Focus on the Family founder says he may just sit out of this election.
Chairman of Focus on the Family James Dobson said once again Tuesday that he would not vote for Republican candidate John McCain.
Dobson's frustrations with McCain revolve around the following issues: voting against a marriage amendment, supporting embryonic stem-cell research, opposing tax cuts, "little regard" for freedom of speech, preserving filibusters in judicial hearings, and foul language.
Former Bush White House official David Kuo analyzes Dobson's statement on Beliefnet.
By putting himself out there so forcefully, Dr. Dobson risks playing the role of Dr. Kevorkian in ushering in the end of the old-line religious right.
Over at The Atlantic, Ross Douthat says that the statement pretty much assumes a McCain victory, and sounds more wistful than defiant.
Finally, attacking McCain for his tendency to use "foul and obscene language" seems like the purest form of social conservative self-parody. Particularly given the Bush Administration's record on that front.
The Baltimore Sun's James Oliphant:
Today may not be the apocalypse for many on the Religious Right, but to paraphrase Tommy Lee Jones in "No Country For Old Men," it will do until the apocalypse gets here.
Beliefnet's Rod Dreher:
You know, I have my own doubts about whether or not I'll vote this fall in the presidential contest, given how strongly I oppose McCain on the war and on immigration, issues that aren't deal-breakers for Dobson. So I can't really fault Dobson that much, though there is a certain nanny-nanny-boo-boo quality to this statement. ... Speaking as an unapologetic theocon, we need a better quality of theocon leadership in this country. I'm just sayin'.
TIME magazine's recent piece on Dobson examines whether he actually maintains the same kind of political clout he has had in the past.
As Focus on the Family weighs in on the presidential race, however, an examination of the group's records shows that its influence may not be all that it once was, and that its actual base may have become smaller.
Beliefnet's Dan Gilgoff believes his clout is still there.
Let God-o-Meter be the first to say that evangelicals are clearly less beholden to Christian Right leaders like Dobson than in the past. ... But come November, if Dobson's machine declines to swing into action for the Arizona senator, it could be the single biggest reason behind McCain's loss.
Posted by Sarah Pulliam on February 5, 2008 6:15PM
Comments
Many of us "religious right" folks are in agreement with Dobson, as we have been for some time. After all, what has changed? The issues we're concerned about are the same, as is our respect and gratitude for Dr. Dobson. While being appreciative of what President Bush has done, whatever failures (for example, bad language) has had doesn't keep us for hoping for and voting for better things in our next President. Is there some wishful thinking that his influence is waning? :-)
Posted by: Margaret at February 5, 2008
Perhaps the most ironic thing about this whole "debate" is that Dobson himself declared it a "sin" not to vote in 2006. Even CT's own liveblog picked up on this...
The most frustrating thing of all is that Dobson seems to be indicating that Christians (I know he uses the term "conservatives," but if we're honest about it, he's used the terms interchangeably for decades) ought to choose Romney over McCain--despite the fact that Romney is vehemently pro-Guantanamo, refuses to condemn torture, and tows President Bush's pre-surge war strategy; in my mind, each of these factors makes him selectively pro-life because of that. Indeed, I hope that the reign of Dobson for evangelicals is over--I suppose this election will show, one way or the other.
Posted by: Ryan at February 5, 2008
Um, who gives a rat's @@@ about what Dobson thinks? What about Ron Paul?
All other candidates are warmongers. Mitt Romany is a flaming heretic! Good grief people, what happened to the Christian mind?
Posted by: chris at February 5, 2008
James Dobson has become an egotistical maniac and a malcontent of the highest order. If he doesn't get what he wants, he whines and threatens to take his ball home.
Posted by: Matt at February 5, 2008
I respect James Dobson. My parents raised me using his principles.
I just don't think that Dobson's concerns are all that important.
His most significant point seems to be that McCain didn't vote that marriage was only between one man and one woman.
Tax cuts, filibusters and "little regard" for freedom of speech don't seem seem like matters of "conscience".
Finally, I just don't see stem cells, fowl language, or having a temper, as the great moral issues of our time.
I'm sad that Huckabee didn't win Super Tuesday (as much as that might have been a stretch), but I'm not going to be silent while pro-choice, big government, betrayers of Iraqi Sunnis, 'steal from the rich to give to the poor' demagogues go ahead and take office.
So we Evangelicals don't get our top choice. But that doesn't mean we have to stand by, the opposite of our true choice sweeps the nation.
Politics is not about getting the ideal president or bust, its about striving to attain the best thing given the constraints of reality.
I'm happy to live in a country where I don't always get my first choice. It would be unfair if I always got my way. This year, I'm going to have to vote for a guy I partly disagree with.
Posted by: Stephen Slater at February 6, 2008
What Dr. Dobson says does matter, he is one of our leaders given to us by God, and I would say that if you disagree with him, you might try praying for him, instead of criticizing him. I completely understand his decision to not vote if the choice is McCain. I have waffled back and forth with trying to make a decision about for whom to vote, and I can honestly say this is the worst year of choices I have ever seen for Republicans. My heart settled on Newt Gingrich sometime ago, but he chose not to run, don't know if he was trying to wait until 2012, or not.
Hopefully, no one will have a clear majority when we have the convention, and somehow we might be able to draft him to run, anyway, that's what I am praying for.
Posted by: C.Ann at February 6, 2008
So, Dobson refuses to vote in the next election, and lures other Christians to do the same. Fine. He can take his ball and go home crying. But when a Democrat gets in the office, I don't want to hear him whine about it.
As believers, it should not be our expectation to find a leader that is morally perfect in his/her voting record. That is not reality. What we need to focus on his voting for the best of the available options.
Posted by: Mulfy at February 8, 2008
Where do Christians get their theology that directs them to vote for what their minds tell them is the lesser of two evils? Since when are Christians to vote for little or big evils? Is it God who leads them to do such a thing or does their action have more to do with what those Christians want than with what God wants? I believe this is a part of what Romans chapter 1 speaks of when referring to the reprobate mind which appears to have purely godly objectives but really have selfish, fleshly and consequently foul motives filled with evil. Has anyone noticed how fast the Christian gets caught up in lying, spreading rumors, and distorting facts, wishing evil upon those who disagree with them etc. etc.? Of course this is the bad behavior of Christians practiced for centuries and calling for so many denominations. Everyone has to have his way or else. Yes, or else they will kill, steal and destroy to make their point. It is time for Christians and the Church to stop their deadly stratergies and join up with The Lord, learning to pray earnestly, interceeding with the help of The Holy Spirt for that which is holy...first in their own hearts, then in The Church, then there might be some spill over into the nation.
Posted by: Marsha May at June 23, 2008
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