Why do people still pay attention to Jerry Falwell?

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No really, why?

I saw his name dropped on the burqa thread and it reminded me -- he was on 60 Minutes tonight as part of a story on that loony arm of the Christian Right that is into reclaiming Israel so the Second Coming can happen. ('Hey all you Jewish people! We're on your side because sooner or later you'll be converted!') And didn't he call Mohammed the Antichrist earlier this week? Who does his press? Are TV bookers so hard up for loony Christians that they're still flipping to his card in their Rolodexes? Is this a good sign?

― maura (maura), Monday, 7 October 2002 04:35 (twenty-three years ago)

"Are TV bookers so hard up for loony Christians that they're still flipping to his card in their Rolodexes?" - ding-ding-ding! I like to think he has no political influence anymore but I'm probably being optimistic. He does seem more and more marginalized though, thank God. He does make an appearance in, and is probably at least partially responsible for Ron Ormond's The Grim Reaper, which is pretty wonderful. Responsible for one of Scalia's better days.

― James Blount (James Blount), Monday, 7 October 2002 04:40 (twenty-three years ago)

Falwell himself may not have much political influence, but the Religious Right in general is still a major factor in the Republican party -- just because they're so loud, and their adherents tend to actually vote. (Which makes sense, actually -- if you get pissed off at everything, you're more likely to do something about it; and in my worldview, if you get pissed off at everything you're also more likely to be wrong.)

I think he ends up on television so often because a) he's available, b) people know who he is, and c) that particular conservative faction just doesn't have much in the way of more reasonable spokespeople.

― Tep (ktepi), Monday, 7 October 2002 04:43 (twenty-three years ago)

I think he called Mohammed a terrorist.

― Elisabeth (Elisabeth), Monday, 7 October 2002 04:47 (twenty-three years ago)

I think he ends up on television (or attracting media attention) because he says the most idiotic insensitive stupid shit and the media always loves soundbites which sound sorta controversial (even if they also sound moronic).

― Alex in SF (Alex in SF), Monday, 7 October 2002 05:14 (twenty-three years ago)

That's why I'm glad the liberals have more visible moderates in their midst (or the media is more sympathetic to them, depending on how paranoid you like to be): I wouldn't want Jerry Brown to be the most visible advocate for my end of the spectrum.

― Tep (ktepi), Monday, 7 October 2002 05:16 (twenty-three years ago)

The Religious Right still has a lot of influence in the GOP, but I think it's waning (even Ralph Reed is distancing himself), part of the general trend towards the center, and I think the Clinton impeachment and the lack of any Congressional seat gain on the GOPs part in the 98 midterm hurt the Religious Right significantly (the only reason they ever had any sway in the party is that they could win elections for you. Not anymore). McCain's telling them off had more of a positive than negative impact on his presidential candidacy (he lost for other reasons). Post-9/11, religious extremism doesn't play nearly as well as it used to in middle America.

― James Blount (James Blount), Monday, 7 October 2002 05:36 (twenty-three years ago)

I agree with Alex -- the media is functioning as his life support because he's sure to say something really dumb about once every quarter that will both undermine the Christian Right and boost ratings.

As a Christian living in the bible belt, I can tell you he's utterly irrelevant to anyone who isn't waiting for him to go apeshit yet again.

― Aaron A., Monday, 7 October 2002 05:42 (twenty-three years ago)

it's all about Tinky Winky, you know.

― Tad (llamasfur), Monday, 7 October 2002 05:49 (twenty-three years ago)

Every time I think the Religious Right is losing power, something comes along like the public outcry over the 9th circuit deleting (ever so briefly) the "Under God" -- but that could be chalked up to a number of factors which are not necessarily religious (that soon after 9/11, I can understand a kneejerk revulsion for changing anything about our iconography. I don't agree with it, but I can understand it.)

― Tep (ktepi), Monday, 7 October 2002 05:50 (twenty-three years ago)

The Jesus Freaks will always be among us, alas ... Shame that Jerry can't go out like either Jimmy Swaggart or Jim Bakker.

Falwell's comic relief, anyway. Pat Robertson is the scary motherfucker of this bunch.

