ABSTRACT

In a review of the influence of evangelicals on the Reagan administration, a senior editor of New Republic, himself an evangelical, said: ‘Very little has been achieved. I would say that there is less of an evangelical presence now in Washington than when Reagan came into office’ (Aikman 1988: 22). Robertson’s attempt to move conservative Protestant politics up a gear, from congressional to presidential elections was a failure; he was unable to translate his television audience into a coherent political movement If one wanted to argue that, contra the obvious inference from the Robertson campaign, televangelism is a potent political force, there are two analytically separable routes which could be taken. First, one could consider the religious television audience as the basis for the mobilization of a political movement. Second, one could claim that the popularity of televangelism is symbolic of a wider swing to the right in public opinion.