Forbes gives us a glimpse of the dark internal mechanisms of Rev. Jerry Falwell’s evangelical empire in Dirk Smillie’s new book Falwell Inc.: Inside a Religious, Political, Educational and Business Empire. Smillie describes how the direct-mail tactics of For-Profits were applied to Falwell’s Non-Profit by brilliantly turning pleas for donations into “short stories” with a hero, a villain, obstacles to overcome, and an urgent call to rescuers. Gays and lesbians today are all too familiar with the charge of “recruiting,” a charge that Falwell uses here to drum up funds:
“Dear Friend: Homosexuals are on the march in this country. Homosexuals do not reproduce, they recruit, and many of them are after my children and your children….This is one major reason why we must keep “The Old Time Gospel Hour” alive…So don’t delay. Let me hear from you immediately. I will be anxiously awaiting your reply.”
Recipients who respond with a generous check can feel as though they’re coming to the rescue of the victim (“My children and your children”) being pursued by a seemingly unstoppable ruthless enemy (“recruiting homosexuals on the march”) that is on the verge of ultimate victory (“don’t delay. Let me hear from you immediately”).
The tactics engaged by Falwell’s direct-mail architect Jerry Huntsinger were thorough and exact. No aspect of the mailer was left to chance:
Huntsinger was also a master at fine tuning the mechanics: the color of the envelope, the position of the address window, which paragraphs to indent, which sentences to underline. He knew how to lure a reader’s eye just to where he wanted.
Hat Tip: Right Wing Watch
Cal Thomas and Ed Dobson also mention this approach to fundraising in their book, “Blinded by Might: Why the Religious Right Can’t Save America.” In fact, one of the authors mentions that he asked his immediate supervisor about this pattern and asked why they never talked about the good news and progress they were making instead when they sent out requests for donations.
His boss’s answer? “Because good news doesn’t get people to send big bucks.” That may not be an exact quote, but it accurately relays the sentiment behind the answer.
It doesn’t seem to me as if there’s anything especially unique in Falwell’s use of direct mail solicitations or the manner in which he advocated for his pet issues. Every political movement in history has had its stories with heroes, villains, obstacles and pleas for help. Further, the notion that there’s something particularly ludicrous in Falwell’s employment of Jerry Huntsinger is laughable. Anyone passionate about any issue would want their mailers, pamphlets and other propaganda to be formatted in the way most likely to encourage the reader of such material to embrace the same level of passion.
What, exactly, is the point here? How is Falwell’s use of basic marketing and motivational techniques any “darker” than the scores of other political advocacy groups who do much the same thing?
These tactics goes beyond many major political groups would do, especially in Singapore.
That said, It is different because it is done in the name of Jesus, for the “Old Time Religion”, and false witness in the name of God is a big sin.
But the power of his name lives on.
Back when Falwell died, Mel White did an interview with AC360 in which he said:
@6:43
Hopefully Fallwell is burning in hell!
Well, gentle lamb, history is rife with individuals who have used Christ in service to whatever political objective they hoped to achieve. We count, among these people, many saints as well as some of the most horrific monsters to have walked the Earth. We may argue over the substance of Falwell’s message but not his method of delivery.
And, vegasguy, wishing Hell on anyone is extremely grave matter. For my part, I hope Falwell is in Heaven in spite of whatever lapses he may have been guilty of. If God can show mercy even to someone like him, there may yet be hope for me.