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 I guess Dobson must be satisfied if McCain gets nominated, then.
I don't necessarily agree with your "Fred Thompson was a globalist" hysterics either. A look at Fred's immigration stance, his tax stance, his social security plan, his views and on the WOT and experience in foreign intelligence to name a few, all point to somebody who could've easily fulfilled 98% of the criteria I have for the nations leader.
Fred Thompson was one of the two solid conservatives that were in this race. That Dobson was trotted out to immediately denounce Fred doesn't surprise me in the least, considering how this primary has gone. IMO he was a tool, either willing or not.
You certainly do post like one who hangs onto Saint Dobson's every word though, so I guess we'll have to take your word for it that you aren't a follower. Interesting how you defend his actions and the possible subsequent consequences so rigorously. Regardless, you're doggedly determined to not consider that I have any basis whatsoever in my criticism of Dobson, so I see little point to continue on with you about this.
Like him if you choose, worship him even. Just don't expect me to. He demonstrated he has poor judgement at minimum, and he doesn't deserve my trust.
He darned well doesn't have it.
Foflol. What part of this DON'T you understand? Dr. Dobson: I Will Never Vote for McCain
Just because he's not settling for the lesser of two evils like you choose to does not mean that he should not be allowed to speak out against Thompson, a known GLOBALIST. Thompson, imo, was nothing but a trojan horse, at best.
BTW, it is obvious it is YOU who has the worship and idolatry problem.
~ HUGE BUMP!!! ~
Dobson is no worse sinner than you are.
You've got some issues with Christians, my friend. Might want to explore what's driving those....
Hi b9.
It isn’t worth the keystrokes or bandwidth, believe me.
Apparently not. Criticize Dobson and YOUR Christianity is in question!
Unbelievable.
Um. Wrong. Say that Dobson should not criticize Thompson, or anyone else, because he’s a Christian or because he has access to large numbers of people and says what you don’t like to hear about your candidate...you’re the one who has a REAL PROBLEM.
Had you been reading what I said, I questioned Thompson’s Christianity. And those who don’t like to have statements of fact posted about Thompson (or Romney, or McCain, and so on) are the ones with idol worship problems.
It means that when Dobson refused to get behind the only solidly conservative major candidate in the primary race, Dobson told me that he wasn't really interested in promoting social conservatism anymore, and was more interested in making politicians kiss his ring. Dobson's views on politics don't mean anything to me anymore.
Uh-oh. Now you’ve done it...
Not that I don’t fully agree with you.
This election seems to be rewarding hubris over humility, self-righteousness over righteousness, and personality over principle.
Dobson's vindictive indictment against Fred will have the same effect as Perot's.
My dad was seduced by Perot, and regretted it til the day he passed, that he had helped usher Clinton into power.
Dobson had a chance to effect genuine good with his influence. He could have made a long term, far reaching, world wide difference for the very families he claims to cherish. Like Perot, he was driven by personal grudge.
If McCain is the gop nominee it’s probably time to destroy the gop and start a new party. Nothing is forever in this world, and if a political party has lost its ability to bring about substantive change, maybe it should be terminated. If we let conservatives like Rush and Dobson, Santorum start a new conservative party in 8 years we might be able to regain the white house and congress. Goldwater got crushed but 4 years later nixon won.
sure enough does....but it's coming from Thompson's and Romney's supporters who have a problem with the truth being stated. It ain't got nuttin to do wit vindictiveness...except them little missiles coming from the Fred head/Romney camps. I'm certainly glad that true conservatives continue to speak out their minds and aren't fearful of twits who want to shut them up.
From the CONSERVATIVE Eagle Forum:
Jihad Spence: Fred Thompson's Pan-Islamist Campaign Manager
Debbie Schlussel | July 25, 2007
He hasn't yet entered the Presidential race, and yet Fred Thompson, yesterday, showed us why he's the scariest Republican Presidential candidate. And maybe the scariest of both parties.Don't believe Thompson's claim that he understands the Islamist jihadist threat to America. His announcement, yesterday, of his choice of Spencer Abraham as campaign manager, told us everything we need to know. Although Abraham, of Lebanese descent, is a Maronite Christian, he is a career water carrier for Islamists of the most extremist stripe and made that the cornerstone of his failed, one-term Senate career and equally lousy tenure as Energy Secretary.
As a conservative--but more important, as an American concerned about the future of this country in the face of a terrorist threat--Thompson's choice of Spencer Abraham was the nail in the coffin for me in opposing Fred Thompson's quest for the White House.
[snip]
Actually, I think you just agreed with me.
Dobson's hit job on Thompson is part of why we are where we are. The failure of conservatives to unite behind any one of the imperfect conservative candidates in the race is what led us to where we are. We waited for the perfect conservative to come along, and the real conservatives left the field. Now we are faced with what we are faced with, two non-conservatives (Huck and Romney) versus the anti-conservatives (McCain and the Dems). Like you, I can't vote for any of the anti-conservatives.
But only a few weeks back we had conservatives in the race to choose from. We waited too long to get behind them (not you or I, but the party at large, and the opinion-makers like Dobson and Limbaugh) and now we are faced with the prospect of a McCain presidency. Or after the press gets through with him, another Clinton presidency.
Eloquently stated.
The only “true” conservatives who dropped out of the race was Tom Tancredo and Duncan Hunter (both of whom I supported), though I think Ron Paul (whom I now support) deserves to be viewed as a conservative, especially as compared to what is left standing, thanks to the efforts of the GOP and those who have and continue to support RINO and/or globalist candidates.
““Fred is COC which is also a cult according to Dobson.”
That is a very pointed claim, will you post the link for that?
Yep. I tend to put more onus on Dobson than Limbaugh though. I do realize people are upset Rush wasn’t more pro-active with his candidate endorsement, that he was too indirect. There is an argument for that, I’ll admit.
McCain would not pick Huck.
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.