Aides said the aim was to elect Robertson supporters as delegates so he could influence the Republican platform.

Ms. Matalin, however, said the Robertson supporters walked out of several of the meetings only after they had established that they lacked the votes to win.

The Coalition organized former Robertson supporters and other religious conservatives to oppose political liberalism.

The Kemp bolting only fueled the fervor of Robertson supporters working to take over state and local party structures from Maine to Georgia.

It is the zeal of Robertson supporters that makes him a political force to be reckoned with.

However, his controversial win has been credited to procedural manipulation by Robertson supporters who delayed final voting until late into the evening when other supporters had gone home.

Robertson supporters who came to hear him today acknowledged that it was difficult to sell their candidate to other Iowans, even those who belong to evangelical churches.

A group of Robertson supporters then rushed the podium, and pandemonium broke out.

After the melee ended, the Robertson supporters walked out and held a separate convention to elect their own three delegates.

Earlier this month Robertson supporters walked out of about 30 county conventions that were electing delegates to a state convention that will meet on Jan. 29 and 30.