• Dagwood222@lemm.ee
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    8 days ago

    You could talk to people who were alive at the time.

    I’ve seen tapes of those editorials. Usually the station would be fairly bland in it’s presentation, and the opposition would respond in kind.

    imho it was the ‘Right To Life’ movement that broke the old decorum. They could call their foes ‘baby killers’ with impunity.

    If you’re interested in the history of politics, look up Jerry Falwell and his Moral Majority. He was a preacher who mobilized others on the religious Right to organize. One of their most powerful tactics was to overwhelm the GOP stalwarts on their home turf. If the establishment folks expected 20 people at the monthly meeting, the Moral Majority folks would bring fifty. Pretty soon they had a lot of local sheriffs and county clerks in their pockets; it was a small step to get Congress members elected.