, I investigate the way that Rush Limbaugh's statements, and their subsequent circulation, made him a leader within the pro-life movement. Particularly, I problematize what I call the "polyvocal leadership problem" that occurs in social movements that lack a centralized leadership. I apply Kenneth Burke's work on identification and vilification in order to examine the ways that Limbaugh ruptures the "pro-woman" frame forwarded by other members of the pro-life movement. I begin by discussing the "polyvocal leadership problem" as it relates to social movements in the digital age. I next examine the way that Limbaugh's deployment of vilification rhetoric demonstrates the problem of polyvocality in social movements. I conclude with a discussion about the relevance of political punditry in public policy.

Grantor dc:publisher

Wake Forest University

Year dc:date.issued

2014

Author dc:creator

• Moczulski, Leah Amelia

• Fluke

Language dc:language.iso

en

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/10339/39288

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:wakespace.lib.wfu.edu:10339/39288