Posted on 09/19/2007 7:14:10 PM PDT by pissant
DENVER (AP) — James Dobson, one of the nation's most politically influential evangelical Christians, made it clear in a message to friends this week he will not support Republican presidential hopeful Fred Thompson.
In a private e-mail obtained Wednesday by The Associated Press, Dobson accuses the former Tennessee senator and actor of being weak on the campaign trail and wrong on issues dear to social conservatives.
"Isn't Thompson the candidate who is opposed to a Constitutional amendment to protect marriage, believes there should be 50 different definitions of marriage in the U.S., favors McCain-Feingold, won't talk at all about what he believes, and can't speak his way out of a paper bag on the campaign trail?" Dobson wrote.
"He has no passion, no zeal, and no apparent 'want to.' And yet he is apparently the Great Hope that burns in the breasts of many conservative Christians? Well, not for me, my brothers. Not for me!"
The founder and chairman of Colorado Springs-based Focus on the Family, Dobson draws a radio audience in the millions, many of whom who first came to trust the child psychologist for his conservative Christian advice on child-rearing.
Gary Schneeberger, a Focus on the Family spokesman, confirmed that Dobson wrote the e-mail. Schneeberger declined to comment further, saying it would be inappropriate because Dobson's comments about presidential candidates are made as an individual and not as a representative of Focus on the Family, a nonprofit organization restricted from partisan politics.
Dobson's strong words about Thompson underscore the frustration and lack of unity among Christian conservatives about the GOP field. Some Christian right leaders have pinned their hopes on Thompson, describing him as a Southern-fried Ronald Reagan. But others have voiced doubts in recent weeks about some of the same issues Dobson highlighted: his position on gay marriage and support for the 2002 McCain-Feingold campaign finance reform legislation.
Dobson and other Christian conservatives support an amendment to the U.S. Constitution that would bar gay marriage nationally. Thompson has said he would support a constitutional amendment that would prohibit states from imposing their gay marriage laws on other states, which falls well short of that.
Karen Hanretty, a spokeswoman for the Thompson campaign, said Wednesday in response to the Dobson e-mail: "Fred Thompson has a 100 percent pro-life voting record. He believes strongly in returning authority to the levels of government closest to families and communities, protecting states from intrusion by the federal government and activist judges.
"We're confident as voters get to know Fred, they'll appreciate his conservative principles, and he is the one conservative in this race who can win the nomination and can go on to defeat the Democratic nominee."
In his e-mail addressed "Dear friends," Dobson includes the text of a recent news story highlighting Thompson's statement that while he was baptized in the Church of Christ, he does not attend church regularly and won't speak about his faith on the stump.
U.S. News and World Report quoted Dobson earlier this year as questioning Thompson's commitment to the Christian faith — comments Dobson contended were not put in proper context. Dobson in this week's e-mail writes that suppositions "about the former senator's never having professed to be a Christian are turning out to be accurate in substance."
Earlier this year, Dobson said he wouldn't back John McCain because of the Arizona senator's opposition to a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage.
Later, Dobson wrote on a conservative news Web site that he wouldn't support former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani should he win the Republican nomination. Dobson called Giuliani an "unapologetic supporter of abortion on demand" and criticized him for signing a bill in 1997 creating domestic-partnership benefits in New York City.
Last week, Dobson announced on his radio show that the IRS had cleared him of accusations that he had endangered his organization's nonprofit status by endorsing Republican candidates in 2004. The IRS said Dobson, who endorsed President Bush's re-election bid, was acting as an individual and not on behalf of the nonprofit group.
I’m not saying that Dobson is infallible. I’m challenging your contention that Paul’s writings as compiled in Scripture were infallible. It seems that you’re saying that much of the New Testament is rubbish — is that indeed what you’re saying?
Yes, I believe that the Bible is complete and final.
That scripture is considered by some to be difficult, but in reality, if you look at it from a literal point of view (the position that should always be taken unless the text itself would imply that it is an allegory), it is not so difficult.
This was Christ’s reply to Satan when Satan tried to get Jesus to turn a rock into bread (remember that Jesus had gone without food for 40 days and His physical body was experiencing hunger). Jesus was simply saying that his true norishment and sustinance was to do the Father’s will.
IN no way does this verse *unless taken completely out of context and stretching it very far can you even remotely suggest that it would imply further revelation of God beyond what is provided in what would become the Bible.
You are really a 20 year subscriber to Dobson’s magazine that is cancelling the subscription because Dobson doesn’t like Fred Thompson? Why such a strong reaction? Lots of good people are worried that Thompson isn’t the right candidate.
No they wouldn't have. Because they understood it was an issue for the states. The problem with some that advocate a marriage amendment is they're wanting to play both sides of the fence. If you go down this path of passing an Amendment for every moral issue, you're going to have a Constitution with a list of Amendments stretching to the floor. It's a knee jerk reaction to a much larger issue. In fact the 10th Amendment clearly already covers marriage and many other issues.
Passing Amendments to catch every concern while it may alleviate a small concern for a short time will not fix the problem. The only way to fix the problem is to nominate judges that respect federalism. Personally I can only think of a handful that have been nominated in the past 20 years (Janice Rogers Brown and Clarence Thomas come to mind and Thomas only at times). And with the current leadership of both parties, I don't see the situation being reversed.
Your respect for Dobson is evident, and I respect your standing up for him.
I agree we are floundering, and need our course righted..
Honestly - I don’t care that much for Dobson and don’t really care what he thinks. NOT that you care what I think either! LOL I honestly doubt Mr. Dobson would vote for Hillary or Obama over Thompson though. Just sayin’. I do like Duncan Hunter - it would be cool if he got enough momentum to take the party. However, if he doesn’t, I will support Thompson. He’s a good man - just not quite as aligned with me as Hunter is. But defintiley better than Hillary or Obama.
