Evangelicals Getting Interested in Campaign ‘08
July 24th, 2008 at 08:50am Mark Noonan
Nothing like getting “backs agains the wall” to shake a person up and make them realise that they’re in the fight:
Two influential American Evangelical leaders have taken a new interest in the 2008 presidential race, with one saying that he leans toward the presumptive Republican nominee, Senator John McCain, while another plans to host the first head-to-head meeting of the two leading contenders for the White House.
Dr. James Dobson, the founder of Focus on the Family, told a radio audience: “While I am not endorsing Senator John McCain, the possibility is there that I might.” Dr. Dobson, who commands a wide following among conservative Evangelicals, had previously said that he could not support McCain because of the senator’s support for embryo research and his failure to back a constitutional amendment protecting marriage.
However, Dr. Dobson said that the “radical positions on life, marriage, and national security” taken by Senator Barack Obama were pushing him toward McCain.
Meanwhile Rick Warren, the leader of one of America’s largest “mega-church” congregations, the Saddleback Church in California, has announced plans to hold a forum that would hear both Obama and McCain. Warren, the author of The Purpose-Driven Life, will bring the Democratic and Republican candidates together for an August 16 event that, he says, will be “an unprecedented opportunity for America to hear both men back-to-back on the same platform.” Warren, who has not previously taken an active role in partisan politics, will be the only person questioning the candidates at the August 16 event.
There was much talk as McCain emerged the clear front runner for the GOP nomination about sitting this one out - Evangelicals because McCain wasn’t 100% (in their view ) and movement conservatives because, once again, McCain wasn’t 100% (in their view). My grandfather had a saying that I’ve laid to heart - better to have 10% of something than 100% of nothing. Whatever McCain may or may not do in the White House, we can rest assured that Obama will be worse for Christian conservatives and movement conservatives….there is, actually, not one position Obama has staked out which can be called by conservatives and conservative Christians better than the McCain position.
As for me, I’ve grown “re-comfortable” with McCain - he was, after all, my main serious choice for 2000 (Bush came in after him, one other person came in front of McCain, but mostly for fun on my part). McCain did much to annoy me since 2001 - most notably on refusing to back the tax cuts and the “gang of 14″ nonsense in the Senate (immigraiton reform? Sorry, but I backed the McCain/Bush proposal, and still do), but I am one of those who understands that people are, well people and I’m certainly not perfect and if I’m going to refuse to support anyone but the perfect conservative then I’ll never be able to support anyone. McCain is a good man, a war hero, a solid patriot, a man of moral courage - these are the qualities I want in a President and, at any rate, I love a respectful, intra-party fight anyways, so I’ll still battle President McCain on such things as CFR. For me, McCain wasn’t my first pick, but he’s an excellent pick, all the same.
Given such things as Obama’s support for the fanatic, pro-abortion proposals and other Obama policies directly contravening basic Christian teaching, it is no surprise that Evanglicals are starting to swing behind McCain in a serious way. America can’t afford four years of Carter, Part Two. Obama is a catastrophe in the making - but one we can un-make, if we’ll just rally ’round the man who is best for President in 2008, John McCain
Entry Filed under: Campaign 2008, Religion, Republicans
27 Comments
1. js | July 24th, 2008 at 8:58 am
then again…the morphing obama might just “change” again@@!!
2. neocon | July 24th, 2008 at 9:28 am
If you think that Obama is not an evangelical, well you just haven’t been listening.
3. test » Blog Archive&hellip | July 24th, 2008 at 9:38 am
[...] David Ben-Ariel wrote an interesting post today onHere’s a quick excerpt… so I’ll still battle President McCain on such things as CFR. For me, McCain wasn’t my first pick, but he’s an excellent pick, all the same. Given such things as Obama’s support for the fanatic, pro-abortion proposals and other Obama … Read the rest of this great post here [...]
4. Fredrick Schwartz | July 24th, 2008 at 10:00 am
What a cartload of doublespeak.
5. \'08ama | July 24th, 2008 at 1:00 pm
…..Dr. James Dobson, the founder of Focus on the Family, told a radio audience: “While I am not endorsing Senator John McCain, the possibility is there that I might.” ……
Doesn’t sound like a ringing endorsement to me.
Suuuure the ‘never been divorced- Barrack Obama’s “family values” are light years ahead of John -i dumped my mangled wife for a trophy wife- McCain , but let’s just sweep that udner the rug for now and get mcCain elected.
Even with all of Obama’s many faults, McCain just can’t make up any ground. Pay attention folks, that’s America screaming “WE WANT CHANGE !”
6. Rana Quijotesca | July 24th, 2008 at 1:11 pm
Evangelicals might not be in the Republicans’ pockets this year, however.
7. OhioOrrin | July 24th, 2008 at 1:17 pm
I supported the “Gang of 14″ compromise.
