While hanging around at The Evangelical Outpost this afternoon I discovered this post from April 5, 2007 by Joe Carter:
What media has had the most influence on the conservative movement over the past forty years?
Various factions within conservatism will give widely differing responses. The old school intellectuals will have a short list that includes National Review, Bill Buckley’s “Firing Line”, Hayek’s Road to Serfdom, and George Will’s columns. The populist and paleocon wings will name Rush Limbaugh’s radio show, Human Events, and CNN’s Crossfire (Pat Buchanan-era). The more gullible (or cynical) might list books by Ann Coulter or Bill O’Reilly.
But the truth is that the vast majority of conservatives have never read Chamber’s Witness or puzzled over what it means to “Immanentize the Eschaton.” They don’t subscribe to The Weekly Standard or The American Conservative. They didn’t read the book that Goldwater didn’t write (The Conscience of a Conservative) and never saw Buckley cuss out Gore Vidal on national TV.
So what media has influenced them the most? I offer three candidates for consideration: a book, a magazine, and a radio show. All three of which I believe have impacted American conservatism more than any other media.
I suggest a different perspective to add to the list. Individualist pastor of days gone by. Most have never heard, J Frank cuss from the pulpit, or witness Billy Kelley walk out of the pulpit to a trembling sinner to encourage him, nor heard Lester Rolloffs harmonizing wonders, nor Curtis Hutson preaching on the new birth. I suggest that many of our conservative thinkers, behind the scenes, have had a great unknown impact.
Though they be dead they still speaketh!
My original conservative training came under the feet of men of God, who proclaimed the unsearchable riches of Christ. I,m saying that the conservative school of sweat slinging preachers is an under rated place of origination. These others sources are read and sought out by this saved sinner because of this influence.
May I digress a moment?
What I would not give to be able to sit in an auditorium filled with shouts of praise, amens, gospel truths, a few hankies waving, a finger pointing at what seems to be me alone, and see the tears of both pulpit compassion and of sinner repentance at the conservative message that we need not go into a Christ-less eternity, but find, like many have before, that there is still room at the cross for me!!!!! And then witness a flood of respondents to a simple gospel message. I know, many of those were “wayside seed”, But we rejoiced with them all, just the same, for we could not tell at the time, that was God’s ability, and besides, we were Morons back then.
Conservative?…… I’d have it no other way! Give me Jesus or give me death!