New York Times Poll: Evangelicals Agree with Dr. Dobson

CitizenLink.com ^ | 10-8-2007 | Jennifer Mesko

[monomaniac]

New York Times Poll: Evangelicals Agree with Dr. Dobson

by Jennifer Mesko, associate editor

Majority only will support a presidential candidate who shares their values.

A New York Times/CBS News poll shows white, evangelical Republicans agree with Dr. James Dobson.

Nearly 60 percent of those who plan to vote in the primaries said they could not support a candidate they didn't agree with on issues such as abortion and same-sex marriage. Eighty-six percent said presidential candidates should be judged on both their political record and their personal life.

Dr. Dobson has taken a beating in the media for promising to vote only for a candidate who shares his basic values, even if that means supporting a third-party candidate.

Last week, he wrote an op-ed piece for The New York Times to clarify his position: "Speaking personally, and not for the organization I represent, I firmly believe that the selection of a president should begin with a recommitment to traditional moral values and beliefs. Those include the sanctity of human life, the institution of marriage, and other inviolable pro-family principles. Only after that determination is made can the acceptability of a nominee be assessed."

Rick Scarborough, president of Vision America, a Texas-based group that has a network of 5,000 pastors willing to mobilize their churches to vote, said evangelicals are not bluffing.

“I am not going to cast a sacred vote granted to me by the blood of millions of God-fearing Americans who died on the fields of battle for freedom, for a candidate who says it’s OK to kill the unborn,” he told The Times. “I just can’t.”

WATCH DR. DOBSON ON TV
Dr. James Dobson will be a guest on Hannity & Colmes on the Fox News Channel tonight at 9 ET. The program re-airs at midnight ET. He will offer his views, as a private citizen, on the 2008 presidential election.

FOR MORE INFORMATION
Read Dr. Dobson's op-ed that ran in The New York Times last week.

[SoCalPol]

I am voting for Hunter in the Primary because he is better on national security and the border but who ever the GOP ends up with, remember it is the GOP or Pro abortion Dems.

With Hitlery, we won’t have a country for the next election.
Folks have to stop looking at the world through a straw and see the big pitcher.

[Don'tMessWithTexas]

Moral principles are absolute and immutable. People are sinful and inconsistent. No mere man will value life the way you want him to in every possible area. He will fail you. Then where will you be?

I do not have high expectations for any politician. My only hope is in my faithful Savior. You have sacrificed what may be good on the altar of illusive perfection. Would it be fair for God to judge you on the same scale?

[Vn_survivor_67-68]

I can’t quite put my finger on it in exactly the right spot, but this makes me think of r-o-s-s-p-e-r-o-t

[LibLieSlayer]

Read his attack dog email about Fred. This man has a black heart and is not man of Christ. He is a vile and self-centered man... and I have supported him financially for years. No more.

LLS

[RedOhioan]

“If evangelicals throw this election to Hillary”

Trust me....most Christians don’t know who Dobson is and could care less. His mindless ramblings are just that.....mindless ramblings of someone whom should shut-up and preach.

[SE Mom]

Yep.

Self-righteous principles are going to bring us more aborted babies.

As much as we may want the country to be different- the FACT is that we are split. There is a fairly even divide between right and left. The left doesn’t have to do much but watch us split ourselves..while they merrily change immigration laws, give more rights to terrorists and their front groups, MORE FEDERAL $ for abortion and force us to federalize health care...while sneaking in more Ruth Bader Ginsburgs on the Supreme Court.

[Don'tMessWithTexas]

GWB issued the ban on embryonic stem cell research. He renewed the Hyde Amendment. He passed the ban on partial birth abortion. He nominated two great guys for the SCOTUS. What more is he supposed to do to get your approval? And why is it the job of a President to save babies anyway? Even if Roe were overturned tomorrow the issue would go back to the states. By working at a crisis pregnancy center or talking to a trouble girl facing a difficult situation, you can do more to save babies than any President.

[Don'tMessWithTexas]

He’s not a preacher, he’s a psychologist. Imagine, a shrink speaking for evangelicals...Says alot about the state of the church.

[Don'tMessWithTexas]

Can you post a link?

