Pat Robertson and the Christian Coalition
- NOTOC**
Pat Robertson and the Christian Coalition
Pat Robertson and the Christian Coalition played an important role in the development of organized conservative Christian political activism in the United States during the late twentieth century. Robertson entered national electoral politics through his campaign for the 1988 Republican presidential nomination. Although he did not win the nomination, the campaign created a large network of donors, volunteers, religious activists, and local political organizers that became the foundation for a continuing political movement.
The Christian Coalition emerged from this network after the presidential campaign. Under Robertson and executive director Ralph Reed, the organization developed a decentralized grassroots strategy that emphasized voter registration, church-based organizing, voter guides, telephone campaigns, local political participation, and involvement in Republican Party organizations. During the 1990s, it became one of the most visible institutions associated with the American Christian Right.
Robertson's 1988 Presidential Campaign
Robertson's presidential campaign demonstrated that evangelical Christians could be organized as a significant constituency within Republican presidential politics. His campaign relied heavily on churches, religious broadcasting audiences, direct-mail supporters, local activists, and precinct-level organization.
Robertson's second-place finish in the 1988 Iowa Republican caucuses attracted national attention to the strength of his organization. Even after his presidential prospects declined, Robertson and many of his supporters discussed maintaining the network and continuing to influence Republican politics at the local, state, and national levels.
The campaign therefore had consequences beyond Robertson's candidacy. Volunteers and political contacts developed during the presidential race became part of a wider effort to establish a permanent conservative Christian political organization.
Formation of the Christian Coalition
The Christian Coalition was created from the political infrastructure remaining after Robertson's presidential campaign. Robertson selected Ralph Reed, a young Republican political strategist, to manage the organization and develop its grassroots operations.
Rather than concentrating exclusively on national elections, the Coalition emphasized participation at multiple levels of government. Activists were encouraged to become involved in precinct organizations, local Republican committees, school-board elections, state party organizations, congressional contests, and national campaigns.
Churches became an important channel for reaching potential voters. Coalition organizers promoted voter registration, distributed voter guides, developed church-liaison networks, conducted telephone campaigns, and encouraged conservative Christians to participate consistently in elections rather than mobilizing only during presidential campaigns.
By the early 1990s, news organizations were describing the Coalition as an increasingly important organization within the broader Christian Right.
Ralph Reed and the Grassroots Strategy
Ralph Reed became closely identified with the Coalition's organizational strategy. His approach combined conservative social-policy goals with conventional campaign techniques such as voter identification, direct mail, telephone banks, precinct organization, candidate questionnaires, and get-out-the-vote operations.
Reed also sought to change the public image of conservative Christian activism. He frequently described the Coalition as a broad political movement rather than simply an extension of Robertson's ministry or a single-issue organization.
The organization attempted to broaden its agenda beyond abortion and disputes over gay rights. Coalition leaders became involved in debates over taxes, welfare, education, crime, economic policy, school prayer, religious liberty, and other public-policy questions.
The Coalition also attempted to expand beyond its predominantly white evangelical Protestant base. Outreach programs targeted Catholics, Black churches, Hispanics, Jews, and other constituencies. These efforts achieved varying levels of cooperation and also generated disagreements over theology, public policy, and the appropriate relationship between religious organizations and partisan politics.
Voter Guides and Church-Based Political Mobilization
One of the Christian Coalition's best-known political tools was the voter guide. The organization distributed millions of guides through churches and other networks, comparing candidates' positions on selected issues.
Coalition leaders described the guides as nonpartisan voter-education materials. Democratic officials, liberal religious organizations, and other critics argued that the selection and presentation of issues often benefited Republican candidates. The dispute became part of a larger debate over the political activities permitted to nonprofit religious and advocacy organizations.
The organization supplemented voter guides with telephone banks, direct mail, candidate scorecards, church coordinators, voter-registration efforts, and election-day mobilization.
These methods were applied not only to presidential and congressional elections but also to school boards, Republican Party organizations, state elections, and other local contests. The focus on lower-profile political institutions reflected the Coalition's strategy of building influence from the local level upward.
Expansion and the 1994 Elections
The 1994 election cycle marked an important period in the Coalition's growth. The organization conducted extensive voter mobilization, distributed large numbers of voter guides, and increased its presence within state and local Republican organizations.
The Republican takeover of Congress following the 1994 midterm elections increased the Coalition's access to national Republican leaders. Republican presidential candidates and congressional figures increasingly appeared at Coalition conferences and sought support from conservative Christian activists.
The extent to which the Christian Coalition itself was responsible for Republican electoral gains was debated. Nevertheless, the organization clearly became an increasingly visible participant in Republican coalition politics during this period.
Contract With the American Family
In 1995, the Christian Coalition introduced the Contract With the American Family, a ten-point legislative agenda modeled in part on the Republican Contract with America.
The agenda addressed subjects including education, school prayer, abortion, taxation, welfare, family policy, and cultural issues. Senior Republican congressional leaders attended events associated with its introduction, illustrating the Coalition's increased access to national policymakers.
The program also generated debate within religious communities. Some Catholic and other Christian commentators agreed with portions of the Coalition's social-policy agenda while questioning its treatment of poverty, economic justice, welfare, and other aspects of Christian social teaching.
Evangelical-Catholic Political Cooperation
Robertson and Reed attempted to create a wider alliance between conservative evangelical Protestants and Catholics. The Christian Coalition established the Catholic Alliance as part of this effort.
The strategy emphasized areas of shared concern such as abortion, education, family policy, and religious expression in public life. Coalition leaders believed that cooperation between conservative Catholics and evangelicals could create a much larger political constituency.
The effort encountered obstacles. Some Catholic leaders objected to outside political materials being distributed through parishes, while disagreements remained over social policy and the relationship between religious institutions and political organizations.
Similar efforts were made to develop relationships with Jewish conservatives and minority churches. These initiatives demonstrated the Coalition's desire to present itself as a broader religious conservative movement rather than an exclusively white evangelical Protestant organization.
The 1996 Election and Peak Political Visibility
The 1996 presidential election demonstrated the scale of the Coalition's national organization. It planned extensive voter-guide distribution, volunteer mobilization, telephone contacts, direct mail, and church-based get-out-the-vote activity.
Republican presidential candidates competed for support from conservative Christian activists, although disagreements existed between Coalition leaders and Republican politicians over strategy, abortion, cultural issues, and the degree to which the party should emphasize the Coalition's agenda.
The Coalition's prominence also generated counter-mobilization. Organizations including the Interfaith Alliance and other religious groups developed their own voter guides and political programs, arguing that the Christian Coalition did not represent the full range of religious perspectives on public policy.
Disputes over the Coalition's claimed membership numbers, financial strength, and actual electoral influence also became increasingly prominent during this period.
Election Law and FEC Litigation
The Coalition's extensive election-related activity produced continuing legal questions about the distinction between independent issue advocacy and coordinated election activity.
The Federal Election Commission filed a lawsuit in 1996 concerning Coalition activities during several election cycles. The case examined voter guides, candidate contacts, direct mail, scorecards, get-out-the-vote efforts, and other communications.
