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 deny it. Jesus is not a "product of God" - he's God. Satan is a created being; a fallen angel. Quite different.
“and if he wants to crawl in bed with her at night, Mr. Dobson better believe it, too. Ha!”
Ew! You went there. :)
“Mormons lie. If the truth came out about their religion, their members would leave in droves.”
I wasn’t bashing their religion, I just thought it odd that only special members of the church were good enough to enter the temples.
Bravo! Bravo to every word!
Your calling Dobson a “preacher” betrays your ignorance.
Um. You used the word in post #120. Re-read what you wrote.
“”would not be able to stand up to what will be called on in our next president.””
In my observations of the presidents of my lifetime, the job seems to be easier in a way.
I grew up thinking that the presidency broke men and killed them young, but now they seem to come out of it vigorous, healthy and largely unaffected.
GOD created himself again (in two beings) to be on the planet to understand the temptation from Satan! I respectfully disagree.
Logic straight from DU.
Seriously, stop and think about this for a second. Banning murder (which all states have done) does not stop all murders from taking place. Not only that, murder laws are based on morality. Should we then legalize murder? Of course not. The same logic applies to abortion, if the unborn child is a living human being: it deserves the full protection of the law, just like you and I do.
I am. I respect Dobson a great deal. And I’m inclined to vote for Fred in the primaries.
you can’t legislate morality
So, are you truly arguing that we should have immoral laws? Correlation between moral and civil codes does not make a theocracy.
When morality and civil law conflict or coincide, Christians, Jews, Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, or (God forbid) atheists, have every right to fight it out in the civil arena. Your oft-repeated statement is not only sloppy logic; it is a call to cowardice.
I think over the years you and others have said everything under the sun about The Church and the LDS!
I know every nook and crany as well as other LDSn those who choose to leave this Church, are those who enjoy another region in the Lord Kingdom more!
I was on threads months ago with various folks bashing Hunter. The Comment I replied to was from the same person with the same comments, a rerun from more the a few weeks ago.
“False information”? Where are the ancient manuscripts from the Book of Mormon? There aren’t any, because Joseph Smith made it up, claiming to have translated it from some golden Egyptian tablets — using divining stones that he placed in hat. Is that false information? No, it’s absolutely true.
True. People still commit murder. People still run through red lights. People still steal.
But laws do have some effect on decent people.
Yes, I deny that.
Jesus is the Son of God. Satan is a fallen angel.
There. Now we’ve identified some differences in our doctrine, for all to see.
Yap, you may be right
I am not influenced by either 'man'. However, given the public proclamations by both at least Dobson does stay on the RIGHT side of the political fence. Graham has always been on the LEFT even with his come to Jesus events.
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