Posted on 01/13/2007 11:30:51 PM PST by jdm
A prominent Christian leader whose radio and magazine outreaches are solidly in support of biblically-based marriages – and keeps in touch with millions of constituents daily – says he cannot consider Arizona Sen. John McCain a viable candidate for president.
"Speaking as a private individual, I would not vote for John McCain under any circumstances," said James Dobson, founder of the Colorado Springs-based Focus on the Family as well as the Focus Action cultural action organization set up specifically to provide a platform for informing and rallying constituents.
Dobson, who always is careful to note that he's not speaking for the non-profit ministry, which cannot advocate for or against candidates legally, also doesn't hesitate to state his personal opinions on social or political issues and agendas.
Several times he's talked to Republicans, the traditionally conservative political party, about the need to maintain the values of that large part of the U.S. population, or lose the support of those people.
His most recent comments came during an interview on the Jerry Johnson Live program on KCBI 90.0 FM.
The show host noted that pro-family conservatives already are thinking about the next cycle of leadership in the United States, which will be determined in the 2008 presidential and congressional elections. He also noted that McCain and New York mayor Rudy Guiliani appear to be the leaders.
Then he asked Dobson to listen to a statement from McCain and respond.
"I think, uh … I think that gay marriage should be allowed if there's a ceremony kind of thing, if you wanna call it that … I don't have any problem with that," McCain says.
"Dr. Dobson, would you be comfortable with someone like John McCain as the … conservative or Republican candidate for president?" Johnson asked.
"Well, let me say that I am not in the office. I'm in the little condo so I can speak for myself and not for Focus on the Family," Dobson said in rejecting McCain's leadership.
He noted that legislation he'd just been discussing on the program, regarding an attempt by Democrat leaders in Congress to create obstacles for ministries such as Focus to reach constituents with action messages about pending legislation, is being supported by McCain, too.
"That came from McCain, and the McCain Feingold Bill kept us from telling the truth right before elections … and there are a lot of other things. He's not in favor of traditional marriage, and I pray that we won't get stuck with him," Dobson said.
The provisions of the new congressional proposal, hidden deep inside a plan to reform lobbying rules to eliminate the many recent scandals involving members of Congress, would require pro-family groups to provide documentation of their actions to the government any time they try to spark any "grass-roots" action.
Phone calls, personal visits, e-mails, magazines, broadcasts, phone banks, appearances, travel, fundraising and other items all would be subject to government tabulation, verification and audits, Dobson said during a recent program. "On and on it goes."
"Clearly, the objective here is to hide what goes on from the public and punish and silence those of us who would talk about what our representatives are doing," Dobson said of the plan by Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev. American Family Association Chairman Donald Wildmon, Family Research Council President Tony Perkins and American Values President Gary Bauer joined Dobson in urging listeners to flood Capitol Hill with phone calls demanding those speech limits be removed.
Bauer said the telephone number to call is: 202-224-3121.
Focus also has begun an online petition, at Focuspetitions.com.
Wildmon characterized the Washington proposal as a message to the American public: "We don't want to hear from you, and this is the way we're going to handle it."
Dobson also earlier scolded Republicans for blaming the 2006 election victories by Democrats in many races across the country on conservatives.
"Dick Armey emerged from four years in the wilderness to blame conservative Christians for Tuesday's defeat. They were, he said, 'too involved' with the party. He can't be serious! Someone should tell him that without the support of that specific constituency, John Kerry would be president and the Republicans would have fallen into a black hole in '04," Dobson said in a story WND reported earlier.
"Values Voters are not going to carry the water for the Republican Party if it ignores their deeply held convictions and beliefs," he said.
"Republican leaders in Congress during this term apparently never understood, or they forgot, why Ronald Reagan was so loved and why he is considered one of our greatest presidents. If they hope to return to power in '08, they must rediscover the conservative principles that resonated with the majority of Americans in the 1980s – and still resonate with them today. Failure to do so will be catastrophic," Dobson said.
Dobson noted he'd been interviewed by U.S. News and World Report after the 2004 elections and warned if Republicans squandered their opportunity, they would pay a price at the polls in either 2008 or 2006.
Dobson's predictions about values and the Republican Party go back even further than that, too.
In 1998 he told a reporter that the GOP was in danger of losing its ability to "claim to speak for those of us with deep moral convictions."
He said at that time the party has "ignored the moral issues year after year, term after term" and said at that time it was "time to fish or cut bait."
At that time he also warned the GOP Christians and conservatives "will abandon them if they continue to ignore the most important issues."