The litigation produced mixed findings rather than a simple determination that all Coalition activity was either lawful or unlawful. Courts rejected several FEC claims while finding violations involving certain activities. The litigation ultimately ended in 2000 with a negotiated final judgment and payment resolving the remaining issues.
The case became an important example in debates over campaign coordination, corporate political activity, voter guides, and the boundaries between issue advocacy and election campaigning.
Leadership Changes After Ralph Reed
Ralph Reed announced his departure from the Christian Coalition in 1997 to enter political consulting. His departure created a major leadership challenge because Reed had been closely associated with the organization's growth and political strategy.
Donald Hodel, a former Reagan administration official, became president, while former Representative Randy Tate became executive director. Robertson moved away from much of the organization's day-to-day management while remaining an important public figure associated with the Coalition.
The new leadership attempted to broaden the organization's agenda. Programs addressed international religious persecution, poverty, crime, unemployment, urban problems, and minority outreach in addition to traditional social issues.
One initiative, the Samaritan Project, sought greater engagement with Black churches and economically disadvantaged communities. The program reflected an effort to broaden the Coalition's constituency but also highlighted the difficulty of expanding beyond its established political base.
Financial Problems and Organizational Retrenchment
By the late 1990s, reports described declining contributions, staff reductions, unpaid obligations, leadership changes, and organizational retrenchment.
Some outreach projects were separated from the national organization, and the Coalition reconsidered its political and fundraising strategies. Questions also emerged about whether the organization could maintain the influence it had exercised during the middle of the decade.
Robertson returned to a more direct leadership role after Donald Hodel's departure, but the Coalition was operating in a substantially different political environment from the one in which it had rapidly expanded earlier in the 1990s.
Tax-Exempt Status and Restructuring
The Christian Coalition also faced a long-running dispute over federal tax status. In 1999, the Internal Revenue Service denied the organization's application for tax-exempt status.
Reporting on the dispute focused heavily on whether the Coalition's political activities were compatible with the type of tax exemption it had sought. The organization subsequently announced plans to restructure its operations.
The tax controversy reinforced broader questions that had surrounded the Coalition throughout the decade: whether its voter guides and grassroots programs constituted nonpartisan public-policy education or whether the organization was functioning in practice as a political organization closely aligned with Republican candidates.
Robertson's Departure and the Coalition's Declining National Role
Robertson resigned as president of the Christian Coalition in 2001 and said that he intended to devote more attention to his religious ministry.
By that point, many observers described the organization as less influential than it had been during the middle of the 1990s. Financial pressures, legal disputes, leadership turnover, competition from other conservative organizations, and changes within Republican politics all contributed to its reduced national prominence.
The broader political constituency that Robertson and Reed had helped organize, however, did not disappear. Conservative evangelical voters remained an important part of Republican electoral politics, while other organizations adopted or expanded many of the organizing techniques that the Coalition had used.
Political Legacy
The Christian Coalition's historical importance rests partly in its organizational methods. Robertson and Reed helped transform a network originating in a presidential campaign into a permanent grassroots political operation.
The Coalition emphasized precinct organization, voter registration, voter guides, church coordinators, direct mail, telephone outreach, candidate questionnaires, local elections, and sustained participation in Republican Party institutions. These methods helped conservative Christian activists develop political organizations that operated between election cycles rather than appearing only during presidential campaigns.
Its history also illustrates recurring tensions surrounding religion and American electoral politics. Supporters viewed political participation by conservative Christians as a legitimate exercise of democratic and religious freedom. Critics questioned the organization's relationship with Republican candidates, its use of churches for political distribution, the presentation of its voter guides, and the degree to which its activities remained nonpartisan.
The Coalition itself attempted at various times to expand its agenda and constituency beyond its original evangelical base, including outreach to Catholics, Jews, Black churches, Hispanics, and economically disadvantaged communities. The results were mixed, but these efforts reveal an organization seeking to convert a religious activist network into a wider political coalition.
Conclusion
Pat Robertson's Christian Coalition became one of the most prominent organizations of the American Christian Right during the 1990s. Its roots were closely connected to Robertson's 1988 presidential campaign, but its strategy extended far beyond presidential elections.
Under Robertson and Ralph Reed, the Coalition constructed a grassroots political network built around churches, voter registration, voter guides, local activism, Republican Party participation, and election mobilization. Its increasing visibility brought access to national Republican leaders while also generating opposition, legal challenges, and continuing disputes over the boundary between religious advocacy and partisan electoral activity.
Leadership turnover, financial problems, legal disputes, and tax-status controversies contributed to the organization's declining prominence after its mid-1990s peak. Nevertheless, many of the organizational practices associated with the Coalition became enduring features of conservative Christian political activism.
The Christian Coalition therefore represents an important chapter in the history of religion and politics in the United States: a case study in how a religiously rooted social movement developed electoral infrastructure, sought influence inside a major political party, attempted to broaden its constituency, and helped reshape the political participation of conservative evangelical Christians.
- TOC**
Retrospectives, Reference, and Scholarship
| Scott Tong | WBUR / Here & Now | June 12, 2023
A retrospective discussion with Christianity Today’s Mike Cosper examines Pat Robertson’s political legacy, his creation of the Christian Coalition, and the organization’s role in bringing evangelical identity more directly into Republican politics.
| Associated Press | Spectrum News NY1 | June 9, 2023
Examines Robertson’s use of television, his 1988 presidential campaign, and the Christian Coalition to organize conservative evangelical Christians into a durable political constituency.
| Matt Schudel | The Washington Post | June 8, 2023
A detailed obituary tracing Robertson’s religious broadcasting career, presidential campaign, creation of the Christian Coalition, political organizing, business enterprises, controversies, and long-term influence on the religious right.
| Ben Finley | Associated Press / PBS NewsHour | June 8, 2023
Reviews Robertson’s career from Christian broadcasting through the 1988 Republican presidential campaign and the Christian Coalition, emphasizing the organization’s grassroots mobilization of conservative Christian voters during the 1990s.
| Lisa Desjardins, Ali Schmitz and Ian Couzens | PBS NewsHour | June 8, 2023
A retrospective report examines Robertson’s religious media empire and political organizing, including the transformation of his failed presidential campaign network into the Christian Coalition.
| Kate Shellnutt | Christianity Today | June 8, 2023
Surveys Robertson’s six decades in Christian broadcasting and public life, including CBN, The 700 Club, Regent University, his presidential campaign, and leadership of the Christian Coalition.
| Michael Carlson | The Guardian | June 8, 2023
An obituary places Robertson within the growth of American televangelism and the religious right and discusses his unsuccessful presidential campaign and subsequent establishment of the Christian Coalition.
| Ben Finley | Associated Press / Christian Science Monitor | June 8, 2023
Reviews how Robertson moved between broadcasting, ministry, electoral politics, and advocacy and describes the Christian Coalition’s role in mobilizing conservative evangelical voters.
| Sarah McCammon | NPR / WFAE | June 8, 2023
Examines Robertson as an architect of the modern religious right, focusing on his media presence, political activism, presidential ambitions, and efforts to organize conservative Christians.
