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.
Well, heck, then there’s just no one left to endorse but Ron Paul or a Democrat.....
this is a FWIW type article. I’ll let the Fredheads go after him, I’ll stay out of it.
Huh?
I respect James Dobson,but I’ll make my decision by myself. If he doesn’t like Fred Thompson then he shouldn’t vote for him,but I’ll vote for whom I believe to be the best candidate regardless of James Dobson !!!
not true. this just killed thompson’s nomination. he’s now a dead man walking. a zombie. sad but true.
“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.”
I’m with Fred on that one too. Dobson and others like him want the Feds to impose THEIR beliefs on the states but not other people’s beliefs. They can’t have it both ways. The likes of marriage, abortion, drinking age, speed limits, etc. are all STATE issues. I’m sorry but you can’t legislate morality and you should not even try. The federal government is too much involved in things the constitution doesn’t give them permission to be involved in and marriage is one of them.
Oh, and by the way, I’m a former youth pastor, so my Christian credentials are solid.
AJ is picking up a few fans. LOL
I don’t think so.
I watched Romney on Fox and Friends the other day because, although he hasn’t caught fire with me, I think he’s a decent guy and I wanted to check him out in this venue.
He comes across as bland. Sorry, but the Fox & Friends people, goofy as they can be, had more personality and presence than Mitt did.
Fred has presence. I like what he says about religion. It is a private matter and nobody agrees with anybody else about it anyway.
I wonder who Dobson thinks he can find to support. Maybe he should just not say anything for a while.
This is absurd!
Fred Thompson is running for Commander In Chief, not Preacher In Chief.
They can say it because he voted for the restrictions that were before him in Congress. He was always for restrictions, but pro-choice. Now he’s apparently pro-life. Just not enough to criminalize it in the first trimester or support a constitutional amendment to end it.
He already said he would not support McCain.
You cannot legislate moral values.
Since I have never heard of this Dobson guy, this doesn’t mean much to me.
Well, that’s rather unfortunate. FRed represents our best shot at defeating Rudy McRomney and keeping our pro-life and liberty conservative coalition together.
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