Evangelical Christian leader Dr. James Dobson, the pediatrician whose radio program reaches millions of people across the nation, has taken to task Democratic Presidential candidate Barack Obama over his views on the Bible and the U.S. Constitution.
Dobson forwarded to the Press advanced copies of the remarks he plans to broadcast on Tuesday's edition of 'Focus on the Family.'
Of particular concern to Dobson are Obama's unorthodox views of scripture, which Dobson contends leads him to a faulty interpretation of the U.S. Constitution.
At issue are Obama's views on abortion and his rather curious statements on the teachings of Jesus and the dietary rules found in the Book of Leviticus in the Bible.
The full story can be found here.
Showing posts with label Focus on the Family. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Focus on the Family. Show all posts
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Monday, October 01, 2007
Can Dobson Doom the Giuliani Candidacy?
Gentlemen, it is time for a reasonable compromise.
These words form the basis of my message to Dr. James Dobson, the pediatrician and director of radio's Focus on the Family, who stated in no uncertain terms over the weekend that evangelical Christians would never under any circumstance support Rudy Giuliani for President.
Dobson's comments came as a result of several days of meetings with other powerful Christian conservative voices--persons of enormous influence in the heartland of America.
Focus on the Family is one of the most popular and influential radio broadcasts in the nation today, boasting tens of millions of listeners. This puts Dobson in an elite category of king-makers in this nation, given that he can deliver over 10 million voters for a political candidate.
The movers and shakers within the Republican Party ignore Dobson to their peril. Ever since 1980 when Ronald Reagan was able to form a powerful coalition of religious and social conservatives, blue-collar conservative Democrats, as well as traditional Republicans, Christian evangelicals have been considered a valuable part of the decision-making process within the Republican Party.
While there are many who look askance at Dobson's claim to wielding that much power over policy makers, even to the point of choosing a Presidential candidate, it is still of vital importance that his voice be heard and that his views be taken seriously.
The crux of Dobson's disdain for Rudy Giuliani centers on one issue--abortion. Christian conservatives abhor abortion as a blight on the nation's conscience. Giuliani has made it clear he will not back down on his lifelong support of a woman's right to an abortion.
Dobson's response? If Giuliani is the nominee, he and his army of millions will stay home on election day or find a different candidate to support outside the two Parties.
The threat is dangerous. Should Dobson and his supporters sit out election day in 2008, it could be enough to tip the scales in favor of Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama, or whoever the Democrat may be. And should the Dobson coalition back a different candidate, too many voters would be drawn away from the GOP, which would also throw the election to the Democrats.
In essence Dobson has delivered an ultimatum to the Republican Party. If the GOP chooses a social liberal, Dobson and company will either stay home or support a third Party candidate, which will mean the election of the nation's worst nightmare in the form of Hillary Clinton or one of the other Democrats.
Further, Dobson has indicated that he has serious problems with John McCain and Mitt Romney. He has also stated he doesn't like Fred Thompson. But the ultimatum centers squarely upon no one other than Rudy Giuliani. Perhaps he could be persuaded about the others.
And this brings us back to my original message to Dr. Dobson and his colleagues. Gentlemen, we hear you. We need your support to elect someone who takes the Constitution and our nation's history seriously rather than a liberal who simply doesn't care.
Thus, it is time for a reasonable compromise. Many of us out here who have not yet had the chance to cast a vote in a primary have major problems with Giuliani for various reasons. Say we agree with you that Giuliani should not be the nominee. What are you willing to give us in return?
If we give a decisive thumbs-down to Giuliani and choose one of the other GOP candidates, will you then support that person?
For example, Fred Thompson may not be your favorite person. But we like what we hear when he speaks. He has been straight as an arrow in his support for gun rights, the war on terror, complete freedom of religious expression and speech, and he has stated repeatedly that Roe v. Wade is a terrible ruling.
What more could you want? The man is in your corner.
But Thompson isn't the only one. There are several more GOP candidates about whom the very same things could be said.
And so, Dr. Dobson, if we deliver on your ultimatum that Giuliani be denied the nomination, what are you willing to do for us in return? Many of us believe that at the very least you should lend your support to the person we choose, even if it is Thompson, McCain, or Romney.
I strongly believe that such a reasonable compromise will be for the ultimate good of the country.
These words form the basis of my message to Dr. James Dobson, the pediatrician and director of radio's Focus on the Family, who stated in no uncertain terms over the weekend that evangelical Christians would never under any circumstance support Rudy Giuliani for President.