| Rebecca Trounson | Los Angeles Times | June 8, 2023
Reviews Robertson’s rise from religious broadcaster to presidential candidate and political organizer, describing the Christian Coalition as the institutional successor to his 1988 campaign network.
| Eric Levenson, Michelle Watson and David Williams | CNN | June 8, 2023
A biographical account of Robertson’s religious, media, educational, and political enterprises, including the Christian Coalition and its role within the broader conservative Christian movement.
| Christian Broadcasting Network | CBN | June 8, 2023
CBN’s official account of Robertson’s life provides a primary-source perspective on his ministries, organizations, broadcasting career, educational ventures, political activity, and public legacy.
| Greg Sargent | The Washington Post | June 8, 2023
An opinion interview with historian Rick Perlstein interprets Robertson’s political importance and explores how his organizing helped make conservative Christianity an important component of Republican coalition politics.
| Peter Montgomery | Right Wing Watch / People For the American Way | June 8, 2023
A critical advocacy perspective reviews Robertson’s broadcasting and political organizations and argues that the infrastructure he created continued to influence religious-right activism after his personal political prominence declined.
| Encyclopedia.com editors | Encyclopedia.com | May 14, 2018
A reference overview describes the Christian Coalition’s establishment, relationship to Robertson’s presidential campaign, leadership under Ralph Reed, organizational strategy, political agenda, and efforts to influence Republican politics.
| Neil J. Young | Oxford University Press | October 22, 2015
The chapter “A Christian Coalition” examines Robertson and Ralph Reed’s attempt to build an interfaith conservative political organization and the movement’s outreach to Catholics, Jews, and other religious constituencies.
| Daniel K. Williams | Oxford University Press | September 1, 2010
The chapter “Crashing the Party” places Robertson’s presidential campaign and Christian Coalition within the wider history of religious conservatives seeking influence inside Republican Party institutions.
| Nathaniel Klemp and Stephen Macedo | Russell Sage Foundation / JSTOR | 2009
Scholarly analysis of the Christian Right discusses organizations from the Moral Majority through Robertson’s Christian Coalition and considers their rhetoric, political engagement, and relationship with American democratic institutions.
| David McKenzie | Journal of Church and State / JSTOR | Spring 1996
“Stephen Carter, the Christian Coalition, and the Civil Rights Analogy” offers a scholarly examination of arguments used to defend religious conservative political participation and claims of exclusion from public life.
| EBSCO Research Starters | EBSCO | n.d.
A concise historical reference explains how Robertson transformed the political network remaining from his 1988 presidential bid into the Christian Coalition and selected Ralph Reed to manage its organizing efforts.
Decline, Restructuring, and Legal Disputes
| Barbara Liston | Time | December 8, 2006
Examines the Christian Coalition’s reduced political prominence and internal disputes over whether its agenda should remain centered on abortion and homosexuality or expand to poverty and environmental issues.
| Alan Cooperman | The Washington Post | October 12, 2002
Reports on efforts by the post-Robertson Christian Coalition to rebuild its influence through evangelical support for Israel and renewed election mobilization under president Roberta Combs.
| Dana Milbank | The Washington Post | December 24, 2001
Examines changes in religious-right leadership after Robertson left the Christian Coalition and describes the growing importance of President George W. Bush to conservative evangelical political activists.
| Thomas B. Edsall | The Washington Post | December 5, 2001
Reports Robertson’s resignation as Christian Coalition president, his stated intention to concentrate on ministry, and differing assessments of the organization’s declining influence after its 1990s peak.
| Christianity Today editors | Christianity Today | December 1, 2001
Discusses Robertson’s departure from leadership of the Christian Coalition and reactions from conservative organizations, critics, journalists, and observers of the religious-right movement.
| Al Hunt | CNN | June 23, 2001
An interview with Robertson provides direct evidence of his views on public policy late in his Christian Coalition leadership, including his position favoring a moratorium on executions.
| Time Staff | Time | March 13, 2000
A timeline of modern religious-right politics places Robertson’s presidential campaign and founding of the Christian Coalition within a longer sequence beginning with the Moral Majority.
| Federal Election Commission | FEC | February 23, 2000
Official FEC case history summarizes litigation over Christian Coalition election activities and the final judgment requiring a $45,000 payment to settle outstanding issues.
| Scott E. Thomas and Danny Lee McDonald | Federal Election Commission | September 22, 1999
Two FEC commissioners explain their disagreement with the decision not to appeal portions of the Christian Coalition litigation and describe the election activities alleged in the case.
| David E. Rosenbaum | New York Times / SFGate | June 11, 1999
Reports that political activity was central to the IRS dispute over the Coalition’s tax status and examines fundraising and organizational problems after Ralph Reed’s departure.
| Thomas B. Edsall and Hanna Rosin | The Washington Post | June 10, 1999
Reports the IRS rejection of the Christian Coalition’s long-pending application for tax-exempt status and the organization’s plans to restructure its operations.
| Associated Press | The Washington Post | February 10, 1999
Reports Robertson’s return to the Coalition presidency after Donald Hodel’s departure while the organization was defending its past political activities.
| Federal Election Commission | FEC | July 2, 1998
Official case summary concerning a Democratic National Committee complaint alleging that the Christian Coalition should be treated as a political committee under federal election law.
| Christianity Today editors | Christianity Today | March 2, 1998
Describes financial retrenchment, staff reductions, falling contributions, and the separation of Catholic and minority-outreach projects following Ralph Reed’s departure.
| U.S. Senate Committee on Governmental Affairs | U.S. Government Publishing Office | 1998
A Senate investigation includes a chapter examining the Christian Coalition’s organizational origins, Republican connections, tax status, campaign-related activity, and disputes over compliance with election law.
| Ceci Connolly | The Washington Post | September 12, 1997
Examines the Coalition at a crossroads after Reed’s departure, including legal investigations, financial pressures, strategic disagreements, and questions about whether Robertson’s organization could remain politically influential.
| Ceci Connolly | The Washington Post | August 25, 1997
Reports Donald Hodel’s new legislative agenda for the Christian Coalition, including international religious persecution and efforts to broaden the organization beyond its original social-policy issues.
| Christianity Today editors | Christianity Today | July 1997
Describes organizational changes in Robertson’s businesses and ministries and the transfer of Christian Coalition management to Donald Hodel and Randy Tate.
| Los Angeles Times staff | Los Angeles Times | June 12, 1997
Reports the appointment of Hodel as president and Tate as executive director while Robertson moved to chairman, marking a major leadership transition after Ralph Reed.
| Peter Baker and Laurie Goodstein | The Washington Post | June 11, 1997
Details Robertson’s move away from day-to-day leadership and the appointment of Donald Hodel and Randy Tate to run the Christian Coalition.
