And Who Shall Lead Them?: 1985-1988

Overview

Anti-abortion activists cheered when Reagan named one of their own, C. Everett Koop, as Surgeon-General. By the mid-'80s, though, AIDS tragically hits home even in fundamentalist circles, and Koop splits from his former allies over the proper Christian response to this 'sign of God's judgment.' Hearing the call of God, Pat Robertson mobilizes an 'invisible army' of fervent believers, many of whom had never before engaged in politics, to support his bid for the Presidency. Though dogged by the televangelist scandals, the Robertson campaign — with its calls for renewed patriotism and its fierce attacks on liberalism — sets the agenda for George Bush's victory over Michael Dukakis.