Today’s GOP is the product of Pat Robertson’s anti-LGBTQ+, Christian nationalist vision

Televangelist Pat Robertson
Photo: Screenshot

Pat Robertson’s obituaries described him as a major influence on the Republican party. In the words of The New York Times, he was “a Baptist minister with a passion for politics who marshaled Christian conservatives into a powerful constituency that helped Republicans capture both houses of Congress in 1994.”

This is a little like saying Donald Trump was a real estate developer who scored a surprising success in politics. It’s a factual statement that minimizes the historical – and destructive – impact that Robertson had on democracy.

Today’s GOP is a creation of Pat Robertson. From its embrace of Christian nationalism to its vicious hatred of LGBTQ+ people, the Republican party today is exactly what Robertson wanted it to become. And he succeeded.

At the time, Robertson’s 1988 presidential campaign seemed like folly, a fringe candidate on an ego trip. In fact, it was the harbinger of what the party was to become. To begin with, Robertson promised to launch his campaign only if he got three million signatures on petitions asking him to do so. He had no problem clearing that bar, a sign of his reach.

He also performed surprisingly well against a field that included…

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