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.
“If Fred were not a bona fide conservative choice in this election, Jim Robinson would certainly not support him.”
No disrespect to Jim, but each of us is capable of digesting where Fred stands of the issues and judging him on that basis.
Thompson opposes a Marriage Protection Amendment, for example. On that non-negotiable issue, I don’t need either Jim — Dobson or Robinson — to tell me that I won’t be supporting Fred unless he “sees the light” on that issue.
Dr. Dobson judges him negatively on the same issue and perhaps others, and millions if not tens of millions of Americans know his name and deeply respect his judgment.
That doesn’t detract from the influence of Jim Robinson or Free Republic, but I doubt FR comes anywhere close to matching the numbers of Dobson’s reach.
GOTCHA, huh? :)
;)
Thank you for the typical “Christian Conservative Movement” “We’re perfect. Let’s elect a Dem because the C doesn’t kow tow to us 1000%” answer.
Strongly suggest you read # 794
Let me explain how the 10th Amendment works. It only says that powers which have not been granted to the federal government in the constitution are reserved to the states. So, if we pass an amendment to the federal constitution which gives the federal government the power to protect marriage then there is no 10th Amendment violation. In other words, an amendment to the constitution can never violate the 10th Amendment - not to mention the fact that even if the amendment were to contradict the 10th Amendment (which it doesn’t) then as the more recent Amendment it would simply repeal any portion of the 10th Amendment which conflicted.
And he also revels in the power that his enormous popularity gives him, basically expecting politicians to grovel at his feet to secure his approval. He is as much of a pimp as Jesse Jackson, albeit with a different issue focus.
“The problem with the so-called Christian Social Conservative Movement is that it takes the position that if a candidate does not agree with them 100%, then they will sit home and not vote.”
Fact of life. Glad you understand how it works.
And they/we couldn’t care less about your criticism on the point either.
So if you want the support of the base, give us a candidate who shares and/or supports our values...you know, the same ones written down in print in the Republican National Convention platform.
If you don’t, knowing that we’ll sit home, then who’s really to blame?
Now, having written that only 5% facetiously, I’ll amend your observation by saying that we’re likely to accept somebody who’s with us 90% of the time.
Most pro-family activists I know, for example, were willing to let it slide that Fred may or may not have offered legal counsel of some pro-abort group over a decade ago.
No sliding on the Marriage Protection Amendment.
So you want us sitting home, or not? Up to you.
He shot me back the most awful look and said, "No, of course not."
vaudine
vaudine
Actually, the Mormon Church is really as a cult, Mormons don’t even qualify as Pharisees but much more like “false prophets and their followers.”
vaudine
If Romney gets the nomination, we lose the Presidency.
“Strongly suggest you read # 794.”
Did read it.
And responded specifically to it.
See # 807.
He just said this yesterday, best I could tell.
But you DO disrespect JR when you marginalize his support of Fred.
Fred’s opposition to the Marriage Protection Amendement is based on sound Federalist principles ~ he’s not endorsing gay marriage!
If so many Americans ~ tens of millions you say ~ know Dobson’s name and “deeply respect his judgement,” why hasn’t HE been drafted as a conservative alternative for POTUS?
They are nothing but a cult, with all of the apostate cult trappings of secrets, false "prophecy," nothing that can ever be archaeologically nor scientifically pr oven (as their claim that the original peoples in America were the lost tribe of Israel, which was even debunked by one of their own, that they now disown.)
You say Dobson expects politicians to grovel. I haven’t seen him reject politicians that have supported his issues consistantly based on personal interaction. What politician are you talking about here?
Your comparison of James Dobson to Jesse Jackson is ridiculous and frankly libel. James Dobson is a sincere Christian man who has never shaken anyone down for money. He founded focus on the family an organization which provides information and advice to families on issues like how to have strong marriages, how to raise children, and other stuff like that. Because he has dedicated his life to families he occassionally has gotten involved in politics when he feels that families are being threatened. He doesn’t like Fred because Fred opposes the federal marriage amendment (and to be frank Fred has gone out of his way to diss social conservatives since he officially entered the race). So, there is no reason for you to be hatefully to this sincere and decent christian man.
Sorry, but you may buy into that apostacy, false doctrine abomination stuff but don't try to tell the rest of us who actually know something about the real Holy Scriptures, NOT the one conjured up by Smith, that what you say is "Christian."
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