Dobson's comments came as a result of several days of meetings with other powerful Christian conservative voices--persons of enormous influence in the heartland of America.
Focus on the Family is one of the most popular and influential radio broadcasts in the nation today, boasting tens of millions of listeners. This puts Dobson in an elite category of king-makers in this nation, given that he can deliver over 10 million voters for a political candidate.
The movers and shakers within the Republican Party ignore Dobson to their peril. Ever since 1980 when Ronald Reagan was able to form a powerful coalition of religious and social conservatives, blue-collar conservative Democrats, as well as traditional Republicans, Christian evangelicals have been considered a valuable part of the decision-making process within the Republican Party.
While there are many who look askance at Dobson's claim to wielding that much power over policy makers, even to the point of choosing a Presidential candidate, it is still of vital importance that his voice be heard and that his views be taken seriously.
The crux of Dobson's disdain for Rudy Giuliani centers on one issue--abortion. Christian conservatives abhor abortion as a blight on the nation's conscience. Giuliani has made it clear he will not back down on his lifelong support of a woman's right to an abortion.
Dobson's response? If Giuliani is the nominee, he and his army of millions will stay home on election day or find a different candidate to support outside the two Parties.
The threat is dangerous. Should Dobson and his supporters sit out election day in 2008, it could be enough to tip the scales in favor of Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama, or whoever the Democrat may be. And should the Dobson coalition back a different candidate, too many voters would be drawn away from the GOP, which would also throw the election to the Democrats.
In essence Dobson has delivered an ultimatum to the Republican Party. If the GOP chooses a social liberal, Dobson and company will either stay home or support a third Party candidate, which will mean the election of the nation's worst nightmare in the form of Hillary Clinton or one of the other Democrats.
Further, Dobson has indicated that he has serious problems with John McCain and Mitt Romney. He has also stated he doesn't like Fred Thompson. But the ultimatum centers squarely upon no one other than Rudy Giuliani. Perhaps he could be persuaded about the others.
And this brings us back to my original message to Dr. Dobson and his colleagues. Gentlemen, we hear you. We need your support to elect someone who takes the Constitution and our nation's history seriously rather than a liberal who simply doesn't care.
Thus, it is time for a reasonable compromise. Many of us out here who have not yet had the chance to cast a vote in a primary have major problems with Giuliani for various reasons. Say we agree with you that Giuliani should not be the nominee. What are you willing to give us in return?
If we give a decisive thumbs-down to Giuliani and choose one of the other GOP candidates, will you then support that person?
For example, Fred Thompson may not be your favorite person. But we like what we hear when he speaks. He has been straight as an arrow in his support for gun rights, the war on terror, complete freedom of religious expression and speech, and he has stated repeatedly that Roe v. Wade is a terrible ruling.
What more could you want? The man is in your corner.
But Thompson isn't the only one. There are several more GOP candidates about whom the very same things could be said.
And so, Dr. Dobson, if we deliver on your ultimatum that Giuliani be denied the nomination, what are you willing to do for us in return? Many of us believe that at the very least you should lend your support to the person we choose, even if it is Thompson, McCain, or Romney.
I strongly believe that such a reasonable compromise will be for the ultimate good of the country.
Thursday, March 29, 2007
The Dobson Snub of Fred Thompson
Washington, DC (TLS). Evangelical Christian leader James Dobson recently stated that while Fred Thompson is definitely conservative and espouses views that Dobson's listeners support, there are concerns about 'whether or not he is a Christian.'
Former U.S. Senator and actor Fred Thompson has suggested in recent days that he would consider entering the race for the Republican Presidential nomination.
Thompson's announcement has enlivened disheartened conservatives who have lamented the lack of viable conservative candidates in the Republican field. In the two weeks or so since Thompson indicated he may run, there has been a 'draft Fred Thompson' movement afoot among Republicans, including some with far-reaching influence and deep pockets.
Dobson, however, expressed hesitation over the possibility.
No doubt Dobson's listeners value a Christian candidate. As the most widely influential evangelical Christian on the scene today, Dobson's radio program, 'Focus on the Family,' is carried by over 2000 radio stations and boasts an audience of over 40 million listeners, most of whom are very politically active and support candidates who espouse traditional values.
Dobson's presumption that Thompson is not a Christian seems a bit over the top, however.
A Thompson spokesman responded to Dobson's remarks by stating that Thompson is, indeed, a Christian, having been baptized into the Church of Christ. A Dobson spokesman clarified the evangelical leader's remarks by stating that Dobson was not suggesting that the group to which Thompson belonged was not Christian but that Thompson had never spoken openly about his faith.