Peak Influence and the 1996–1997 Transition
| Associated Press | The Washington Post | June 10, 1997
Reports the selection of former Representative Randy Tate to succeed Ralph Reed and summarizes the Coalition’s growth in membership, chapters, and political influence.
| Amy Argetsinger | The Washington Post | May 11, 1997
Reports on the Samaritan Project and the Coalition’s outreach to Black churches, including Reed’s acknowledgment of segregation within parts of white Southern Christianity.
| Dan Balz | The Washington Post | April 24, 1997
Analyzes Reed’s decision to leave the Christian Coalition and assesses the degree to which the organization had embedded religious conservative activists within Republican politics.
| John E. Yang and Laurie Goodstein | The Washington Post | April 23, 1997
Reports Reed’s resignation and reviews the Coalition’s claimed membership, budget, chapter network, church-based voter guides, and relationship between Reed and Robertson.
| John E. Yang | The Washington Post | January 30, 1997
Describes the Samaritan Project, an effort to broaden the Christian Coalition’s predominantly white evangelical base by addressing poverty, inner-city development, and minority churches.
| Thomas B. Edsall | The Washington Post | November 2, 1996
Examines the Coalition’s enormous voter-guide distribution operation and disputes over whether the guides constituted neutral voter education or indirectly favored Republican candidates.
| Kim A. Lawton | Christianity Today | October 28, 1996
Examines the Coalition’s political prominence alongside its FEC litigation, tensions with Republican leaders, organizational growth, and efforts to secure mainstream political legitimacy.
| Laurie Goodstein | The Washington Post | October 28, 1996
Examines religious organizations that adopted grassroots mobilization methods similar to the Christian Coalition while opposing its conservative political agenda.
| Associated Press | Roanoke Times | October 23, 1996
Reports plans to mobilize 100,000 volunteers, distribute approximately 45 million voter guides, and contact millions of conservative Christian voters before the 1996 election.
| Thomas B. Edsall | The Washington Post | September 14, 1996
Reports Bob Dole’s surprise appearance at the Road to Victory conference and Robertson’s concern that the Republican campaign had not sufficiently engaged religious conservative voters.
| Thomas B. Edsall | The Washington Post | September 13, 1996
Covers Reed’s criticism of President Clinton while also recording his acknowledgment that Clinton had adopted several culturally conservative themes during the 1996 campaign.
| Thomas B. Edsall | The Washington Post | September 12, 1996
Examines strategic tensions among conservative organizations at the opening of the Coalition’s Road to Victory conference and its pragmatic approach to Bob Dole’s presidential candidacy.
| Thomas B. Edsall | The Washington Post | September 2, 1996
Investigates Robertson and Reed’s long-standing goal of forming a political alliance between conservative evangelicals and Catholics and the difficulties encountered by the Catholic Alliance.
| Ruth Marcus and Charles R. Babcock | The Washington Post | August 3, 1996
Reports evidence introduced during election-law disputes concerning a 1992 donation whose donor said he intended it to assist literature supporting President George H. W. Bush.
| Ruth Marcus | The Washington Post | July 30, 1996
Reports the FEC lawsuit alleging improper coordination between the Christian Coalition and Republican candidates; Coalition leaders denied wrongdoing and defended their voter guides as lawful.
| Roanoke Times staff | Roanoke Times | July 8, 1996
Reviews competing arguments over whether the Christian Coalition functioned primarily as a public-policy advocacy organization or engaged too heavily in electoral politics for its claimed tax status.
| Pew Research Center | Pew Research Center | June 25, 1996
Provides survey evidence on religion and politics, including public favorability ratings for the Christian Coalition and Pat Robertson and attitudes among white evangelical Protestants.
| Thomas B. Edsall | The Washington Post | March 1, 1996
Examines whether Christian Coalition activists would follow Reed’s pragmatic strategy of integration into the Republican establishment during the 1996 presidential nomination contest.
| The Washington Post Magazine | The Washington Post | January 28, 1996
A long profile of Ralph Reed examines his relationship with Robertson, organizational strategy, outreach to Jews and minorities, and efforts to reshape the public image of the Christian Right.
| Religion News Service | Los Angeles Times | January 13, 1996
Examines a dispute over the Coalition’s claimed membership totals, contrasting the organization’s figures with estimates derived by critics from donor and magazine-circulation records.
Expansion, Coalition Building, and the 1994–1995 Political Strategy
| New York Times News Service | Deseret News | December 10, 1995
Reports the launch of the Catholic Alliance and the Christian Coalition’s attempt to create a wider evangelical-Catholic political constituency around shared social-policy concerns.
| Roanoke Times staff | Roanoke Times | September 24, 1995
Discusses Robertson’s meeting with Pope John Paul II and distinguishes his ecumenical religious efforts from the Coalition’s simultaneous political outreach to Catholic voters.
| Linda Feldmann | Christian Science Monitor | September 11, 1995
Examines Christian Coalition efforts to broaden its base among Black Christians, Hispanics, Catholics, and Jews while Republican presidential candidates competed for support at its national conference.
| Thomas B. Edsall | The Washington Post | September 9, 1995
Reports Robertson’s description of long-term goals for influencing Republican Party organizations, electing conservative congressional majorities, and building a nationwide precinct-level activist network.
| Thomas B. Edsall | The Washington Post | September 7, 1995
Describes the transition of religious conservative activists from outsiders within the Republican Party to a constituency actively courted by nearly every major GOP presidential candidate.
| Esther Diskin | The Virginian-Pilot | September 4, 1995
Provides a detailed examination of Reed’s Catholic Alliance strategy and Catholic church leaders’ concerns about distributing outside political voter guides in parishes.
| Laurie Goodstein | The Washington Post | May 18, 1995
Reports Republican congressional leaders’ response to the Christian Coalition’s “Contract With the American Family” following the Republican takeover of Congress.
| Ronald Brownstein | Los Angeles Times | May 18, 1995
Examines the Coalition’s ten-point legislative agenda and the presence of senior Republican congressional leaders at its unveiling as evidence of the organization’s growing access in Washington.
| Warren Fiske | The Virginian-Pilot | May 11, 1995
Details preparation of the “Contract With the American Family,” Robertson’s dissatisfaction with congressional attention to social issues, and the organization’s planned lobbying campaign.
| Michael Lind | The New York Review of Books | April 20, 1995
A critical essay responds to defenders of Robertson and continues debate over interpretations of his book The New World Order and its relationship to his broader political movement.
| Richard Cohen | The Washington Post | April 17, 1995
An opinion column critically assesses Robertson, his writings, and the growing acceptance of the Christian Coalition by mainstream conservative political leaders.
| Roanoke Times staff | Roanoke Times | April 5, 1995
Reports Ralph Reed’s effort to improve relations with Jewish organizations after disagreements between the Christian Coalition and the Anti-Defamation League over church-state issues and Robertson’s rhetoric.
| New York Times | The Virginian-Pilot | March 4, 1995
Reports Robertson’s rejection of accusations that passages in The New World Order contained antisemitic themes and summarizes the dispute surrounding interpretations of the book.
| Karen Diegmueller | Education Week | January 1, 1995
Examines school-board politics in Florida where candidates and officials associated with the Christian Coalition became involved in disputes over curriculum, religion, sex education, and educational governance.
| Associated Press | Roanoke Times | November 3, 1994
Reports Democratic accusations that Coalition voter guides favored Republicans and the Coalition’s response that the guides were researched, nonpartisan voter-education materials.
| Laurie Goodstein | The Washington Post | November 2, 1994
Reports the Coalition’s plan to distribute tens of millions of voter guides through churches and conduct a large telephone mobilization before the 1994 midterm election.
| Mike Russell | The Washington Post | October 31, 1994
A letter from the Christian Coalition’s communications director disputes criticism of Robertson and presents the organization’s defense of his relations with Jewish leaders and Israel.
| Thomas B. Edsall | The Washington Post | September 15, 1994
Reports on the Coalition’s national conference shortly before the 1994 elections and examines the increasingly close attention it received from prospective Republican presidential candidates.
| David S. Broder | The Washington Post | June 9, 1994
Examines Christian Coalition influence within the Texas Republican Party and the organization’s strategy of building power through state party offices and grassroots participation.
| John King | The Washington Post | April 29, 1994
Details Coalition plans for the 1994 election cycle, including voter mailings, congressional scorecards, primary involvement, school-prayer advocacy, and efforts to increase turnout among religious conservatives.