I would also add reading Federalist 81 (or 78 I forget at times) the original intent of the judiciary was quite limited in scope. What it has evolved to (review of state laws, etc.) was not the original intent either. Misinterpretation by progressive courts in the 20th century of the 14th Amendment have taken that evolvement to great lengths unimagined by the Framers as well
Theo asks: “Will I become God of my own planet?”
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Saundra replies: You know that Heavenly Father is preparing a mansion for you, right? If yours came complete with its own planet, would you be horribly offended?
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It’s the man “becoming God” part that is really offensive and false Saundra. There is one God.
Here are three of many, many scriptures which say so:
1 KINGS 8:60 That all the people of the earth may know that the LORD is God, and that there is none else.
ISAIAH 46:9 For I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me.
MARK 12:29-34 —And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. And the second is like, namely this, thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these. And the scribe said unto him, Well, Master, thou hast said the truth: for there is one God; and there is none other but he: And to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbor as himself, is more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices. And when Jesus saw that he answered discreetly, he said unto him, Thou art not far from the kingdom of God. And no man after that durst ask him any question.
The danger to you, Saundra, in the belief that men can become Gods is made clear in the first book of the Bible:
Genesis 3:4 “You will not surely die,” the serpent said to the woman. 5 “For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
This is a common lie of Satan, perhaps the root of his lies — you can be as God, you can be God, you do not need God — It is amazing to Christians that Mormons do not see the source of their doctrines in Satan after reading Genesis 3. There are many truths and good things in Mormonism, just as there are in Islam. It is the mixture of lies and truths that are dangerous and it is always that way. Satan will not come in abhorrent guise to you . . . he comes with a smile and a lie that you want to believe.
I used to have the Federalist Papers on my PDA and was reading thru them, but the PDA kicked the bucket and I never finished. You’re making me think I need to start over ~ I remember really enjoying reading them.
Yah, Dobson could end up sitting out this election. I wonder though if he meant for his view of Thompson to be made public. He may want Hunter or Gingrich or some other entrant still, so he talks down Thompson, but also may be willing to support Thompson in the general election ultimately. Dobson may also be playing to have Thompson commit himself to some of the issues that Dobson believes are critical in order to earn Dobson's support.
Remember that this was an e-mail to friends by Dobson and may not have been intended to be leaked to the press. In which case it's not Dobson acting as you describe, even in his own intent, but is the same as you or I e-mailing our political views to the friends and family that we can influence.
Hi FRiend, I just want to let you know that I’ve been surprised that people have been jumping down your throat for being a youth pastor and thinking that the Federal government shouldn’t legislate certain types of moral questions, but leave them to the states (I’m going from memory a couple hundred posts ago). I am Christian, have the same view as you . . . and the same view as those “attacking” you as well, since I think given the fundamental importance of the family to civilization, we should have a Constitutional Amendment defining marriage nationwide as between one man and one woman. Anyway, you are taking a lot of personal type attacks here that shouldn’t be made at all in my opinion. Let God show us all the truths that we need to do his will.
Dobson is based in Colorado; his ministry is called “Focus on the Family.” He got started in the ‘70’s with a very popular set of seminars that he did around the country on disciplining and rearing children. The ministry grew and grew, became so huge that it now has it’s own zip code. Most of his work is regarding childrearing, schooling, parenting type advice . . . not political. In a way that is what gives him political power. We are almost all political junkies here on Free Republic. My wife couldn’t care less about politics, but she loves kids, loves being a mother, loves her church, and loves and listens to Dobson. She probably has made as many calls to Congressmen and Senators this year as I have, just based on Dobson’s occassional e-mail alerts or notices on his webpage that the family, or the churches, or parents, or whatever is in danger from legislation x, y, or z. His power is that he is not primarily political and he reaches parents, moms, etc. that otherwise would be almost completely uninvolved in or unaware of politics.
Good, common sense post.
Go Mitt!
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Yuck!
I agree with the kingmaker part—but the conservative Christians have as much right to lobby for their interests and beliefs as any other group.
I think it’s telling that Dobson wants to comment on Fred’s poor campaigning, as if effective campaigning is part of the “values vote.”
We see it the same way. I don’t object to Christians ‘lobbying’ either.
I do object to people like Dobson trying this approach.
I'm not sure Dobson did anything more than send a private e-mail to a group of friends with his candid opinion of Thompson. He may not have intended for it to be leaked. Regardless, it is not anywhere near as powerful as if he put it out on radio or personal e-mails to large groups etc, his communications that reach the people that aren't political junkies.
‘He may not have intended for it to be leaked.’
Based on what I’ve seen from him, I seriously doubt he didn’t mean for it to become public.
Just my opinion.
“Slavery was a social issue. You want that amendment repealed?”
Not all things are amenable to that solution. Alcoholism is a social issue but the 18th Amendment was not the right answer. Nice red herring though.
I would say that problems should be addressed with the least government possible, and where government must be involved let it be at the most local level possible.
Personally I would only support an Amendment that protected each state from being forced to recognize another state’s marriage laws - so if Mass. wants to become a haven for buggery, it doesn’t mean that Texas has to. That protects states’ rights and keeps the few radicals from forcing perversity on us.
It also takes the issue off the table, so they can’t make headlines about how they’re oppressed or whatnot.
“Thompson has said that he would like the full faith and credit eliminated where marriage is concerned.”
A president has no authority to adjust or change a legal doctrine in the courts.
Thompson’s words are meaningless.
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