Speaking as a private individual, I would not vote for John McCain under any circumstances either.
Even if he became the Republican nominee?
Yes.
....And speaking as a private individual, I'd rather have a root canal than vote for that smarmy Manchurian Candidate.
"I think, uh … I think that gay marriage should be allowed if there's a ceremony kind of thing, if you wanna call it that …
Really eloquent there, Senator.
Not that I'm a McCain supporter but who really cares what this Dobson dude has to say?
Millions of listeners.
who really cares what this Dobson dude has to say?
If you knew how many people support his ministry every month with their pocketbooks, you wouldn't say that.
LOL. That's a little like saying "who really cares what this 'Limbaugh' guy has to say?"
See post number 8!
It is. But, what we have here is a person with a high profile position who gets asked questions. Like Rush, he has gained that position because what he stands for resonates with a certain percentage of the population.
I welcome Dobson's calling the Republicans out. He is saying exactly what I have decided on my own.
Like many Evangelical leaders he does well at what he is gifted to do--help families live better and more healthy through Christian living. He does not do well at political matters. Ditto for Pat Robertson and others.
When you practice "exclusion" as a way to deal with difficult situations you increasingly not only limit your repertoire of possible supporters but you make fierce political adversaries as well.
If Dr. Dobson was really up to the task before him he would proceed like this. He would first say that issues such as homosexual marriage and abortion have been dealt with for thousands of years before and after Christ. In respect to "Gay Marriage" it has always been that procreation trumped recreation and marriage was seen as the way to raise and maintain children. It has always been, that even in pagan times, marriage was between a man and a woman. Even in instances of polygamy in the times before Christ's birth, it was between a man and women
Note that Dr. Dobson would be extending his views sufficient to include agnostics and atheists who also believe in the importance of maintaining and supporting long standing institutions. Also note he does not attack anyone nor does he come accross as judgmental.
Of course, then someone might ask about Senator McCain. His response would be something like this, "I am not altogether certain from what I have heard as to his position on Gay Marriage but from what I can gather he supports this. If so, I would have a hard time supporting his candidacy..."
Note, he has not placed McCain outside the pale and McCain might modify or change and still have hope. Also, note he has not made McCain and adversary. Many people who think highly of McCain will not be turned off to Dr. Dobson's views as they might be with a harsh, exclusionary judgment.
At all times, Christ always leaves the door open. This must also apply to politics and political judments. It is tragic that Dobson, Robertson and Falwell as well as other leaders when it comes to politics do not. They make it difficult for other Evangelicals to build bridges, establish political alliances and move ahead. They also make possible a mistaken perception that Evangelicals are knuckle dragging, Neanderthals who spend their time judging others. In the final analysis we can only remedy our own sins and this we do imperfectly; hence, it might be a good idea to leave others the same opportunity as well as the opportunity to join us politically in protecting the common culture.
Bullcrap.
This line of thinking leaves you open to President Rodham.
L
McCain-Feingold and the new Harry Reid rules that McCain supports are all part of an effort to silence conservatives and or Christians from having a voice in the political process. Its damn the First Amendment, full speed ahead for John McCain.
Anybody But McCain.
I appreciate the post and the sentiments. But, one cannot change the perceptions of a determined and ruthless political enemy. It is fairly obvious that the left has mastered the art of obfuscation in dealing with the "social" issues, specifically marriage and right to life.
Basically, proponents of gay marriage and abortion on demand argue that both are matters of pure individual choice. Now, this speaks to deep convictions of all Americans. However, individual liberty with no restraint is a recipe for ultimate destruction of individuals and societies.
The so-called Christian Right arose as a reactionary movement after years of erosion of our former "moral consensus"; an agreement that certain matters were simply self evident for the greater good - man should marry woman and beget children. And that children should be protected and nurtured.
Our Founding Father understood all this and much more so very well. They created a system that recognized human nature as it is. Sad to say, what we have today is a mere shadow; the foundation is rotted and I fear the whole thing is near collapse.
McCain,is a dead man walking and talking gibberish. He'd never my vote, not even when you peel my cold dead hand off the voting machine.
When it comes down to McCain VS Hillary! or Obama, sorry, but I will hold my nose and vote for McCain. I WILL NOT throw away my vote on a third party candidate polling at ten per cent.
This is going to be a problem for the frontrunners. How are they going to hold onto the states they are going to need when they will need EVERY vote. They sure aren't going to pick up Mass, NY or CA. And McCain has a problem in the way he has behaved in his relishing the media love. The media love will easily turn to hate. That's the result of his turnabout in 2000.
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