[Finny]

There are certain principles for which there can be no compromise:

1. Excessive taxation (theft)- are we really principled when we stand for a little less theft as republicans. Not me, I’d slash the federal spending by 65% if I could. Will RudiMcThomsoney?

You're right. On the contrary, they embrace larger government.

The "religious right" or "evangelical GOP" or whatever we want to call it, should have ONE, and ONE ONLY Number One priority issue in gaging the optimum Republican nominee.

Abortion? Gay Marriage? Outspoken declaration of a "personal relationship" with "God-duh" (nods to Rush!)? Which of these will most further national toleration for morality?

NONE OF THE ABOVE! Listen. All of us, Religious or not, but those of us who want to raise, educate, and tend our families as we see fit, must have ONE PRIORITY.

Is the candidate committed to the philosophical principle of smaller government? The bottom line is this: the bigger the government, the less respect and accommodation for personal beliefs; the smaller the government, the more free the people and their marketplaces and their charity to encourage and sustain, let alone respect and accommodate, right and worthy personal beliefs, which are boons to prosperity and harmony. Those with poor personal beliefs pay consequences and adjust, gently or not, but in God's way.

As opposed to today, when our tax monies are used in conflict with our personal beliefs to shelter those with poor personal beliefs, for whom the rest of adjust and pay consequences. That didn't happen because pro-abortion folks got elected -- it happened because BIG GOVERNMENT people got elected.

Everything else -- gay marriage and abortion included -- is in the long term, in God's patient way, assisted toward a more moral path with less government. That's the most important thing for ALL of us to look for in the right Republican to support.

[LibLieSlayer]

As many as he possibly could. He is the only President that was able to get legislation passed out of both Houses of Congress to outlaw Partial Birth Abortion. He is anti-gay marriage... solidly! All he can do is push legislation through that will pass and appoint Justices that will rule as a constructionist. He is the ONLY one that has been able to put abortion of any kind in retreat. He gave us some GREAT SCOTUS Justices... and you need to become more educated on how our government works.

LLS

[SoCalPol]

The problem is there are some who hear Dobson and gins up more their third party mentality.

I see some of these folks on FR.

If Hitlery becomes Pres. we can thank the third party,sit at home and the Paulestinians.

[donna]

And why is it the job of a President to save babies anyway?

Does he have something better to do?

[Eagles6]

But why is he pushing guliani who is wrong on abortion, homosexuality and the second amenment instead of a candidate like Huckabee for instance?

[gscc]

You have no idea how well known and respected Dobson is in the Evangelical community. Let’s face it, national elections are decided by 1 or 2 percent of the vote. Before the Evangelicals became a force in the Republican Party the Republicans were a forty years minority in Congress. Both Bushes would not have been elected if it wasn’t for the Evangelical vote. Can you say President Gore and President Kerry. If you split the coalition by nominating an abortionist then get ready for a another forty years of wondering in the desert of minority status.

[iowamark]

I got a very bad feeling watching Dobson. He acts effeminate, ill at ease, overly defensive. Not someone I would trust.

[codercpc]

Excellent rant.

What evangelical Christians are refusing to accept is that if their blackmail does not work this time, they will forever lose any power they have.

I do not ask anyone to change their opinions, but don't try and change mine either. We all have our own personal reasons for voting for who we may support, my #1 reason for voting in the general election, whether the nominee was my first choice or not, is to beat Hillary.

[Finny]

Oh, good post. Well done.

[Eagles6]

"If evangelicals throw this election to Hillary, she appoints another Ginsburg to the Court and Roe stays on the books for another 30 years, those evangelicals will have the blood of another 40 million babies on their hands."

That is a crap and obscene. Christians have been a solid core for Republicans and have not had their issues addressed. For some reason they listen to the pollsters who say they should sway left. Those conservatives that don't vote do so because they can't stomach anymore hollow promises.

[RedOhioan]

“Read his attack dog email about Fred.”

Oh I know, these media, power hungry “leaders” of the “Christians” disgust me to no end. The fact that these people are supposed to speak for most conservative Christians is a farse potrayed by THEM and the MSM.

I almost wish he would start a third party so the Republican party would not have to be associated with his type.