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.
Who did the shooting down??? You are full of it up to your ears.
But jokes are okay.
I am 100% in agreement with you....
Dobson is big. Millions of e-mails, hundreds of thousands of downloads, you've got no clue if you think he only effects 153 people.
I didn’t need Dobson to tell me that.
Although it may not be enough, the number one reason all conservatives and most sentient moderates will vote GOP in the general election will be fear of Hillary. For those people it won’t matter who wins the GOP primary. Avid conservatives, however, will only be excited about a conservative candidate, not any of the top four media babies. We’re not going to see Dobson, or anyone like him, cheering a GOP candidate they don’t trust. They might vote for one, and reluctantly announce “well, we might as well vote for Guiliani/Romney/McCain/Thompson now,” but they’re not going to be happy about it.
Anyone know who Dobson IS supporting in the primary? So far, all I’ve seen is articles about who he won’t support.
I think that's an issue pertaining to Fred's position. I've read the links you posted, pissant. In those quotes, Fred does not specifically mention his own personal views either way. And the author Ramesh makes a point, Fred may have personally grown more pro-life over time, but that's his opinion.
That being said, Fred's senatorial voting record is staunchly pro-life. His quotes are more geared toward allowing states to make those distinctions (instead of big govt) and leaving the choice up to each woman, giving the impression, intended or not, of a pro-choice mindset. I think folks are waiting to hear Fred himself specifically say he is pro-life. (And for some, pro-choice.) I've visited his site, he is described as pro-life, he speaks of the sanctity of life, and I consider him to be pro-life.
I like Fred. I like Duncan. Tancredo, too. I like to view the pre-primary time as a time to learn the strengths and weaknesses (because our opponents surely search those out) so we can put the best candidate into the race. And I will support that candidate. And, unlike some conservatives I know off-site, I will vote for Rudy if it comes down to a Rudy-Hillary election, because I don't want to see another Clinton in that role.
Listened to Focus on the Family, but never read his books. It is not his ideas that are his problem, it is the extent to which he revels in, and uses, his enormous following. He weilds the power he has like a sword, cutting down any political candidates that won't pay him what he considers the proper respect as un-Christian.
Like don't kill, don't steal, don't lie, don't risk other peoples lives by driving too fast etc. etc. ?
I just had to look at what post #666 might say.
Dobson is the head of Focus on the Family, which you may have heard of. http://www.family.org/ He’s one of the biggest figures in Christian activism today (I don’t know how else to classify him). He’s not a preacher, actually I think he’s a psychologist, and he mainly focuses on family issues like divorce, childrearing, schooling, and those sorts of things. The people on this thread that don’t know him are just not part of the culture that he speaks to . . . he is listened to by a lot of people.
” If you mean both are “old” fine.”
Not necessarily “old” - because Regan was “old” but exuded alot of energy and humor.
I don’t think Thompson “exudes” much at all.
He already looks tired, and he’s just started.
With Dole - he was compared to the youthful energetic Clinton.
If Thompson faces off against Barak - there will be a similar problem.
Not sure how well he’ll compare with Hillary, especially if her scandals keep sprouting.
We’ll see.
I’m not dead-set against him. He just doesn’t inspire confidence...yet.
Lou Canons book is a good start. Lyn Nofziger is another excellent source as is Ed Rollins book.
...now for more recent Romneyisms I’ll let the more tech savvy post links to the youtube videos that have him shilling for gays in the military and against the NRA.
Dobson and “Focus on the Family” wants the same stranglehold on the Republican party that Moveon.org has on the Democrat party. For Mr. Dobson...I do not see the Jesus Stamp of Approval on your letterhead so what makes your “endorsement or non-endorsement” better than anyone elses. Has Focus on the Family become a cult were followers are to bow to your ever demand?
Fred has called himself pro-life on multiple occasions this year. I’ll take him at his word. But what I can’t abide by is fredheads skewering Mitt for his change of heart, when Fred has obviously changed his position as well over time. Nothing wrong with that, but I won’t tolerate people calling me a liar for pointing out his past statements. The Tennessee papers called him pro-choice in each of his campaigns, based on interviews with him and his answers to questionaires.
I will vote for Fred if he wins the nomination. I don’t have the same visceral reaction to him as I do to some of the others. But I don’t want to sugarcoat his past either. And FWIW, I don’t like his position now. He does not support an amendment to outlaw abortion and he does not support legislation to criminalize it in the 1st trimester, meaning he would not support Hunter’s Right to Life Act, which defines life as beginning at conception and deserving of constitutional protection.
We listen to Dobson's radio program; if we are taking a trip we'll download it onto CD's for listening on the way. Good stuff. I wouldn't take marching orders on who to vote for from anyone, but I'll consider what people that I respect have to say, and Dobson is someone that I respect. Both Thompson and Dobson are right about whether there should be a marriage amendment to the Constitution, because they have different points. Thompson is saying Federalism, Dobson is saying marriage is the foundation of society, that it is important enough to protect Constitutionally. Dobson's not wrong, as some in this thread imply, because if it's a Constitutional Amendment it is within the power of the Federal Government by definition, by Constitution . . . so it does not violate Federalism. It modifies it.
I worry that Thompson's too far to the left on free speech, social issues, border security and trade, and as a failure in his role in Watergate and a failure in investigating the Clinton's fundraising scandals (if partisan victory is the goal), he is not a hard nosed winner in combat with the Dems. I also worry that he's old looking and has medical issues and isn't that vibrant. I keep saying Hunter, but people seem determined to accept only those that are blessed by the mainstream money and media people.
“We’ve got to get Senator Thompson to be clearer on the issues. I hear that he’s prolife, while others who favor someone else hear that he’s not.”
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