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.
From poor scheduling, to simply not enabling him to get his message out. I am still running into solid conservative folks who say “Duncan who?”.
I realize that it is early - but anyone without at least an ounce of name recognition at this point is fighting a HUGE uphill (and probably loosing battle).
I am glad that he was in the debate earlier this week - but in that he didn’t necessarily shine, and was overshadowed by several other candidates.
I have tried to point people to Hunter’s web site, as I think it does better than fair at giving his views. But again - something has to give. It is an unfortunate truth that presidential elections hinge on money...
Oh yeah, that seals it.
Most of the "youth pastors" I've known have been liberal idiots.
Hillary looks pretty good in that she seems energetic and sharp. I’m worried about the comparison with Thompson.
“”when Fred has obviously changed his position as well over time””
I haven’t been able to find his obvious pro abortion past, would you mind posting those links again?
Watch Romney’s video again (just one of them) and see if you don’t understand why conservatives would still have a problem believing his long list of changes about so many issues.
On film Romney doesn’t just thread the needle on the abortion issue, as a candidate may need to do during a campaign.
Romney makes a deep, sincere, and effective plea to the public to believe that pro-choice is fundamental to his core, an actual family value inside his family.
I know that you have seen the tape but relax and watch it closely again, that is the difference between believing Fred Thompson and Mitt Romney.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a9IJUkYUbvI
I am just commenting on what I Observe, the liberal part of the party down there (Thank God they’re a minority) like Guiliani (maybe they’re all from NY-NJ or something)..
LOL
Cut me a break. Dobson’s main focus is family issues and he does a great job with that.
This skewering is a big issue. It has no real positive effect. It divides conservatives, at a time we need a united front, and just makes it easy to for lefties to pick apart us and our candidates. Many of our candidates are good men with strong records, agree with them or not, unlike, say, Kerry. I'm not so naive to think that people won't feel strongly about their favorites or that arguments won't break out, but I think it's far too soon to think we have but the one electable choice without hearing from others. Fred is a strong frontrunner with a real chance, and, at least if we are to believe the polls which are at once leading and indicative of thought, some of the others, regardless of their good qualities, have a lesser chance. That's what the delegates are assigned to decide.
Nothing wrong with that, but I won’t tolerate people calling me a liar for pointing out his past statements.
Agreed. It serves no good. Barring any agenda the Tenn papers might have added (MSM, and all), it seems he is staunchly pro-life now. And I, for one, would love to hear him say the words or see a direct quote to that effect. (I have a feeling I may get an answer to that!)
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.
Visceral reaction, like my 'shudder' at the mention of Huckabee, ewww. I don't think we can afford to sugarcoat the past of any of the candidates, we don't need any October surprises next year.
I sometimes think the DUmmies must find it funny, the name-calling that sometimes erupts...
A lot of social conservatives do listen to Dobson, but of course, not all.
Romney was obviously far more demonstrative, no doubt.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1899326/posts?page=583#583
Outstanding post. Excellent.
At least we, unlike the DUmmies, have some pretty good men to choose from. Hillary, Obama and Edwards? That’s worse than Algore, Kerry and Dukakis.
I think Dobson is much much bigger now than he was in the 1980’s. I’d never heard of him in the 80’s . . . it was all Moral Majority, Falwell, then the Christian Coalition.
Hunter is a very good man and doesn't deserve such scurrilous untruths!
WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?
Salt and light....Thanks BG!
Sarcasm...? [about a post saying this was a big deal]
_________________
I don’t think so; a lot of people listen to Dobson. I’m one of them.
If you had any decency at all you would take them back!
Romney?
Good. I feel he has the best chance of defeating whomever the Demo-betrayers put up - including SHrillary or Obama Hussein Barack.
As for the 'flip flop' charge, I too have changed some of my 'social' values over the years, and thank God I did.
I now see the error of my former ways.
Everyone grows to some extent.
At least Romney has grown the right way.
Fred, while he would certainly be everyone's favorite uncle at Thanksgiving dinner, seems to be unable to articulate details.
And while I love him dearly as a cool person, Fred obviously doesn't have the passion needed to combat the SHrillary brigade.
Oh yes, once in a while he utters an endearing Southern truism, but it will take much much more than that in this upcoming sure-to-be brutal '08 Presidential race.
After studying and considering all the candidates, including Duncan, Huckabee, Tancrado, and Romney -- I am certain that Mitt Romney is the best man to carry the GOP message.
He might not be the most rock-rock-rock solid conservative idealogue, but he is certainly conservative enough for this right winger to accept.
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