Statement by President Ralph G. Neas

By founding the Christian Coalition and hiring Ralph Reed to run it, Robertson played a huge role in building the political power of the Religious Right and moving the nation’s political culture significantly to the right.

Organizationally, the Christian Coalition has fallen on hard times since Reed’s departure, but the larger Religious Right political movement has never had more of its allies in positions of power than it does today, and has never been closer to achieving its political goals.

No one should be fooled. Pat Robertson isn’t going away. Much of Robertson’s social and political influence comes from the large audience for his television program, the 700 Club, which will continue to be a forum for his extremist views.