Evangelical Christians believe it is vital that followers of Christ give verbal assent to their faith. However, historically this has never been viewed as a license to pass judgment on a person's faith or lack thereof. Those matters are usually left up to the individual and God.
It is no secret that Dobson prefers Newt Gingrich, who recently confessed to Dobson's audience that he had an adulterous affair while serving as Speaker of the House. However, Newt has some negative baggage. Gun Owners of America is rather cool toward a Gingrich candidacy due to the difficulty of getting the Speaker to place on the docket bills of vital interest to gun owners. In addition, outside of conservative Republican circles, Newt's negatives tend to be rather high.
This is not to say that Newt would be snubbed by Republicans if he threw his hat into the ring or that he would not make inroads into the general population. He is certainly intelligent and articulate enough to bring people on board with him.
Yet so far no conservative candidate has created the excitement and the 'buzz' that Thompson has managed to create by merely suggesting that he 'might' run. Columnist Mona Charen wrote today that there are numerous reasons that a Thompson candidacy may be the only viable hope for a Republican win in 2008, not the least of which is his appeal to independents.
The bottom line is that Dobson's analysis of Fred Thompson's faith may not be a very important factor, not even to Dobson's listeners. Evangelical Christian voters today are intelligent, informed, and well-read. Their level of sophistication is such that an opinion expressed by a beloved evangelical leader will be viewed as nothing more than just that--an opinion.
Conservative voters are well-aware of the nature of politics. They are not looking for sainthood but for someone who shares their values, their ideals, their world-view. Above all they want someone who respects their faith.
Absolutely nothing in Fred Thompson's history or political career even remotely suggests that his views will not resonate with the vast majority of conservative evangelical voters.
Former U.S. Senator and actor Fred Thompson has suggested in recent days that he would consider entering the race for the Republican Presidential nomination.
Thompson's announcement has enlivened disheartened conservatives who have lamented the lack of viable conservative candidates in the Republican field. In the two weeks or so since Thompson indicated he may run, there has been a 'draft Fred Thompson' movement afoot among Republicans, including some with far-reaching influence and deep pockets.
Dobson, however, expressed hesitation over the possibility.
No doubt Dobson's listeners value a Christian candidate. As the most widely influential evangelical Christian on the scene today, Dobson's radio program, 'Focus on the Family,' is carried by over 2000 radio stations and boasts an audience of over 40 million listeners, most of whom are very politically active and support candidates who espouse traditional values.
Dobson's presumption that Thompson is not a Christian seems a bit over the top, however.
A Thompson spokesman responded to Dobson's remarks by stating that Thompson is, indeed, a Christian, having been baptized into the Church of Christ. A Dobson spokesman clarified the evangelical leader's remarks by stating that Dobson was not suggesting that the group to which Thompson belonged was not Christian but that Thompson had never spoken openly about his faith.
Evangelical Christians believe it is vital that followers of Christ give verbal assent to their faith. However, historically this has never been viewed as a license to pass judgment on a person's faith or lack thereof. Those matters are usually left up to the individual and God.
It is no secret that Dobson prefers Newt Gingrich, who recently confessed to Dobson's audience that he had an adulterous affair while serving as Speaker of the House. However, Newt has some negative baggage. Gun Owners of America is rather cool toward a Gingrich candidacy due to the difficulty of getting the Speaker to place on the docket bills of vital interest to gun owners. In addition, outside of conservative Republican circles, Newt's negatives tend to be rather high.
This is not to say that Newt would be snubbed by Republicans if he threw his hat into the ring or that he would not make inroads into the general population. He is certainly intelligent and articulate enough to bring people on board with him.
Yet so far no conservative candidate has created the excitement and the 'buzz' that Thompson has managed to create by merely suggesting that he 'might' run. Columnist Mona Charen wrote today that there are numerous reasons that a Thompson candidacy may be the only viable hope for a Republican win in 2008, not the least of which is his appeal to independents.
The bottom line is that Dobson's analysis of Fred Thompson's faith may not be a very important factor, not even to Dobson's listeners. Evangelical Christian voters today are intelligent, informed, and well-read. Their level of sophistication is such that an opinion expressed by a beloved evangelical leader will be viewed as nothing more than just that--an opinion.
Conservative voters are well-aware of the nature of politics. They are not looking for sainthood but for someone who shares their values, their ideals, their world-view. Above all they want someone who respects their faith.
Absolutely nothing in Fred Thompson's history or political career even remotely suggests that his views will not resonate with the vast majority of conservative evangelical voters.
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