Richard Land was once advisor to Texas Governor Bill Clements.  After Clements, Richard landed a job at a Fundamentalist Bible college in Dallas.  He would later become head of the Southern Baptist moral agency in 1988.  Hogue explains how Land  would take the agency to paths it never dreamed of regarding directly linking the convention to power politics.  Land explained his new agenda as; "Actually, its like I shacked up with your favorite daughter--and didn't even bother to marry her."

When George H. W. Bush ran for office his son, George W., came to the Bible college to solicit help from Land in getting his father elected.  The son even promised Land a place in the administration if the election proved to be a victory.  Later, when the father invaded Iraq, he sought out the  advice and counsel of Land regarding what was a "just war".  Land would use his influence and contacts to get GOP leaders on the platform in the Southern Baptist Convention.  He used his newsletters to publish kind remards about Bush and friends. One SBC president got a private jet flight to connect with the Bush campaign.

Land despised the female Democrat governor who George W. replaced.  Richard called her "that despicable woman,".  He also used his office to attack the Southern Baptist who was the Democrat President, Bill Clinton.  Land had contact with the Clinton administration, but did not get the returned phone calls he did with the father and son team that bordered the Clinton Presidency.  Land was one of the first to demand that Clinton resign the oval office.

With the departure of Clinton, Land again found himself with direct access to political power.  While Bush Jr. was governor, Land enjoyed visiting Carl Rove when he was around Austin.  When Bush and Rove landed in the oval office Richard Land participated in weekly conversations by phone.  His access to national decision making was greatly improved.  Land helped justify the latest war with Iraq, becoming one of its biggest cheerleaders.  Land helped convince both father and son that fighting in Iraq was a just cause.  History might record Land was a key player in the decision to go into Iraq the second time. When Iraq held the elections of 2005, Land thought this was a sign that the war was the right thing to do.

Land, with the rotating presidency of the SBC, has become the official spokesman for the right wing attitudes in the convention. He is the new face of the SBC.  Among the issues he is representing are laissez-faire economics, global warming is a myth, and the election of John Kerry would bring God's judgement on America.