ABSTRACT
At the March 1988 convention of the National Religious Broadcasters, Pat Robertson clearly was the favorite among the several Republican candidates invited to speak. Beyond their electoral impact, both Robertson and Jackson helped shape the agenda for the 1988 election. Religious leaders may become deeply and directly involved in a specific campaign, as many did for Robertson and Jesse Jackson in 1988. The politically liberal hierarchy in member churches has grown accustomed to having little visible influence in presidential politics during the Republican 1980s. In 1988, Protestant leaders struggled against that tendency in an intense effort to influence politics without selling their souls. The fact is that the Christian Right leaders were simply unable to mobilize their followers on Robertson's behalf. Religious leadership in presidential campaigns can be as direct as running for office, or as tangential as expressing opinions on political issues.
