Christian leader's political clout may be fading

[southernleftylady]

Source: Time

James Dobson, the founder and head of the evangelical media and counseling group Focus on the Family, is constantly described by the media as a power broker, kingmaker, and "the Christian right's most powerful leader." As such, his endorsement is seen as key by G.O.P. presidential candidates in the 2008 race. On Wednesday night, his political action website Citizenlink.com released assessments of the major Democratic and Republican candidates - and political observers immediately checked in to see whether Dobson's organization was leaning toward Mike Huckabee or Mitt Romney, the two G.O.P. candidates who have made the biggest play for the evangelical vote. As Focus on the Family weighs in on the presidential race, however, an examination of the group's records shows that its influence may not be all that it once was, and that its actual base may have become smaller.
For months, Dobson has been playing it coy, seeming to favoring the Mormon Mitt Romney over Baptist preacher Mike Huckabee, who would otherwise appear to be the natural Christian right choice. In December, Dr. Dobson praised a Romney speech as "a magnificent reminder of the role religious faith must play in government and public policy. His delivery was passionate and his message inspirational." Dobson even made a congratulatory phone call to the candidate.


When Romney lost the Iowa caucuses to Huckabee, Dobson attributed the outcome to "conservative Christians," but he has not warmed to the former governor of Arkansas. Huckabee, Dobson cautioned after his Iowa victory, "may not become the Republican nominee." And Huckabee, who has spoken of his great and longtime friendship with the Dobsons, has wondered aloud why no endorsement appears to be coming his way. In the Citizenlink.com assessments, Huckabee was found wanting in terms of foreign policy and "fiscal" issues. (A couple of minutes in the video citing the candidate for his evangelical "authenticity" were apparently edited in after the video was first posted.) Romney, on the other hand, was praised as "solidly conservative" and unlikely to renege on that stance.


Dobson has only endorsed one presidential candidate in the past - George W. Bush in 2004, who ran unopposed for the G.O.P. nomination. And the Christian right's most powerful leader may not want to back a candidate so early in the game. Backing a losing horse could devalue the worth of any future Dobson anointment, especially when America is seeing the rise of a younger generation of less combative preachers like Rick Warren, Joel Osteen and Bill Hybels.


Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/time/20080125/us_time/isdobsonspoliticalcloutfading

[shaniqua6392]

1. Dobson is just trying to figure out which candidate

will give him their phone number at the White House. He is just feeling out how he can put his two cents in again on Court appointments. Not to mention, Republicans do not have any really good candidates that the Evangelicals can get behind full force like they did Bush.

[BOSSHOG]

2. THANK GOD!

I think we should take a close look at tax exemption and no look at gay marriage and abortion. If they wanna play in politics they should pay.

[DeadManInc]

12. I'm with you, they should pull the tax exempt

status from these nut jobs.

[Rob H.]

3. Good!

Those right-wing fundagelical nutjobs have had far too much influence on our national politics already.

[tularetom]

4. If you have to beat your dog to show him what a "man" you are

you are really a sad excuse for a man. I also gotta wonder about any douchebag who advocates showering with your son so he can see your penis. Something really odd there.

Nothing would be better for the US than to see Dobson return to the obscurity he so richly deserves.

But he has provided a few good :wtf: moments.

[Kolesar]

6. Umm, umm

What did Dobson say? Feeling squicked out here.

[tularetom]

8. I'm linkless here at the moment so I'll paraphrase

As I recall he claims that he systematically beat his dog so that the dog would understand that he dobson was in charge. The dog did not have to do anything to earn the beating he just needed to be cowed into submission. It was inferred that dobson's young children would learn from what they observed and not give him any shit about who was in charge there.

On another occasion he lamented that young boys were being turned into sissies by their mothers and that dads in retaliation for this had to teach their kids the meaning of manliness. In order to do this he suggested that fathers shower with their sons so the son could see that their dad had a penis and somehow thereby the kid would understand that this conferred authority on him and made women submissive.

At least that's how I remember it before I began to ROFMAO.

I'm not making this shit up to paraphrase bill clinton.

[Kolesar]

9. Scares the shit out of me

There is something in our culture that creates the guards at Abu Ghraib.

[hatrack]

13. Oh, and the best part? It was a dachshund he was beating into submission.

A flippin' DACHSHUND.

Dr. James "Dogbeater" Dobson - what a phony freak.

[Kolesar]

5. I am sure that significant numbers of pius people feel they have been hustled by Dobson, et al

...and used as tools of a lying Republican political machine with ulterior motives. These people have turned off from politics and RW politics in particular.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

7. Fellows I work with say

"If the man says he's a preacher, don't trust a thing he says, and keep your hand on your wallet."

[fascisthunter]

10. Time to Legal go After Them

investigate and hound them back to hell where they came from. I'm sure there is plenty of skeletons in their "closets".

[pleah]

11. After the last endorsement, I don't think many people (with some sense) will put much

stock in who they endorse.