Posted on 10/10/2007 3:07:32 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
Conservative evangelical leader Dr. James Dobson admits that a third-party plan supported by pro-family leaders might unintentionally help elect democratic presidential frontrunner Hillary Clinton.
The influential pro-family advocate still contends, however, that he would rather vote following his values than compromise and be forced to choose between two pro-choice candidates.
“We’re very, very concerned about the implications of a Hillary Clinton presidency, but you know, we have been working … for 35 years, I’ve been trying to defend the unborn child,” Dobson said on Fox’s Hannity & Colmes show Monday.
“That’s been my life. That’s been my belief, along with marriage and the family and the other things. I can’t now abandon that because we’ve got two bad choices here.”
Currently leading the Democratic race and Republican race are New York senator Hillary Clinton and former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani, respectively. Both have been criticized by conservatives for their pro-choice and pro-gay rights stances among other issues.
During a meeting in Salt Lake City, about 50 pro-family leaders decided they would consider backing a third-party candidate if the Republican Party chose a pro-choice nominee, such as Giuliani
In an Op-Ed in the New York Times last week, Dobson explained the coalition’s decision and the reasoning, stating that as “vitally important” as it is for the GOP to win the presidential election, it should not be won “at the expense of what we hold most dear.”
His announcement that a core Republican constituency could consider withdrawing their support from the party next year stirred controversy and created greater division in the already divided GOP.
“Why would we not support someone who does line up with our values system, when we would have to literally hold our noses to support somebody that contradicts those values?” Dobson posed to Hannity – who supports Giuliani despite agreeing with Dobson “99 percent” of the time.
When further pressed on the possibility that his third party plan could help Clinton, Dobson replied that the elections are still far away and elections are “very dynamic” and “volatile.”
“There’s still a possibility that one of those other candidates, a dark horse, could come from nowhere,” Dobson said.
As the frontrunner for the GOP presidential nomination, Giuliani has repeatedly stated he can beat Democratic presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton – an appealing statement for those who see Clinton as a larger threat.
A recent Gallup Poll also found that the former New York City mayor had an overall favorable rating from churchgoing Protestants. Among the top tier Republican candidates, Giuliani was rated third by religious Protestants after former senator Fred Thompson and Arizona senator John McCain.
Good advice. Let's just say that I see far too many parallels between our times and the times between about 1763 and 1776 to feel very comfortable.
Unwad you panties.
I am pro-God, pro-life, pro-family, pro-Constitution, pro-Bill of Rights, pro-gun, pro-limited government, pro-private property rights, pro-limited taxes, pro-capitalism, pro-national defense, pro-freedom, and-pro America.
Free Republic is not a cult, neither is the GOP.
The “I’ll fix you if you don’t adhere to ALL of my demands” attitude is very old, and very un-Christian. In fact, it reminds me of those other fascists - the Islamo kind.
If all you have on your radar is the abortion issue, so be it. But it makes you a liability to the GOP and not an asset.
Ultimately, it’s a “quit before you get fired” thing - rest assured, those of us not single-minded will seek your excommunication before Hillary is sworn in.
It is sad how age destroys the mental and spiritual faculties of some of these leaders ... his cure is the disease.
It is sad how age destroys the mental and spiritual faculties of some of these leaders ... Dobson's cure is the disease.
those of us not single-minded will seek your excommunication before Hillary is sworn in.
***That’s fine with me, I’ll see you on the bugzapper thread. How you can claim to be all those pro-fill_in_the_blanks but support an anti-fill_in_the_blank candidate shows that you have no principles. THAT attitude is as old as sin, and it’s also the same attitude that caused the formation of this party in the first place, Mr. Whig.
Unwad you panties.
***You might want to unwad your own panties. You respond to me but not to JimRob. And your original post says you want such people out of the republican party. Why are you not responding to the owner of this site, whom you ostensibly and demonstrably want out of the republican party? I think I might just choose to keep my panties in a wad over this, Mr. Whig.
I ask again, what are you doing here on Free Republic?
Exactly so. I have no idea what this guy is up to but anyone who fails to support the republican candidate, whether Rudy or Mitt or Fred or whoever, is a fraud and an unethical deceiver. Including "doctor" dobson.
BS. If dobson endorsed Hunter, no one would notice-- outside the fringes of this forum and a few other rarefied enclaves.
Someday you and the likes of you will figure out, probably the hard way, that sanctimony is not a virtue.
BS. If dobson endorsed Hunter, no one would notice— outside the fringes of this forum and a few other rarefied enclaves.