Origins: Robertson’s Presidential Campaign and Formation of the Coalition
| David S. Broder | The Washington Post | July 17, 1993
Describes Reed’s effort to broaden the Coalition beyond abortion and gay-rights issues into economic policy, welfare reform, the Clinton budget, and trade.
| David S. Broder | The Washington Post | January 18, 1993
Examines tensions between Republican Party regulars and evangelical activists and identifies Robertson’s Christian Coalition as an increasingly important organization within the Christian Right.
| Michael Isikoff | The Washington Post | September 9, 1992
A major early investigation describes fundraising, church-based voter registration, voter-guide distribution, Republican Party organizing, tax-status questions, and the rapid growth of Robertson’s Coalition.
| Russell Chandler | Los Angeles Times | May 15, 1990
One of the earliest substantial profiles of the new Christian Coalition explains how Robertson used the donor and activist network remaining from his presidential campaign to launch the organization.
| T. R. Reid | The Washington Post | December 17, 1988
Reviews efforts by Robertson supporters to remain involved in local and state elections after the presidential campaign, providing important background to the subsequent creation of the Christian Coalition.
| T. R. Reid | The Washington Post | August 15, 1988
Examines Robertson’s lasting impact on evangelical political participation even after his presidential campaign had failed to win the Republican nomination.
| Christian Science Monitor staff | Christian Science Monitor | August 15, 1988
Reviews Robertson’s transition back toward broadcasting after the presidential primaries while assessing the religious and political organization created by his campaign.
| Associated Press | Los Angeles Times | April 4, 1988
Reports Robertson’s determination to continue his presidential campaign despite poor primary results and his stated intention to build a longer-term conservative political movement.
| Bill Billiter | Los Angeles Times | March 21, 1988
Reports a late-stage Robertson campaign appearance and his effort to acquire enough convention delegates to retain influence over Republican policy and the party platform.
| T. R. Reid | The Washington Post | March 10, 1988
After Robertson’s Super Tuesday defeats, he discusses keeping his supporters involved in Republican politics and building conservative influence at multiple levels of government.
| Jacob V. Lamar Jr. | Time | March 7, 1988
Covers the Super Tuesday campaign in the South, including Robertson’s attempt to translate evangelical grassroots organization into Republican primary votes.
| Gwen Ifill | The Washington Post | February 27, 1988
Covers Robertson’s presidential campaign during the Jimmy Swaggart scandal and illustrates the intersection between televangelism, evangelical networks, media attention, and Republican presidential politics.
| David Maraniss | The Washington Post | February 11, 1988
Reports Robertson supporters changing party registration in several states to participate in Republican primaries, illustrating the campaign’s effort to expand the GOP’s evangelical activist base.
| Bill Peterson | The Washington Post | February 8, 1988
Reports Robertson’s second-place finish in the Iowa Republican caucuses, where his evangelical organizing operation placed ahead of Vice President George H. W. Bush.
| Christianity Today editors | Christianity Today | January 15, 1988
Examines evangelical involvement in the Iowa caucuses and notes that Robertson’s campaign was bringing many conservative Christians into formal political organization while competing with other Republicans for their votes.
| John Balzar | Los Angeles Times | November 25, 1987
A detailed report from Iowa examines Robertson’s precinct-level caucus strategy and the church-rooted grassroots organization that later provided important personnel and contacts for the Christian Coalition.
| John Dillin | Christian Science Monitor | October 2, 1987
Assesses Robertson as a potentially important force in the Republican Party even if he did not win the presidential nomination, emphasizing his fundraising and evangelical grassroots network.
| Laurence I. Barrett | Time | September 28, 1987
A campaign profile examines Robertson’s religious following, populist political message, fundraising, organization, and attempt to transform television supporters into Republican activists.
| Los Angeles Times | Los Angeles Times | September 28, 1986
Examines the political significance and limitations of a possible Robertson presidential candidacy and the divisions within evangelical conservatism before his formal 1988 campaign.
| Lanie Jones | Los Angeles Times | August 3, 1986
Reports a large California fundraiser encouraging Robertson to seek the presidency, illustrating the emerging donor and activist network that would support his 1988 campaign and later political organizing.
Early Organization and Grassroots Strategy, 1991–1993
| Political science researchers | PS: Political Science & Politics | March 1995
An academic examination of Virginia politics discusses the Christian Coalition, Robertson, Jerry Falwell, Oliver North, Republican factionalism, and the limits as well as strengths of religious-right mobilization.
| Education Week staff | Education Week | October 1994
Examines the Christian Coalition's role in Georgia education politics and its planned distribution of voter guides discussing school prayer, sex education, curriculum, and local educational control.
| James M. Penning | Sociology of Religion | October 1, 1994
A scholarly study compares Robertson and George H. W. Bush delegates and analyzes how Robertson's presidential movement and subsequent Christian Coalition affected Republican Party organization and factional politics.
| Elizabeth Drew | The New Yorker | July 18, 1994
An extensive examination of the Christian Coalition describes its training programs, Republican Party strategy, state organizations, Robertson-Reed relationship, and emphasis on low-profile grassroots political organizing.
| Los Angeles Times staff | Los Angeles Times | December 10, 1993
A broad investigation of religious-right school-board organizing describes Coalition seminars, voter guides, local candidate recruitment, and Robertson's call for change in public education.
| Christianity Today editors | Christianity Today | December 1993
Reviews the Virginia elections, evangelical turnout, Robertson's role, and disputes over conservative voter guides distributed through churches.
| Christian Science Monitor staff | Christian Science Monitor | October 29, 1993
Examines religion in the Virginia gubernatorial election and controversy over Robertson's involvement, while quoting Reed's argument that attacks on Robertson amounted to inappropriate religious tests in politics.
| Laurence I. Barrett | Time | September 13, 1993
A major profile of Ralph Reed explains how his political training and tactical flexibility helped transform Robertson's post-1988 organization into a sophisticated grassroots political operation.
| Laurence I. Barrett | Time | September 13, 1993
An archival version of Time's Reed profile provides detailed background on his College Republican experience, relationship with Robertson, and efforts to present the Christian Coalition as a modern political organization.
| Thomas B. Edsall | The Washington Post | September 9, 1993
Profiles Reed and describes Christian Coalition advances inside Republican organizations in Oregon, Iowa, Virginia, Washington, South Carolina, Alaska, Louisiana, and other states.
