Dr. James Dobson, founder of Focus on the Family, is using his perceived clout with Christian conservatives to submarine the presidential hopes of several GOP aspirants. He has notably poo-poo’d Rudy Giuliani, and now he has Fred Thompson squarely in his site. Dobson is notable for his proclamation in March that Thompson, baptized into the Church of Christ, was not a true Christian. Dobson apparently has special access to the Book of Life and a direct line to God himself.
Now comes the news that Dobson, in a personal email, challenged Thompson’s conviction to conservative positions and his desire to run.
“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!”
What Dobson fails to mention is that Fred Thompson believes that marriage, like abortion, is a matter that should be left to the discretion of the states. A strong supporter of states’ rights, Fred firmly believes that, on many levels, the Federal government has overstepped its jurisdiction in matters that should be left to the states (read – the 10th Amendment to the Constitution).
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.
I find it ironic that Dobson sees himself as a conservative when a true conservative is one who upholds the rights of states against the encroachment of an overbearing federal government. Obviously, Dobson believes in that tenet only to the extent it doesn’t interfere with his agenda. While I disagree with Thompson on his past support of McCain-Feingold, I have found Fred to be a solid conservative on most other positions near and dear to my heart.
I said it in March, and I’ll repeat my indictment against Dobson again. Dr. James fancies himself a kingmaker in the GOP. He wishes to have MoveOn.org-like power in order to affect GOP politics to his own benefit. I often wonder how much of his rhetoric is based on principle and how much of it is based on his need to prop up his stature among his perceived power base.
This is not a slap at Christians (why would I slap my own personal beliefs?) And, further, it is not a slap at evangelical Christians. The evangelical movement is an integral part of the GOP’s base and underlying philosophy – the philosophy that embraces Judeo-Christian values. This indictment is simply a reflection on James Dobson himself. Dobson is to the evangelical movement what Jesse Jackson is to the civil rights movement – an outdated blowhard using his position for his own narcissitic purposes.
Again, I’ll call for Dr. Dobson to butt out if he has nothing constructive to add. Large numbers of evangelicals and their leaders have already embraced Thompson, Giuliani and Romney based on their own principles and a lot of homework. Dobson is merely an odd-man-out. And I wish he would stay out.
steveflesher
Philip
Mel Maguire
Mark Ciavola
Comments
We’ve had these Pharisees like Dobson before.
He’s trying to fill a vacuum in which there’s no room. He’s trying to be the Chief Wahabi of US Fundamentalists. (Check out his theology minus the Nazarene and Muhammed and you’ll find it lines up.)
People like him are as regular as pot-holes on commonly trafficked streets. They’re either avioded or get filled in.
It angers me, Shawmut. I am a Christian and have friends who count themselves as evangelicals. I could deal with Falwell (God rest his soul). Robertson is a little nutty yet bearable. But for someone to assume that they know the state of one’s soul is sinful unto itself.
Dobson is in this for himself. Christ said that he came into this world not to judge, but that mankind might be saved. I’ve scoured the Bible and cannot find the passage where He says that Dr. James Dobson is the arbiter of one’s eternal state. This is utterly ridiculous.
I think that Christian leaders should look at their roles in politics as positive leadership and not the failings or indiscretions of candidates – that is why I have such a great admiration for Billy Graham. He states the greatness of men and not their weaknesses.
The closest individual to that type of leadership, ironically, is his son, Franklin Graham.
Amen to that one. Billy Graham was an example of Christian leadership in politics. He was a confidant to Presidents of both parties. He prayed for all and kept his nation and Christ as his focus. I hope, for our sake, that Rev. Graham is not a figure of the past.
I used to love Dr. Dobson – but he has seemingly become drunk with his own power within the GOP. It makes me very sad to see his descent into the power-hungry. And into the belief that he alone has the direct line into the mind of God.
I’m frustrated that Mr. Dobson has chosen to be so un-Christian. Name calling and being so un-inspriational is very out of character of what a religious leader should be.
Well, I don’t think people should be condemned for everything they do, but there are already stories circulating about the past of Thompson with leaving one wife for a younger one, etc. Plus there was also the split-vote in the 90′s where he voted to impeach Clinton on one but not to impeach on another. As I said before, I think Thompson is a good guy but all we virtually know about him at this point is that he had to be the “minimum amount” of conservative that he had to be to be elected in the state of Tennessee. It’s moments like his personal life and like the Clinton decision that we must use as examples of how in-line he is with the rest of us. Plus it’s hard for me to even look at him with Duncan Hunter still in the race. Hunter really is my favorite now and even if he doesn’t get the nomination, I have to support who I think is the best candidate all the way up until the very end.
Hunter does not have the name-recognition of Thompson or Giuliani, but he is the most principled candidate and one that has gotten liberals to vote for him over and over again.
It’s very important for us to keep our principles as a party. Everyone makes mistakes, nobody is perfect…but we must have people representing us that will compliment our party to the fullest extent.
While I cannot stay that Thompson could never do that, I can say that I know for a fact that Hunter is at least more clear on that at this point than Thompson is.
And even if it meant losing to Hillary in 2008, at least we stick to our guns and go down with respect without playing the same game of “which candidate has the bigger name” the Democrats have always played.
Something is still lacking, for me, regarding Thompson. Giuliani’s gaff at the NRA (of all places he needed some repair work) was baffling.
I’ll say nothing about the former governor of my state (as there’s a limit to the words I have for profound contempt).
So, with having already admitted an appreciation for Huckabee, I’m noticing my interest drawn more and more to Hunter.
The point of this post was not an endorsement of Fred Thompson. I have not yet officially endorsed any candidate yet although I’ve made no secret of the fact that I like Fred a lot.
The point here is that Dr. Dobson has no right to pass judgement on the state of Thompson’s soul. And Fred’s record as a conservative is solid on so many issues that Dobson ignores. Dobson’s vision on many of the issues does not even fit in with the conservative ideals of federalism.
Duncan Hunter is a good guy as are Tom Tancredo, Mike Huckabee and most of the other candidates for the GOP. We have a solid group with several of them presenting a realistic chance to win the White House. I’ll continue to wait a little while longer to make my own personal decision. I feel like I still need to learn more. I’m not sure that I’ll even announce a primary endorsement.
But I think it is fair to question some of these self-proclaimed kingmakers out there to ascertain whether their criticism is valid and principled or otherwise.
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. I got the jist of it, I was just trying to provide a different perspective on how others (not just Dobson) might view Fred as a bit off when it comes to traditionalism.
It was no shot at him. As I said, he might be a great guy, we just gotta hear more from him.
But I do love Hunter too so I might be a little guided one way here.
Ok. I have nothing else to add. Philip hit the nail on the head when he said that Dobson shouldn’t be judging the state of Thompson’s soul. Fred will answer before God some day, and so will Dobson. Until then, he should shut his trap.
Okay, everyone, my vote is going to Queen Hillary. Sorry, Steve!
I’m just sooo mesmerized by her plan for health care and we really should take care of everyone in this country. When we get older, who will take care of us.
Just joking. I’m holding off until around the week before the election.
P.S. – There is no Hillary, Bill or Dem vote out of this house!
Good post.