***Dobson has 5M regular listeners. This article states that it was him and 50 other evangelical leaders, so we’re talking maybe 10M followers. You are just plain, flat, WRONG on that item. You may not like Dobson, but he is a formidable force. I don’t like Jesse Jackson, but he’s got a formidable following himself. For me to say that an endorsement from him wouldn’t be noticed would be just letting my bias get in the way of facts.
but anyone who fails to support the republican candidate, whether Rudy or Mitt or Fred or whoever, is a fraud and an unethical deceiver. Including “doctor” dobson.
***You really are full of yourself, it shows. Dobson is a REAL medical doctor, so putting “doctor” in quotes is a sign of ignorant haughtiness — you may discover the hard way that that is not a virtue. Dobson, me, JimRob and millions of other evangelicals will NOT support the republican candidate if it is Rudy. How are such people unethical deceivers?
This is NOT a GOP forum, it is a social conservative forum, so take your disdain for socons elsewhere. And if you have such disdain for social conservatives, what are you doing here on a socon forum?
First, I like the *** (for-real)
Second, FR is not some cult where doctrine is “take it or leave it” (even if O’Reilly, DailyKos, etc. think so). Loosen your grip.
Third, Pro-Life does not mean hands-over-my-ears-la-la-la-la every time we don’t get our way.
A new political party is a great idea if you cannot bear to co-exist.
If you go now, you have a shot a raising some serious cash. But if you wait, and stay home on election day, well... like I said before, it’s the difference between quitting and getting fired.
(PS I meant to reply to Jim)
First, I like the *** (for-real)
***I like it as well. I’ve noticed that when you copy & paste italics, the italics get lost — back to the old Freeper issue of “lost italians”. So until we get the ability to copy & paste embedded HTML tags, I’m sticking with this format. It survives.
Second, FR is not some cult where doctrine is “take it or leave it” (even if O’Reilly, DailyKos, etc. think so). Loosen your grip.
***I do not comprehend what you’re getting at here. You said, “but anyone who fails to support the republican candidate, whether Rudy or Mitt or Fred or whoever, is a fraud and an unethical deceiver.” You have not backed it up. I will not loosen my grip. Your comments are recklessly antichristian and go directly against the founding principles of this forum. Back up what you say or back off.
Third, Pro-Life does not mean hands-over-my-ears-la-la-la-la every time we don’t get our way.
***Straw argumentation. Pro-lifers have been working hard for a generation to address this American holocaust, and the time appears to be coming where we will need to stand on our principles or get blown over by the winds of cultural complacency. These evangelical leaders have cooked their own goose by sitting around & waiting for a frontrunner to emerge instead of supporting the candidate who has the strongest character.
A new political party is a great idea if you cannot bear to co-exist.
***I wouldn’t support it, but if the republican party leaves me, so be it. Just like what happened to Reagan and the democrap party. None of this makes sense when there’s a staunch pro-life christian socon running for president and asking for support.
If you go now, you have a shot a raising some serious cash. But if you wait, and stay home on election day, well... like I said before, it’s the difference between quitting and getting fired.
***What does that mean, “if you go now”? If we leave the party now? Seriously, I put the probability of a 3rd party breakoff with christian evangelical socons to be about 0.5%. It would not survive, it would be unwise, and would probably be ignored. But that’s because I think Fred has all the ace cards up his sleeve. If tootyfruityRudy gets the nomination, I would put the probability of such a bolt from the party to be ~25%, 50X higher. That’s how much of a difference I see it between an acceptable conservative (Fred, I REALLY would rather have Duncan) and TootyFruityRudy. When you say “but anyone who fails to support the republican candidate, whether Rudy”, and you lump that socialist turd in with the other guys, your entire argument goes out the window.
(PS I meant to reply to Jim)
***I’m looking forward to reading it.
I will not vote for rudy because he is a worse evil. My plan is to vote a straight republican ticket. But I will not give the top spot to rudy, it will be to a write-in republican, Duncan Hunter. 100% Republican ticket.
“If you will just agree to the murdering of your children, then we can win the presidency.”
I’m NOT willing to comprimise my pro-life position or lose my guns.. Would you vote for Rudy if he was the nominee? (FReep mail)
Dr. Dobson has merely expressed an opinion. And even though I do not personally agree with him, I know he is a decent and good man who does not deserve some of the treatment he has received. Taking a stand on your principles is commendable, especially in this day and age. For some people there is a line they will not cross, and for Dobson that happens to be abortion. He should not be chastised for exercising his right to vote in the manner he sees fit.
Righteous conservatism is still ALIVE on FreeRepublic.com!!!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.