| Washington Post staff | The Washington Post | August 20, 1993
Covers controversy over Robertson's support for Virginia Republican candidate Michael Farris and provides evidence of the close relationship between Robertson's personal political activity and Coalition organizing.
| Christian Science Monitor staff | Christian Science Monitor | August 9, 1993
Reports on religious conservatives winning school-board seats around the country and details Christian Coalition involvement in New York elections, candidate recruitment, and voter-guide distribution.
| Roanoke Times staff | Roanoke Times | August 8, 1993
Examines controversy surrounding Christian Coalition involvement in school-board politics, including voter guides, training seminars, school prayer, creationism, sex education, vouchers, and condom distribution.
| Los Angeles Times staff | Los Angeles Times | May 29, 1993
Fact-checks campaign advertising that invoked Robertson and the Christian Coalition and discusses the degree to which Coalition activists had participated in California electoral politics.
| Marc Lacey and Richard Simon | Los Angeles Times | May 22, 1993
Examines an attempt during the Los Angeles mayoral campaign to connect candidate Richard Riordan with Robertson and the Christian Coalition, illustrating how the organization was becoming a recognizable national political symbol.
| Ann Bradley | Education Week | May 12, 1993
Reviews the results and controversy surrounding New York City school-board elections in which the Christian Coalition and Catholic organizations encouraged increased voter participation.
| Ann Bradley | Education Week | April 1993
Describes the Christian Coalition's alliance with the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York to distribute voter guides in New York City school-board elections and the counter-mobilization by liberal organizations.
| Richard Sperbeck, Guy Rodgers and editors | First Things | March 1993
Letters debate the Christian Coalition's role in electoral politics, its claims to nonpartisanship, Robertson's leadership, and the appropriate place of explicitly Christian political organizations in American public life.
| United Press International | UPI | October 31, 1992
Reports the Coalition's plan to distribute tens of millions of voter guides through churches immediately before the 1992 election and discusses Democratic complaints and the Coalition's defense of the guides as nonpartisan voter education.
| Los Angeles Times staff | Los Angeles Times | October 18, 1992
Investigates religious-right efforts to influence California Republican politics and describes the Christian Coalition's strategy of organizing conservative Christians at the precinct, local-party, and legislative levels.
| Christianity Today editors | Christianity Today | October 1992
Examines evangelical influence at the 1992 Republican National Convention, where Christian Coalition members constituted a significant activist bloc and Robertson and Reed sought greater influence over party organization and policy.
| John Dart | Los Angeles Times | January 20, 1992
Examines the Christian Coalition's early California operation and its plan for "in-pew" voter registration, church-based organizing, voter identification, and participation in elections ranging from congressional contests to local school boards.
| United Press International | UPI | November 9, 1991
Reports how Pat Robertson's newly formed Christian Coalition planned to take voter-identification, telephone-bank, and turnout techniques used in Virginia into dozens of other states. The article includes Ralph Reed's description of a strategy emphasizing relatively low-profile grassroots organizing.
| South Carolina Encyclopedia editors | South Carolina Encyclopedia | n.d.
Provides a state-level historical overview of the South Carolina Christian Coalition and its relationship to Robertson's national organization, Republican politics, voter mobilization, and party platforms.
The Coalition's Rise and the 1994 Political Environment
| Esquire / Yahoo | Yahoo News | June 2023, originally 1994
Republishes Esquire's 1994 Robertson profile, including descriptions of the Coalition's conversion of Robertson's presidential lists into a precinct-level political network.
| Mark J. Rozell | Catholics and Politics / Georgetown University Press | 2008
Examines the development of the conservative Catholic-evangelical alliance, including Robertson and Reed's creation of the Catholic Alliance in 1995.
| Richard John Neuhaus | First Things | October 1, 1996
Reviews Reed's book Active Faith and analyzes his attempt to reassure critics while urging religious conservatives to maintain political influence without becoming consumed by power.
| Tony Gosgnach | The Interim | April 4, 1996
Reviews Reed's Politically Incorrect and considers his political pragmatism, relationship with Robertson, and role in supporting Bob Dole during the Republican nomination campaign.
| New York Times News Service | The Spokesman-Review | December 10, 1995
Reports the formal launch of the Catholic Alliance and the Coalition's effort to create a larger political constituency among conservative Protestants and Catholics.
| Deal W. Hudson | Crisis Magazine | November 1, 1995
A lengthy Reed interview explains the rationale behind the Catholic Alliance, evangelical-Catholic political cooperation, and his goal of broadening the Coalition beyond its traditional evangelical constituency.
| Los Angeles Times staff | Los Angeles Times | September 13, 1995
Reviews polling and competing claims concerning public support for the Coalition's Contract With the American Family and illustrates debate over whether its policy agenda represented majority opinion.
| David S. Broder | The Washington Post | September 9, 1995
Examines the maturing Coalition, internal tactical differences, its claimed membership, and the competition among Republican presidential candidates for the support of its activists.
| Linda Feldmann | Christian Science Monitor | September 8, 1995
An interview with Ralph Reed provides a primary-source account of his strategy for integrating religious conservatives into Republican politics without allowing the movement to become merely another party interest group.
| Christian Science Monitor staff | Christian Science Monitor | September 8, 1995
A biographical profile summarizes Reed's education, College Republican experience, authorship, and leadership of the Christian Coalition since Robertson selected him in 1989.
| Virginian-Pilot staff | The Virginian-Pilot | September 8, 1995
Provides a detailed snapshot of the Coalition at the height of its growth, including its mailing list, budget, policy goals, presidential politics, and Robertson's initial recruitment of Reed.
| Virginian-Pilot staff | The Virginian-Pilot | July 28, 1995
Reports the Coalition's publication of a book promoting its legislative agenda and examines Reed's effort to frame the Contract With the American Family as broader than either Protestant or Republican politics.
| Editorial Board | Roanoke Times | June 5, 1995
An editorial critiques the Contract With the American Family and discusses the growing relationship between Robertson's organization and leading Republican politicians.
| Nancy Frazier O'Brien | Catholic News Service / The Criterion | June 2, 1995
Compares the Christian Coalition's Contract With the American Family with Catholic social-policy priorities and highlights areas of agreement and disagreement over poverty, family policy, and other concerns.
| Religion News Service | Los Angeles Times | May 20, 1995
Lists and explains the ten proposals contained in the Christian Coalition's Contract With the American Family, including school prayer, education, abortion, taxes, welfare, and cultural policy.
| Jeffrey H. Birnbaum | Time | May 15, 1995
A major Reed profile analyzes the Coalition's expanding membership, lobbying program, electoral strategy, relationships with presidential candidates, and influence within Republican politics.
| Jeffrey H. Birnbaum | Time | May 15, 1995
The archival version of Time's profile examines Reed's daily political operation and portrays the Coalition's rapid growth from Robertson's campaign network into a national organization.
| Roanoke Times staff | Roanoke Times | October 1994
Places Robertson's Christian Coalition within his broader broadcasting and political career and discusses its Road to Victory conference and involvement in the Oliver North campaign.
