Ok, so August 22, 1980 isn’t where literally everything started, but it was definitely an inflection point that connected things more directly then they’d ever been, leading us to this point we find ourselves at today, where a court deems a President “immune” and positions Democracy in a very perilous point. It’s all by design, one that has taken 44 years to fully blossom.
Let’s take a look at what was happening in Dallas in August of 1980. Jimmy Carter, an evangelical, has been President of the United States since the 1976 election, but hasn’t been the kind of evangelical to satisfy the power hunger. Ronald Reagan is the Republican nominee, and on August 3, 1980 showed up at the Neshoba County Fair in Mississippi declaring:
I believe that there are programs like that, programs like education and others, that should be turned back to the states and the local communities with the tax sources to fund them
This was a dog whistle to those who didn’t like the Federal government telling states in the South they had to segregate their schools, who wanted to be able to fund segregation academies. Reagan was actively catering to the far right, letting them know he was aligned with them.
Then Reagan was invited to speak at the National Affairs Briefing in Dallas, hosted by The Religious Roundtable, who were co-chaired by Ed McAteer and Pastor James Robison, for an event being held August 21 - 23 at Reunion Arena.
Because 1930 is a very critical year and because the purpose of the Roundtable is to educate and give direction to the masses of Biblically oriented people concerning the governmental process, I urge all of you to come prepared to give maximum input into this very important gathering.
As you look at the actual program for the event, the topics being discussed are the same ones happening at “Voter Engagement Events” today, all over the United States.
Developing the Network
Inform the Grass Roots
Freedom - A Must
Morality - What is the Future?
Train Up A Child
Israel
Involvement Via The Media
How The Other Side Operates
That last one features Paul Weyrich. He is one of the founders of the moral majority and Heritage Foundation. I’ve leveraged this clip many times over the years. It explains why they don’t want people engaged, why they don’t want them voting.
The back half of Thursday night featured Phillis Schafly speaking about the dangers of the Equal Rights Amendment, Governor Bill Clements, and Tom Landry.
Friday, August 22, 1980 gets rolling with a sessions on:
Pornography
The Bible Sets the Session
Organize for Victory
Family Protection Act (Abortion)
Scientific Creationism
Heading into the afternoon and evening, that’s when the heavy hitters come out. Senator Jesse Helms, Jerry Falwell, and introducing the keynote speaker, Pastor Jame Robison.
Here is part 1 of James Robison’s intro:
and part 2 of the intro:
It’s the same rhetoric that has carried into today, the politics from the pulpit. But it takes politicians to carry it into office. Ronald Reagan was ready and willing. Hopefully you noticed him behind Robison, applauding and laughing along with him.
Here are the key elements from Reagan’s speech, immediately following Robison.
I watch these videos, and it makes me think of this passage from Professor Andrew Whitehead’s book, American Idolatry.
What was happening in 1980 was an attempt to get power back after the tumultuous 1950’s and 60’s gave people voice and control who had not had those things before. They have been on the rise again, really since an election in 2008, and are seeing the groundwork that started decades ago give them a clear path to theocratic authoritarianism.
The only thing stopping them is us. We the People. Last chance really is November 2024. I hope we show up.
See it. Name it. Fight it.