AllMovie

For many years, religious faith had little to do with American politics, but in the late '60s, as the youth-oriented counterculture became increasingly visible, a small number of right-wing Christians on the other end of the political spectrum began sketching out plans to claim a larger share of the electoral playing field. In 1976, Jimmy Carter was the first self-described born-again Christian to win the presidency, and while many fundamentalist Christians quickly became dissatisfied with his leftist views, his victory set a valuable precedent. Additionally, as noted Christian commentators such as Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson took a far more active role in politics, a growing number of political candidates (most of them Republicans) became aware of the importance of courting what became known as "the Religious Right," with George W. Bush enjoying particular success as he stressed moral and cultural issues in his two campaigns for president (and, to a certain degree, successfully camouflaging his reckless past) and openly courted the Christian vote. With God on Our Side: George W. Bush and the Rise of the Christian Right is a documentary which looks at the politics and spiritual issues behind the new Christian right, and how the movement came to become a major force in post-millennial America.