| Linda Feldmann | Christian Science Monitor | September 19, 1994
Examines the revival of Christian-right influence after the 1992 Republican defeat and explains why Coalition members could become especially consequential in lower-turnout midterm elections.
| Thomas B. Edsall | The Washington Post | September 16, 1994
Reports on a national Christian Coalition gathering at which Republican leaders and potential presidential candidates courted conservative Christian activists ahead of the midterm elections and 1996 presidential contest.
| The Washington Post | The Washington Post | August 22, 1994
Reports Christian Coalition activity in South Carolina and places it alongside victories or advances involving Minnesota, Virginia, New York school politics, and other state-level contests.
| Jewish Telegraphic Agency staff | Jewish Telegraphic Agency | August 17, 1994
Examines Jewish conservatives who defended Robertson's organization and Coalition efforts to create alliances with Jewish activists while controversy continued over Robertson's writings and theology.
| David S. Broder | The Washington Post | August 14, 1994
Traces the transformation of Robertson's presidential campaign organization into the Christian Coalition and examines the movement's attempts to influence Republican politics while expanding its electoral base.
| Esquire editors / archival republication | Esquire | originally 1994
A long-form profile of Robertson examines his business, television, religious, and political enterprises and describes the Christian Coalition's early organizing for Jesse Helms and local candidates.
| The Forerunner | The Forerunner | n.d.
A conservative Christian critique of Reed's Politically Incorrect discusses how the Christian Coalition attempted to portray itself as a broad, mainstream, multiracial political movement.
The 1996 Election, Voter Guides, and Political Legitimacy
| Judge Joyce Hens Green | U.S. District Court / Justia | August 2, 1999
The full federal court opinion reconstructs Coalition activity during the 1990, 1992, and 1994 elections, including voter guides, candidate contacts, mailings, scorecards, and relationships with Republican campaigns.
| U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia | Westlaw | August 2, 1999
Reproduces the detailed federal opinion describing Robertson and Reed's contacts with Republican campaigns and the Coalition's voter-guide and mobilization programs.
| U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia | Practical Law | August 2, 1999
Provides another accessible version of the federal decision, including evidence concerning the 1992 Bush campaign, Coalition fundraising, church distribution networks, and the Oliver North race.
| Federal Election Commission | FEC Record | July 1997
The official FEC Record explains the court's refusal to dismiss major portions of the Commission's enforcement case and summarizes allegations concerning voter guides, scorecards, and get-out-the-vote activity.
| U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia | CaseMine | May 13, 1997
Provides the 1997 district-court decision concerning the FEC suit and outlines allegations involving voter guides, candidate coordination, scorecards, and election-related expenditures.
| Christianity Today editors | Christianity Today | November 11, 1996
Profiles Reed as an influential younger evangelical leader and recounts how Robertson's post-presidential mailing list became the basis for the Christian Coalition's local political infrastructure.
| Jewish Telegraphic Agency staff | Jewish Telegraphic Agency | October 30, 1996
Examines the Interfaith Alliance and other religious groups that distributed competing voter guides as a counterweight to the Christian Coalition's extensive church-based election operation.
| Warren Fiske | The Virginian-Pilot | October 23, 1996
Reports the Coalition's request for an investigation of a Democratic fundraiser at a Buddhist temple, showing how the organization sought to use campaign-finance and tax-law arguments against its political opponents.
| Christianity Today editors | Christianity Today | October 1996
Examines Republican efforts to appeal to conservative Christian voters and reports speeches by Robertson and Reed at a major Christian Coalition rally.
| Hope Hamashige | Los Angeles Times | September 27, 1996
Reports Reed's appearance at the Nixon Library to discuss the Coalition's role in the presidential election and promote his book Active Faith.
| United Press International | UPI | September 13, 1996
Reports criticism from Democratic senators and church leaders who argued that Coalition scorecards emphasized selected issues while omitting poverty, hunger, health care, and other Christian social concerns.
| Religion News Service | Los Angeles Times | September 7, 1996
Describes the Coalition's Road to Victory conference alongside a competing Call to Renewal gathering, illustrating competing religious perspectives on politics during the 1996 election.
| Warren Fiske | The Virginian-Pilot | August 13, 1996
Reports on the Coalition's position at the 1996 Republican National Convention and Reed's claim that the party platform demonstrated the growing influence of religious conservatives.
| Virginian-Pilot staff and wire services | The Virginian-Pilot | July 11, 1996
A detailed investigation examines voter guides, telephone targeting, candidate contacts, tax questions, and allegations that the Coalition operated more like an electoral organization than a conventional public-policy group.
| Esther Diskin | The Virginian-Pilot | June 3, 1996
Profiles Reed during publication of Active Faith and examines his effort to explain the Christian Coalition's history, political mission, and relationship to controversial social issues.
| Virginian-Pilot staff | The Virginian-Pilot | May 4, 1996
Reports the launch of what Coalition leaders described as their largest voter-mobilization campaign, including fundraising, telephone operations, mailings, and efforts to turn out religious conservatives.
| John Dart | Los Angeles Times | March 23, 1996
Examines the relationship between California's large Christian Coalition affiliate and a prominent evangelical church and discusses disagreements over immigration, gun policy, and the scope of Coalition activism.
Leadership Changes, Retrenchment, and the 1998 Elections
| Ken Olsen | The Spokesman-Review | December 28, 1998
Examines complaints to the IRS involving churches that distributed Christian Coalition voter guides and competing interpretations of whether the guides constituted prohibited partisan intervention.
| Jewish Telegraphic Agency staff | Jewish Telegraphic Agency | October 5, 1998
Assesses the Coalition's political strength before the midterms while noting legislative setbacks, Reed's departure, and uncertainty over whether its influence was declining.
| Christianity Today editors | Christianity Today | October 1998
Examines the Coalition's large 1998 get-out-the-vote operation under Tate, including voter guides, postcards, telephone messages, transportation to polling places, and its continuing legislative agenda.
| Associated Press | Los Angeles Times | September 20, 1998
Provides additional contemporary coverage of Robertson's impeachment speech and reactions from Republican congressional leaders at the Coalition conference.
| Thomas B. Edsall | The Washington Post | September 19, 1998
Reports Robertson's speech to the annual Coalition conference calling for impeachment proceedings rather than President Clinton's resignation.
| Thomas B. Edsall | The Washington Post | September 18, 1998
Reports Randy Tate's expectation that the Clinton-Lewinsky scandal would increase conservative Christian turnout during the 1998 congressional elections.
| Jacqueline Trescott | The Washington Post | July 16, 1998
Explores a conflict between the Coalition's opposition to National Endowment for the Arts funding and federal arts support received by Robertson's Regent University.
| James Besser | New York Jewish Week / JTA | June 12, 1998
Examines the failure of a religious-freedom constitutional amendment despite intensive Coalition lobbying, offering evidence about both the movement's continuing access and the limits of its legislative influence.
| Megan Rosenfeld | The Washington Post | May 3, 1998
A profile of Christian Coalition president Donald Hodel discusses his Reagan administration background, religious convictions, policy priorities, and management of Robertson's organization after Reed.
