Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/candidate-endorsements-start-shaping-conservatives-role-in-08-race Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Transcript Christian conservative leader Pat Robertson endorsed former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani Wednesday, while Sen. Sam Brownback, R-Kan., endorsed the bid of Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz. Two religious leaders assess the role of the conservative movement in the 2008 election. Read the Full Transcript Notice: Transcripts are machine and human generated and lightly edited for accuracy. They may contain errors. GWEN IFILL: A vigorous, behind-the-scenes competition for Christian evangelical voters came into full view today, as former Christian Coalition head Pat Robertson threw his support to Rudy Giuliani, and Kansas Senator Sam Brownback, who just pulled out of the presidential race, endorsed fellow Senator John McCain.For Giuliani, whose three marriages and support for abortion rights have alienated some conservatives, the Robertson endorsement was a key boost.RUDY GIULIANI (R), Former Mayor of New York: He has tremendous insights into what the main issues are, how they should be dealt with. His advice is invaluable, and his friendship even more invaluable. GWEN IFILL: Robertson ran for president in 1988 and mobilized Christian conservatives for a second-place finish in Iowa that year. Today, he called Giuliani "America's mayor" and praised his toughness. PAT ROBERTSON, Christian Leader: I think the overriding issue that we face in this nation is the Islamic terrorism. And I think, if we don't realize that, America must be kept safe, and I think we want a leader who is strong against this threat of terror. GWEN IFILL: For McCain, the endorsement from the Kansas senator who is popular among evangelicals, arrived as he struggles to stay afloat in national polls, in fundraising, and in the credibility contest for religious Republican voters.SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R), Arizona: I think it matters when one of the most respected members of the United States Senate and in the pro-life, family values community lends his support to my candidacy. GWEN IFILL: Christian conservatives have united behind one Republican presidential candidate ever since Jerry Falwell's Moral Majority and Robertson's Christian Coalition rose to power in the 1980s. More recently, as President Bush's overall popularity has flagged, so, too, has the intensity of his support among this key voting group.Mitt Romney, a Mormon, was shut out of today's round of endorsements, but he has received support from longtime conservative leaders Paul Weyrich and Bob Jones III. With the first voting now less than two months away, it remains an open question whether the endorsements will translate into votes.