Here's what James Dobson said about John McCain early last month:
Should Sen. McCain capture the nomination as many assume, I believe this general election will offer the worst choices for president in my lifetime. I certainly can't vote for Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama based on their virulently anti-family policy positions. If these are the nominees in November, I simply will not cast a ballot for president for the first time in my life.
Now, Dobson's changing his tune. Focus on the Family action just sent a "special alert" to its backers, with a subject line that retracts Dobson's vow to stay home come Election Day: "Dr. Dobson: 'I Will Certainly Vote'." Here's what the alert says:
Dr. James Dobson told Sean Hannity on Sunday night he is going to vote in the November election – ending weeks of speculation that he would sit on the sidelines over his policy disagreements with the two major parties’ candidates for the White House.
Weeks of speculation that he would sit on the sidelines? That wasn't speculation. That's what Dobson said. The special alert continues:
On Hannity’s America on the Fox News Channel, Dr. Dobson told his longtime friend he definitely plans to cast a ballot this year.“Let me just say that I will certainly vote, Sean,” he said. “I think we have a God-given responsibility to vote, and there are all of the candidates and the issues down the ballot that we have an obligation to weigh in on and let our voices be heard.”
Dr. Dobson, speaking as a private citizen and not as a representative of Focus on the Family, as he always does when discussing political candidates, added that he “has problems” with all three major presidential contenders, especially the Democrats.
As for John McCain, Dr. Dobson responded with a question of his own when Hannity said he had received assurances from the Arizona senator that he would keep the pro-life and pro-marriage planks in the GOP’s party platform.
“Did he give you a commitment about embryonic stem-cell research?” Dr. Dobson asked.
“We did not get that,” Hannity replied.“But that's an important one for me,” Dr. Dobson explained. “And you can't really call yourself pro-life if you're in favor of killing those babies.”
Dr. Dobson said he would not elaborate on how he would vote in November. He has said that he and his wife, Shirley, chairman of the National Day of Prayer Task Force, have been and will continue to pray that God’s will be reflected in the outcome of the election.
This is an invitation from Dobson to John McCain to win his backing (perhaps unenthusiastic backing, but hey, it's better than outright opposition) by rescinding his support for expanded federal funding for embryonic stem cell research. From its chats with various leading lights of the Christian Right, God-o-Meter knows the embryonic stem cell issue has emerged as the biggest sticking point between the movement and McCain. How much of this is because the Christian Right feels that last year's scientific breakthrough allowing skin cells to be reprogrammed to mimic embryonic stem cells gives their ailing anti-embryonic stem cell research cause new life? Quite a bit.
It's that breakthrough that could also give McCain the political wiggle room to change his tune on embryonic stem cell research without being tarred a bald-faced flip flopper. But the Christian Right has been pressing McCain to dial back is support for more federally-funded embryonic stem cell research for months, and McCain hasn't blinked. Let's see if that changes this week.
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What often goes unnoticed in the political campaign is the issue of global terror that so many underestimate. We have not simply been lucky that there has been no terrorist attack on US soil since 9/11. It is due to our vigilance. John McCain sees the bigger picture and understands the need to continue to apply military pressure on Al-Qaeda in Iraq and the major supplier of terror, Iran. Removing our troops from Iraq right now may seem like the compassionate thing to do, but I believe that we will pay a much greater price in the future should we do so. The irony is that only the wise will truly appreciate the significance of this unpopular strategy in hindsight. It takes wisdom borne of faith and experience to read the signs correctly. Persons like John McCain, Joe Lieberman, Lindsey Graham and others have that wisdom. I pray that their voice wins the day.
Lynn:
Here is the explanation: Dobson sold out to the secular conservatives, whose candidate was Romney.
After Thompson left the race after SC, there was only Romney, Huckabee, McCain. At that point, Huckabee was the only true social conservative, so it was Dobson's responsibility to his followers to endorse Huckabee. This would have given Huckabee a much stronger showing in Florida, knocked Romney out after Florida. Instead after Florida, Dobson ridicules McCain and indicates that he cannot endorse Romney or Huckabee at that time because they both are social conservatives. (A cowardice act, as everyone should know that it was Romney that promulgated the Massachusetts gay marriage (first ever in the nation) as well as state paid $50 abortions.) (See: http://www.massresistance.org/docs/marriage/romney/record/index.html)
So instead of needed financial support from the social conservatives, Huckabee has to limp into Super Tuesday on a shoe-string budget. Romney, steals votes from Huckabee. Huckabee loses Missouri to McCain by only 1%. Most of the Southern States were propotional delegates, meaning Romney stole delegates from Huckabee, which Huckabee needed to stay viable against McCain's winner-take-all delegates.
Face it, Dobson is a politician that sold out to the secular conservatives (Limbaugh & Hannity), and essentially gave the nomination to McCain.
As the "leader" of the Social conservatives, it was Dobson's responsibility to endorse Huckabee after South Carolina!
Quite frankly, Dobson is a relic, an out-of-touch dinosaur. Who gives a rat's patootie what his opinion is?
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strongblood,
"I dislike gay rights"
There's no such thing. There's only EQUAL rights, and in America, gays don't have them - despite the 'promise' of the Constitution.
I am so amused at what Christians say. They come across so "all knowing". In reality they know nothing other than what is encapsulated in their storybook and superstitions. But discussing issues of religion, "right and wrong" "sins" and what "Christ Says" is gibberish. Discussing Christian ideas and concepts coherently is like arguing whether The Three Bears were brown or black (we know Goldilocks was Blonde). It's all a story so they can be any color since they didn't exist in the first place except in their creator's mind and that is is explicitly known Goldilocks was blonde.. Gays want EQUAL rights not "special or "gay" rights". Taxation without representation otherwise and that's what this country was founded upon.
"My Bible states: "You shall not murder". Murder is different than war that roots out terrorists and protects a God fearing nation."
I'm sorry, but we are far from a God fearing nation. We are not in Jerusalem where the WHOLE population submitted to the God of the Bible. We live in an America that is full of people who either practice a religion or practice none at all. We CANNOT expect EVERYONE in America to adhere to our Christian belief system. This is the cold, harsh reality.
As a Christian, I am deeply disappointed in how America is going about "the religion" thing. I respect Dobson, but I am also deeply embarrased by his approach to things. The President will NOT be our pastor. If people want to learn about Jesus, and learn to live HIS way, that is what CHURCH is for. The White House was NEVER meant to be a place to learn about the Bible, Jesus Christ, etc,.
I'd also like to add that just because a politician says he is against gay marriage and abortion, does NOT mean he is truly following Christ. Many of these politician will say and do whatever it takes to win the popular vote. Please keep this in mind before you vote for the next "Godly" candidate.
All I can say is, I hope we find some balance in this country.
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