| Ceci Connolly and Helen Dewar | The Washington Post | February 18, 1998
Reports the Families 2000 strategy, under which the Coalition planned to return its focus to churches, recruit tens of thousands of church liaisons, and distribute millions of voter guides.
| Dan Balz | The Washington Post | January 10, 1998
Examines the Coalition's involvement in an internal Republican Party dispute over abortion and Randy Tate's attempt to pressure the Republican National Committee on the issue.
| Editorial Board | The Virginian-Pilot | September 20, 1997
An editorial evaluates Robertson's increasingly explicit descriptions of the Coalition's political ambitions after Reed's departure and raises questions about its claimed nonpartisan status.
| Associated Press | Deseret News | June 14, 1997
Reports the appointment of Donald Hodel as president and Randy Tate as executive director, along with membership and fundraising figures from the organization.
| Richard L. Berke | New York Times / The Virginian-Pilot | June 11, 1997
Reports the selection of former Representative Randy Tate to succeed Reed and examines the organizational challenge of replacing the strategist credited with building the Coalition's political machinery.
| Larry B. Stammer | Los Angeles Times | March 1, 1997
Examines skepticism surrounding the Coalition's Samaritan Project, which sought to address poverty, unemployment, crime, and minority outreach in addition to traditional social issues.
| Religion News Service | Religion News Service | 1997
Reports Reed's decision to leave the Christian Coalition for political consulting and reviews the organization's growth, legal investigations, and Robertson's plans to select a successor.
Robertson's Return, the 2000 Election, and Later Assessment
| Steven P. Miller | Oxford University Press | April 16, 2014
Places Reed's Christian Coalition within the broader history of late-twentieth-century evangelical political influence, the Clinton years, culture-war politics, and the paradoxes created by political success.
| FRONTLINE / American Experience | PBS | October 2010
A documentary transcript traces the transition from Falwell's Moral Majority to Robertson's Christian Coalition and includes Reed explaining his strategy for organizing, training, and mobilizing evangelical voters.
| Stephen Prothero | PBS | 2010
A historian discusses Robertson and Reed's goal of building a pipeline of evangelical political activists from local office through Congress and ultimately the presidency.
| Political-history scholarship | University of Minnesota Press / JSTOR | 2008
Examines the emergence of the Christian Coalition as a more politically sophisticated successor to the Moral Majority and its integration into Republican Party politics.
| David John Marley | Bloomsbury / Google Books | 2007
An independent scholarly biography of Robertson examines his broadcasting empire, presidential campaign, Christian Coalition, theology, businesses, controversies, and influence on Republican evangelical politics.
The documentary transcript explains how the Christian Coalition helped move evangelical Protestants toward Republican voting through voter guides, church networks, and grassroots mobilization.
| Alabama Baptist staff | The Alabama Baptist | January 3, 2002
Reports Robertson's resignation, appointment as president emeritus, and Roberta Combs's succession as president of the organization.
| Pat Robertson | PatRobertson.com | December 5, 2001
Robertson's own resignation announcement provides a primary-source explanation of his departure from the presidency and board of the Christian Coalition and his decision to concentrate on ministry.
| United Press International | UPI | February 24, 2001
Reports a racial-discrimination lawsuit filed by African American employees against the Christian Coalition, an episode that complicated the organization's earlier efforts to expand beyond its largely white evangelical base.
| Los Angeles Times staff | Los Angeles Times | November 5, 2000
Places Christian Coalition volunteers within the broader grassroots battle of the 2000 election and reports extensive distribution of voter guides through churches, radio, bookstores, newspapers, and street volunteers.
| The Washington Post | The Washington Post | November 2, 2000
Describes an extensive Christian Coalition voter-mobilization operation involving more than 70 million guides, telephone calls, postcards, and church distribution in battleground states.
| Salon staff | Salon | October 2, 2000
Examines Robertson, George W. Bush, abortion politics, and the Coalition's attempt to maintain influence while keeping a lower profile during the general-election campaign.
| Kim Lawton | PBS Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly | September 29, 2000
Reports from the Coalition's annual meeting, where Robertson announced a large election mobilization and plans for tens of millions of voter guides despite the organization's recent financial and legal problems.
| Adele Stan | Salon | August 3, 2000
Reports Robertson's Christian Coalition gathering during the Republican National Convention and examines relations between the organization and George W. Bush's campaign.
| Michael L. Mickler | Nova Religio | April 1, 2000
A scholarly review of Robert Boston's book on Robertson evaluates a critical interpretation of Robertson's career and the rise of the Christian Coalition.
| CBSNews.com staff | CBS News | March 13, 2000
Examines Republican tensions over ties to the Christian right following George W. Bush's primary campaign appearances and the McCain-Robertson confrontation.
| T. Christian Miller and Ronald Brownstein | Los Angeles Times | February 29, 2000
Covers McCain's attack on Robertson and Jerry Falwell during the Republican presidential primaries and explains why Christian-right voters had become strategically important inside the GOP.
| The Washington Post | The Washington Post | February 29, 2000
Reports the confrontation between McCain and Robertson surrounding the Virginia primary, including disputes over campaign tactics, Bob Jones University, Catholics, and conservative Christian voters.
| The Guardian staff | The Guardian | February 21, 2000
Reports the South Carolina Republican primary and discusses Robertson and Christian conservative mobilization for George W. Bush against John McCain.
| David Gibson | Religion News Service | 2000
A lengthy examination of the organization's decline analyzes debt, disputed membership claims, the IRS decision, Reed's departure, Robertson's return to management, and prospects for revival.
| Daniel Kurtzman | Jewish Telegraphic Agency | October 5, 1999
Examines evidence that the Coalition's institutional strength had declined while noting that its grassroots networks and church-based voter mobilization could still matter in the 2000 election.
| R.H. Melton | The Washington Post | October 2, 1999
Examines Virginia Christian Coalition activists at the Road to Victory conference and their involvement in state elections as well as the upcoming presidential race.
| Associated Press | CBS News | October 1, 1999
Reports Robertson's assessments of George W. Bush, Gary Bauer, Elizabeth Dole, Pat Buchanan, and other Republican presidential contenders at the Coalition's Road to Victory conference.
| Thomas B. Edsall and Terry M. Neal | The Washington Post | October 1, 1999
Reports Robertson's favorable assessment of George W. Bush and the competition among Republican presidential candidates for support from Coalition activists.
| Joan Didion | The New York Review of Books | June 24, 1999
Discusses Reed's political pragmatism and the Coalition within a broader analysis of Washington politics, conservative activism, and the Clinton controversies.
| Lauren Stein | Jewish Telegraphic Agency | June 14, 1999
Examines the implications of the IRS tax ruling for the Christian Coalition and other religious organizations that distributed voter education materials.
| Frederick Clarkson | Salon | February 24, 1999
Analyzes Robertson's return to active control of the Christian Coalition amid falling influence, organizational problems, competition within the religious right, and preparations for the 2000 election.
| The Washington Post | The Washington Post | February 7, 1999
Reports an early 2000 presidential-cycle Christian Coalition event in New Hampshire where Republican hopefuls addressed religious conservatives and Robertson discussed what he considered a national moral crisis.
