No, they didn't. They just won't let you make the rules with 15% of the votes. Neither will anyone else.
Posted on 02/01/2008 2:07:00 PM PST by 2ndDivisionVet
While John McCain has risen to the top of the heap among contenders for the Republican presidential nomination, Focus on the Family founder James Dobson remains adamant that he will not support McCain’s bid for the White House.
Dobson, one of the nation’s most influential evangelical Christians, declared more than a year ago that he wouldn't support McCain under any circumstances, saying McCain didn't support traditional marriage values.
A Dobson spokesman told the New York Times’ David Kirkpatrick Wednesday that he stood by that position, and as a matter of conscience could never vote for the Arizona Senator.
According to the paper, Dobson is joined by a slew of other prominent conservatives who oppose McCain on a number of issues:
Talk radio host Mark Levin urged visitors to the National Review’s Web site to “rally for Romney” to ward off a McCain win, saying: “Conservatives need to act now, before it is too late.”
Talker Rush Limbaugh told listeners on Thursday: “McCain is in a lot of these places not actually the Republican candidate. He is the candidate of enough Republicans, but [also] independents and moderates and probably even some liberals.”
Pat Toomey, president of the anti-tax organization Club for Growth, said in comments reported by the New York Times: “I have yet to see McCain make any attempts to reach out to free market conservatives.”
Conservatives fault McCain for voting against President Bush’s tax cuts and a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage, and for supporting embryonic stem cell research, looser immigration rules and stricter environmental regulations.
Conservatives were particularly irked when McCain made a deal with Democrats to break a deadlock on judicial nominations, according to the Times.
Anger over that compromise was rekindled this week when Wall Street Journal columnist John Fund wrote that McCain had privately criticized Bush’s Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito because “he wore his conservatism on his sleeve.” The McCain campaign denied that report.
Following McCain successes in early primary states, however, other conservatives are beginning to warm up to his campaign:
Americans for Tax Reform President Grover Norquist, who previously opposed a McCain nomination, said: “He has moved in the right direction strongly and forcefully on taxes.”
Former McCain foe Tony Perkins, a prominent Christian conservative, told the Times: “I have no residual issue with John McCain,” adding the candidate needed to “better communicate” his stand on social issues.
Richard Land, an official with the South Baptist Convention, agreed, noting that McCain “is strongly pro-life.” He said: “When I hear Rush Limbaugh say that a McCain nomination would destroy the Republican Party, what I want to say to Rush is, ‘You need to get out of the studio more and talk to real people.’”
So what?
They can't win anything by themselves, they are not numerous enough to call all the shots, and by adopting their current "rule or ruin" strategy are about to become completely insignificant.
What he says doesn’t matter in the sense that we won’t have a conservative. Period.
*******************
It's a shame.
This pompus windbag does not speak for THIS evangelical Christian -— Dobson’s “Thompson’s not a Christian” slander was THE moment when the tide turned against Thompson — I vicerally felt it.
(Although, I won’t vote for McCain, either.)
I totally agree with your dire prediction of what a McCain nomination would mean to conservatives. It may seem that the conservative luminaries you name are placing some big bets, and to an extent that's true. But, imo, it's too little, too late. It would've made a difference if they'd made their endorsements much earlier. And, in particular, the recent Anybody-But-McCain non-endorsements, such as by Limbaugh and Dobson, are even less than valuable. They just continue the conservative split that's going to ensure a McCain nomination.
Those same people krazyglued to Huckabee have heard worse from their pastors about Romney. For what I believe to be most of them, Romney is the last place they will go. Perhaps Dr. Dobson might keep a few of them from McCain, but the only place they would see having left is Paul or home. They are not going to switch to a candidate that they’ve been taught is antithetical to their beliefs.
Good point. I won’t sit it out, because I will support the Republicans in the congressional elections. But I probably will not vote for President or vote third party. But McCain never gets my vote. NOT EVER. Amnesty was the last straw. That backstabber will never get my vote.
There is no political figure currently active who is more despised than Dobson.
LOL, you give Dobson waaaay too much credit. You think there are people out there that were planning on voting against McCain, but then Dobson opposes him, so they change their mind to vote for him?? That makes no sense at all. Who are these '15 points'?? And just how many million vote does that translate to?
I think they're mesmerized by power and being used by the dark side.
He did the same thing with Arnold, he told people Arnold was not a conservative, he hinted the conservative candidate might win the primary but he didn't predict it and he never endorsed the conservative.
An endorsement is you come on the air and you say "I'm voting for X" and you recommend others do so. Rush instead plays his ego games. As it is he can't stand people saying a McCain win diminishes his influence. Rush Limbaugh plays games with his listeners. Not a profile in courage.
welcome newbie here to try and help Hilary win. Not a chance.
“The RNC is not picking McCain, there have been primaries and there are about to be more. McCain has an 82% lifetime conservative rating. I am NOT a McCain supporter, hated him in 2000, but the reaction against him by some is over the top.”
I disagree with you. The establishment, including the RNC is lining up with McCain. It’s your opinion to say that people’s reactions are over the top but McCain has stuck his finger in the eye of conservatives for the last 10 years. He’s a self-serving SOB and based on actions, particularly over the last 7 years, he would be a disaster for the Republican Party as a whole.
Anyone that believes in The Constitution will be an enemy,,and will also be called a nut,ect..
Insignificant?
You may be right. But only because the GOP abandoned us. And if we don’t have a candidate who speaks for us, then liberals will have a field day with Hillary and John.
Yippee.
Well spoken! But I’m still not sure his endorsement would have mattered anyway.
Is that like you viscerally felt it too?
You also give Dobson too much credit. LOL, so it's Dobson's fault Thompson's campaign never got off the ground?
Thompson has no one to blame but Fred Thompson.
No, they didn't. They just won't let you make the rules with 15% of the votes. Neither will anyone else.
Huckabee could drop out today and all it would do is give McCrazy a win by a larger margin. Hucks voters would go to MCrazy or stay home.
The “Rocky-Feller” choice, Romney, will lose in a landslide in the Republican red states Tues.
And he will be losing to a crazy man!
Now whoever in the various wings of the party that backed these losers deserve to have McCrazy stuffed right up their nose for the next 4 years!
“..it would be better to have Hillary as president so the Liberals would be blamed for the undermining of this country that would occur instead of have a Republican!”
I really do NOT need a Hillary for POTUS to be reminded that liberals are constantly undermining this country.
You keep drinking the MSM coolaid there Kansas, it’ll rot your brain.
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