In yet another step towards becoming the Al Sharpton of the Right, James Dobson let loose on the Republican presidential field in a recent interview with U.S. News and World Report. It appears that Dobson has ruled out nearly all of the leading Republican presidential candidates on the grounds that none satisfy the highly arbitrary religious test that our good Pharisee has deemed a requirement for the presidency. Here’s High Priest Dobson on Rudy Giuliani and John McCain:
Dobson said that neither of the two other Republican presidential front-runners Giuliani or McCain has attempted to contact him. “I do not believe that the current excitement over Giuliani will continue,” Dobson said.
Here’s Inquisitor Dobson on Mitt Romney:
“There are conservative Christians who will not vote for him because of his Mormon faith. I’m not saying that’s the correct view or my view. But [presidential nominees] lose elections by 5 or 6 percent of the vote, so you don’t have to lose much of the conservative Christian vote” to make a difference in the election.
And in a bit of camp, here’s Dobson attempting to claim that Fred Thompson is actually not a Christian. Even though, you know, Fred Thompson sorta is a Christian:
“Everyone knows he’s conservative and has come out strongly for the things that the pro-family movement stands for,” Dobson said of Thompson. “[But] I don’t think he’s a Christian; at least that’s my impression,” Dobson added, saying that such an impression would make it difficult for Thompson to connect with the Republican Party’s conservative Christian base and win the GOP nomination.
Mark Corallo, a spokesman for Thompson, took issue with Dobson’s characterization of the former Tennessee senator. “Thompson is indeed a Christian,” he said. “He was baptized into the Church of Christ.”
In a follow-up phone conversation, Focus on the Family spokesman Gary Schneeberger stood by Dobson’s claim. He said that, while Dobson didn’t believe Thompson to be a member of a non-Christian faith, Dobson nevertheless “has never known Thompson to be a committed Christian someone who talks openly about his faith.”
“We use that word Christian to refer to people who are evangelical Christians,” Schneeberger added. “Dr. Dobson wasn’t expressing a personal opinion about his reaction to a Thompson candidacy; he was trying to ‘read the tea leaves’ about such a possibility.”
Apparently, religious tests are “in” again in DobsonLand, despite that whole pesky constitutional provision that rules them out. According to Dobson, only evangelical Christians need apply, a requirement that rules out Roman Catholics, mainline Protestants, Mormons, Jews, Muslims, agnostics, atheists, and, of course, the vast majority of our nation’s 43 presidents.
Well, say what you will about Dobson, but a man so concerned that the president be a man of faith must be backing a religious scion, right? Er, not so much:
While making it clear he was not endorsing any Republican presidential candidate, Dobson, who is considered the most politically powerful evangelical figure in the country, also said that Gingrich was the “brightest guy out there” and “the most articulate politician on the scene today.”
Gingrich recently appeared on Dobson’s daily Focus on the Family radio program, carried by upward of 2,000 American radio stations, where he made headlines by discussing an extramarital affair he was having even as he pursued impeachment against President Bill Clinton for his handling of the investigation into the Monica Lewinsky affair.
Um…
Er…
Okay, I’ll just come right out and say it. I love Newt. He’s one of my favorite Republicans…ever. But does anyone really think of Newt, with his own messy personal life, as a candidate for the nearest monastery? Could it be that Dobson is just grossly misinformed about the ’08 field? Or is it more likely that Dobson is simply endorsing whichever candidate will genuflect lowest before him.
I think we all know the answer to that question.
If Dobson continues to encourage behavior that will damage the GOP’s electoral chances, which is what he is in effect doing in the aforementioned article, it may be time to throw the fellow overboard. Dobson is grossly overestimating his influence if he thinks he can bully the field into kissing his ring. He’s more likely to Sister Souljah himself into irrelevance.
March 28th, 2007 at 2:15 pm
I know a helluva lot of Christians who are incensed by statements like this, and vote Democratic because of them.
March 28th, 2007 at 2:23 pm
Thinking about this more, if Dobson said Thompson was not a Christian… then I think it is Dobson who is effectively finished.
March 28th, 2007 at 2:24 pm
I know that he refused to let a Mormon pray at his National Day of Prayer event in DC a couple years ago. But he has told Mitt himself he has not ruled him out. We will see.
March 28th, 2007 at 2:25 pm
I think he’s trying to start a bidding war between the GOP candidates to see who will give him the most direct line to the Oval Office. He’s a pimp. I would love to see him thrown overboard.
March 28th, 2007 at 2:36 pm
I have very little problem with Dobson in terms of the greater evangelical movement. Compared to true lunatics like Falwell and Robertson, he’s a voice of reason. I think Focus on the Family is an important organization, which has succeeded in bringing serious change (ousting Daschle, slightly conservatising Arlen Spector, etc) and I’d love to see Romney win Dobson’s endorsement. But I agree that if he’s attempting to essentially parlay himself onto the candidate who’ll be most willing to listen to Dobson in office, then I want nothing to with him. I think in the end though, the entire evangelical movement is going to need to settle for a candidate less obviously willing to kowtow to openly religious organizations. And while I’m quite religious myself, that’s probably a good thing and likely to bring some strays, who are terrified of the idea of a theocracy, back into the tent.
