In the continuing American struggle between Thesis and Anti-Thesis, the late Jerry Falwell has a special place.
Revivals have a long, long history in America. They have always had major political impact.
- The late 18th century revivals benefited Jefferson’s Democratic-Republicans.
- Jackson’s overt religiosity was a key part of his appeal.
- Abolitionism was, at its heart, a religious movement.
- Populism mixed religious revival with economics.
- Suffragettes were highly religious, and pushed through Prohibition along with votes for women.
- The Civil Rights movement was led by preachers.
American Religion has not always worked for good. The genocide of the Indians was accompanied by chaplains. The South was filled with preachers supporting slavery, and later Jim Crow. Mormons were overt racists through the 1960s.
Falwell’s rise to power in the 1970s was placed at the heart of the Nixon Thesis by Reaganauts, who jettisoned pro-choice moderates (or forced conversions, as in the case of George H.W. Bush), confident that Falwell’s people would remain loyal because they answered to a higher authority, namely Falwell’s.
They were right. Even in 2006, with the case against George W. Bush and his genocidal corruption proven, Falwell’s people stayed loyal. And in return they now have a veto over the party’s choice in 2008. They will exercise that veto, in Falwell’s name.
It is this veto which Michael Bloomberg (left) and Chuck Hagel, in their
flirting with a third party run, are really aiming at. They believe the
Falwell-ites can be marginalized, allowing them to ride to victory as
Joe Lieberman did over Ned Lamont in Connecticut last year.
This is a delusion. There are far too many members of Falwell’s
Religious Right for this to happen. Not with the Catholic Church
endorsing their aims. Not with orthodox Jews in alliance with them for
Israel’s sake.
Regular readers may remember how, in last year’s The 1966 Game, I equated Bloomberg with George Wallace.
In a fun house mirror way I second that. There aren’t enough votes
available between committed Democrats and Falwell’s crusaders for any third force
to prevail. But there are plenty there to doom Republicans for a
generation, if a Democrat savvy enough to bring GOP moderates on board their own
coalition can be found. (President Hillary Clinton may call this her "Wall Street strategy.")
In his latter years Falwell essentially abandoned politics for the work of growing his Liberty University.
Falwell’s death now leaves that school free to pursue real learning, as
great institutions like Notre Dame, Baylor and Northwestern have done,
once they overthrew the shackles of their Founding Inquisitors. That
work will take decades, and I won’t be around to see the end of it, but
it begins today.
