Still, there are anomalies in this moral crusade being waged in the precincts of Iowa and the purlieus of New Hampshire. The mood of triumphalism that surrounds Pat Robertson’s campaign is curious in that most of Robertson’s evangelical followers still claim to be premillenialists - that is, they expect the imminent return of Christ and the judgement of a sinful world - but they are acting increasingly like postmillenialists who have taken it upon themselves to usher in Christ’s millenial kingdom. Indeed, there are many evangelicals whose premillenial scruples still will not allow them to participate in politics. In the course of our conversations, Keith Marsh recounted an argument that Robertson faced at the pastors’ luncheon in Concord as he was deciding whether to run for president. “Wait a minute”, one of the ministers said. “The next event on the eschatological clock is the return of Christ. Things in society should get worse rather than better. If Christians worked to turn our nation around, that would be a humanistic effort and delay Christ’s return.”

Balmer, R., Mine Eyes Have Seen The Glory: A Journey Into The Evangelical Subculture In America (New York: OUP, 1993), p. 173.