Wednesday, May 16, 2007

Fox News All Stars   [NRO Staff]

From last night’s Special Report with Brit Hume:

—On Jerry Falwell—

BRIAN WILSON: At one time, Fred Barnes, Jerry Falwell — an immensely influential person in conservative Christian circles.

FRED BARNES: Absolutely, and not just conservative Christian circles but in American political circles because he spurred one of the most important transformations of modern times and basically taking a group, millions of conservative Christians who'd been apathetic about politics, really since the 1920s and turned them into an active, lively, concerned voting block, that basically joined the Republican Party and gave the Republican party rough parity with Democrats. We would not have a realignment that brought the parties to pretty much even status without this role that Falwell, not alone, but he was certainly one of the principal actors, and he stirred it. And here's what's also important about it, Brian. It stayed. It still exists. These people are still in politics, still conservatives, and mainly still republicans.

WILSON: You know, it's fair to say though, that in recent years he's moved more away from the political circles and focused more on his educational responsibilities and his religious functions.

BILL SAMMON: He has but that influence has remained in politics, in fact, I think tonight at this debate, abortion is going to be a major issue. I do not think it's an exaggeration to say that it remains a major issue in part because of Jerry Falwell putting social issues like that into the political mainstream, you know, and not just abortion, I mean, you know, gay marriage and a whole host of social issues are front and center on today's political radar because of people like Jerry Falwell.

So, he's had a tremendous influence. He's been caricatured by the left because he's a Christian conservative and certainly he said some things that were over the top, but he's done a half a century of good works, and I think, on balance, he's done a lot more good than the five missteps that he's made that everybody keeps quoting all of the time.

05/16 11:54 AMShare