June 8 (Reuters) - Pat Robertson, the televangelist who helped turn Christian conservatives into a potent force in U.S. politics, died at age 93 at his Virginia home, the Christian Broadcasting Network said in a statement on Thursday.
Robertson founded the network in 1960 and hosted the flagship program "The 700 Club" for decades, offering prayers and political commentary.
In 1980, the show helped galvanize support among Christian conservatives for Republican Ronald Reagan's successful campaign for president.
His "The 700 Club" show - stemming from a fundraising telethon in which he asked 700 viewers to send monthly contributions - drew a committed audience.
Nicknamed "Pat" by his older brother, he was born Marion Gordon Robertson in Lexington, Virginia, on March 22, 1930.
Persons:
Pat Robertson, Robertson, Republican Ronald Reagan's, God, Hugo Chavez, Satan, Pat, Marion Gordon Robertson, Absalom Robertson, Dede, Gordon, Doina Chiacu, Joseph Ax, Susan Heavey, Rosalba O'Brien
Organizations:
Christian Broadcasting Network, Republican, Christian Coalition, Republican Party, U.S, Virginia Democrat, U.S . House, U.S . Senate, Yale Law School, New York Theological Seminary, Regent University, American Center for Law, Justice, Thomson
Locations:
U.S, Virginia, Iowa, Midwestern, France, Lexington , Virginia, New