March 28th, 2007 at 2:56 pm
I, too, believe Dobson to be the most moderate of the outspoken “Evangelicals” (Falwell and Robertson) this type of press is simply not positive in this primary season. It seems that the Republican party is simply tearing itself apart this election cycle. I know a lot of GOP’ers are upset over ’06 but this is not the way to right the ship. I just don’t get it.
And I graduated from a Southern Baptist Seminary (in fact it is the granddaddy of all SBC schools) but this religion and politics stuff has got to stop.
Dobson has NO right to call anyone out about their Christianity. There has never been and never will be a single human being who fills that role in the church.
Sorry – my comments are pretty scattered and probably don’t make much sense, but I’ve just had it up to here with so much of what has gone on since 11/7/06 and Dobson is not making matters any better.
March 28th, 2007 at 2:57 pm
I have always respected Dr. Dobson a great deal.
But boy does he come across as an arrogant jerk in this interview. Geesh!
March 28th, 2007 at 3:32 pm
“I’d love to see Romney win Dobson’s endorsement.”
-Yeah, me too. But don’t hold your breath. The plain & simple fact is that these guys view members of the LDS faith as non-Christian cultists. Saying,
“I, too, believe Dobson to be the most moderate of the outspoken Evangelicals”
..does little to address their disdain for Mormons, Roman Catholics, mainline Protestants, Jews, and just about everyone else not of their faith.
While true they may have done some good things in the past, interviews such as this serve to undo a lot of that good and hurt the Republican party. What are is he thinking? To hell with the election since the president will most likely not be someone of his particular faith?
Perhaps a Romney endorsement or an endorsement from Dobson to an non-evangelical would change my opinion. But I must ask this question. What is he doing as church leader making political comments? Can’t that threaten any tax exemption?
Nice post DaveG…
March 28th, 2007 at 3:47 pm
At least he doesn’t trash Romney. He has expressed a disdain for Giuliani and is not so happy with Mccain either.
March 28th, 2007 at 3:56 pm
He does not need to trash Romney. Several other “good Christian Conservatives” do a fine job at that already. What is funny to me now is to read Dobson trashing Fred Thompson by saying:
“I don’t think he’s a Christian”
So now, Thompson supporters can join Romney supporters with the rest of us infidel heretics.
March 28th, 2007 at 3:57 pm
Thompson’s Catholic. For Dobson’s info. This guy is a real piece of work.
March 28th, 2007 at 3:58 pm
This is ridiculous. Dobson, Robertson, and the leaders of these movements gotta go, and take the crack smoking guy with the male prostitute with them. These people are truly like Jesse and Big Al.
March 28th, 2007 at 4:31 pm
Not to defend Dobson or anything, but comparison to Sharpton is a bit much. Lest we buy into the media’s airbrushed image of Sharpton, this is a man who rose to fame by repeatedly provoking confrontations with police, often resulting in riots in which innocent civilians have been killed. To my knowledge, Dobson has never done anything remotely vile. Lets just call him the right’s Jessee Jackson and leave it at that.
March 28th, 2007 at 4:38 pm
Tommy – - right on. These people do not know what its like to live in the real world.
March 28th, 2007 at 4:41 pm
This slander on Dobson is really unconscionable. His organization has provided valuable services to millions of families. His organization is the gold standard for ethical operations. His role in politics is on behalf of the pro-family movement, he doesn’t owe anything to Republicans.
March 28th, 2007 at 4:58 pm
“Lets just call him the right’s Jessee Jackson and leave it at that.”
As long as I can use the Rush Limbaugh “Reverend Jackson” voice when referring to Reverend Dobson
Seriously though, I know I’ve probably teed off a lot of readers who respect Dobson’s organization, but Dobson really teed me off by a) implying that only evangelicals are Christians, b) implying that only folks who wear their faith on their sleeve are Christians and c) implying that only those who fall under a) and b) are fit to hold public office. It’s becoming a bit trite to evoke the Gipper w/r/t 2008, but does anyone feel Ronald Reagan would meet Dobson’s test?
And again, the fact that Newt does pass the test shows that the “test” is simply whatever Dobson wants it to be, i.e., Dobson will endorse a candidate only after they kowtow to him, sort of like the game Jesse Jackson is playing with Obama. Which only proves that Goldwater was right w/r/t the Right’s religious leaders (Google “Goldwater” and “Falwell” — I’m not posting the quote because it’s not family friendly).
March 28th, 2007 at 7:36 pm
Dave
I’m not at all teed off with attacking Dobson, because frankly he deserves it. My comment was more a reflection on how uniquely vile Sharpton is (I’m about halfway through “The Prince of the City”), even by the standards of slanderous base rattling blowhards.
March 29th, 2007 at 11:16 pm
[...] you’ve been living under a rock for the past 48 hours, you can get up to speed on the issue here and here. I think Erick’s piece is useful as it allows the dueling forces on this issue to [...]
March 30th, 2007 at 10:59 am
Dobson makes me ill. I don’t doubt that he is well-intentioned, but he is exactly the sort of pompous demagogue who our founders fled Europe from. Thinking that he gets who decide who is Christian “enough” to get voters support is the type of hubris that betrays a very unChristian loss of humility. Dobson can vote any way he pleases; I’ll be sure to vote against whomever he does endorse, just because this guy could ruin our party and our country if allowed to.
April 3rd, 2007 at 10:18 pm
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