― Tad (llamasfur), Monday, 7 October 2002 05:58 (twenty-three years ago)

I was a little surprised at the outcry over the Pledge ruling too, but reassured by the tone of 'like there's anything religious about the pledge' that surrounded it, most people weren't crying for a return to prayer in schools, most people were outraged with the notion that the pledge was a prayer. Tinky Winky seemed to be turning point too, in terms of the last reasonable person realizing Falwell was nuts (and dishonest too, he didn't give a damn about Teletubbies - it was just a way for him to go after PBS. And Michael Musto outed Tinky Winky way before that). I'm thinking Jesse Jackson's outrage over Barbershop might have a similar impact (particularly when the outcry over a lack of Oscar nods happens and Hollywood passes the buck to Jesse). I actually find Pat Robertson's apocalyptic manias more entertaining than Falwell.

― James Blount (James Blount), Monday, 7 October 2002 06:03 (twenty-three years ago)

Robertson is horrendous, but except for the occasional soundbite, his relevance seems to have died with his Presidential bid. I went to several Robertson '88 rallies (I was very young and my father is somewhere to the right of Robertson), where -- in the context of a Presidential campaign, remember, one which gave Bush a serious run for his money in the NH primary -- we were treated to the revelations that AIDS was a divine scourge, the proper way to treat the Soviet Union was to nuke it pre-emptively (along with a complicated explanation of how this would actually make nuclear war less likely), education reform should consist of mandatory prayer and the wholesale expulsion of homosexuals ... and some kid playing "Chariots of Fire" on a Casio over and over and over again.

And that was Robertson toned down for the masses.

I mean ... "Chariots of Fire" for Pete's sake!!

― Tep (ktepi), Monday, 7 October 2002 06:05 (twenty-three years ago)

I got a soft spot for lunatics on tv.

― James Blount (James Blount), Monday, 7 October 2002 06:06 (twenty-three years ago)

Falwell is pure entertainment--I just wish he didn't have so many timid old people in tow.

― Ashley Andel, Monday, 7 October 2002 19:29 (twenty-three years ago)

I mean ... "Chariots of Fire" for Pete's sake!!

Hahaha, "Chariots Of Fire" has been the "Socialist" (about as socialist as Blair and Gore) Party's campaign anthem in Portugal for as long as I can remember. And they're like the second most powerful party in the country.

― Daniel_Rf, Monday, 7 October 2002 22:20 (twenty-three years ago)

Possibly, if need be, we can discredit Robertson by accusing him of being a Portuguese socialist.

― Tep (ktepi), Monday, 7 October 2002 22:25 (twenty-three years ago)

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&cid=535&u=/ap/20021011/ap_on_re_as/india_riots&printer=1

― James Blount (James Blount), Saturday, 12 October 2002 05:38 (twenty-two years ago)

one year passes...

http://www.cnn.com/2004/LAW/08/10/falwell.website.ap/index.html

RICHMOND, Virginia (AP) -- A judge has ruled that a gay activist must stop using a variation of the Rev. Jerry Falwell's name in the address for a Web site critical of the conservative television evangelist.

― Red Panda Sanskrit (ex machina), Wednesday, 11 August 2004 13:37 (twenty-one years ago)

http://216.239.41.104/search?hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&safe=off&q=cache%3Afallwell.com&btnG=Search

cache of old site

― Red Panda Sanskrit (ex machina), Wednesday, 11 August 2004 13:51 (twenty-one years ago)

This person for whatever reason is hostile to the message of the gospel I preach

'For whatever reason'? He's starting to get senile, isn't he.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 11 August 2004 13:53 (twenty-one years ago)

Yay Richmond! They've got a monument to the Confederate soldiers you know. And to Stonewall Jackson. Huzzah!

― na (Nick A.), Wednesday, 11 August 2004 13:54 (twenty-one years ago)

my post up there isn't actually true :(

― Daniel_Rf (Daniel_Rf), Wednesday, 11 August 2004 14:56 (twenty-one years ago)

DAMNED LIAR

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 11 August 2004 15:01 (twenty-one years ago)

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