The alternative was the “nuclear option”.
Fast forward to current & that option would’ve come back to haunt the GOP minority.
Same for DeLay’s mid-cycle redistricting attempt.
8. OhioOrrin | July 24th, 2008 at 1:38 pm
hey mark - off topic, but lets get ahead of the curve on a predictable subject.
please begin the push for the upper peninsula of michigan to gain statehood.
if obama wins, & the dems retain/strengthen their congressional majorities, the DC statehood issue will recurr.
course we know that the treaty of maryland made no provision for statehood when granting land for the federal govt. and it appears irrelevant that residents of DC should be voting in maryland.
but the argument can be made that the UP should also be a state by the same (il)logic used to advance DC statehood.
thank you
9. LiberalMind | July 24th, 2008 at 1:56 pm
Any curtailing of the Religious Right’s influence on American politics is a move toward freedom, religious liberty and democratic values.
This nation was not founded by or for the radical Christian clerics that now attempt to usurp civic government and impose theocratic regimes.
Leave that to Iran.
10. Kurt | July 24th, 2008 at 2:10 pm
When all things are considered, the evangelical vote will go for McCain as it did for Bush. As the saying goes, ” An evangelical voting for Obama is like a chicken working for Col. Sanders”
11. Insideout | July 24th, 2008 at 2:14 pm
However, Dr. Dobson said that the “radical positions on life, marriage, and national security” taken by Senator Barack Obama were pushing him toward McCain.
Mr. Dobson keeps forgetting Obama is running for President not Pope. Obama’s “radical for religious leaders” views include the government should stay out of peoples’ bedrooms and life choice decisions. If Mr. Dobson wants to involve himself in these issues, I say knock your socks off. But the government should not be nosing around where it does not belog. If it were up to Dobson and his crew the government would require religious ministers to consult with doctors on care for a pregnant women or those caring for Terry Schiavo type patients.
12. sue | July 24th, 2008 at 3:27 pm
“Mr. Dobson keeps forgetting Obama is running for President not Pope. Obama’s “radical for religious leaders” views include the government should stay out of peoples’ bedrooms and life choice decisions”
Mr. Dobson doesn’t forget for a moment that Obama is running for President and not Pope.
Mr. Dobson just believes that he and other conservative Christians have the same right as liberals and atheists to determine what kind of a society they want and work individually and as a group toward that goal.
We know that libs don’t like that and will try every way they know to prevent those they don’t agree with from participating in politics.
Just as we know what our rights are.
13. Carl Gordon | July 24th, 2008 at 4:30 pm
Deleted - obscenity.
14. neocon | July 24th, 2008 at 6:57 pm
Carl,
I have yet to read a more narcissistic and tedious post as your #13.
None of us here care about you, so leave those monologues for the pitchfork. There, they might find you enlightened.
have a collective day
neocon
15. neil | July 24th, 2008 at 7:30 pm
Thank you Sue for your post…We as Christians really need to get off the bench on this one and speak the truth. What we need is someone in the White house that cares for “LIFE” and the unborn. Obama doesn’g care didily for the unborn. He called for overturning of the ban on partial birth murder of babies. Babies that would live just fine outside the womb. That is a miscarriage of justice for the baby not to have a right to life. That is murder and that is all there is to it.
16. bagni | July 24th, 2008 at 7:55 pm
markangelical:
cmon…cosmically…deep down in your human heart
you know dobson is a freak show
his terrestial extremism in it’s worst form
give birth to the ted haggards on your planet
at least warren has the spatial sense
to put on a show and hear both parties
more common sense than dobson
don’t you think?
17. Nevada Pundit | July 24th, 2008 at 8:18 pm
Just a long term observation from reading these blogs. Why is it that conservatives try and promote McCain and speak about why he is the better choice? Yes they also talk about why Obama is the wrong choice but always with the interest of promoting McCain. Democrats, on the other hand, try and tear down McCain but have no argument for why their candidate is the better choice. You may not like McCain, and that’s your right…but you haven’t really given us a better option now have you? If you want to convince us we are wrong then tell us why your ideology is better, not that you believe you are right and we are wrong, but why you and your candidate are right. If you can’t do that then, really, what’s the point?
18. Tractatus | July 24th, 2008 at 9:46 pm
Why is it that conservatives try and promote McCain and speak about why he is the better choice?
Where is that happening? Certainly not here. Just look at the tags–Barack Obama is by far the favorite subject of discussion. Promoting McCain takes a big-time backseat to attacking Obama (typically fallaciously or hysterically).
19. Nevada Pundit | July 24th, 2008 at 9:49 pm
Well if you believe that we do that and you believe that it is wrong then why do you constantly do the same thing?
20. Blackandwhite | July 25th, 2008 at 8:33 am
tell us why your ideology is better,17. Nevada Pundit | July 24th, 2008 at 8:18 pm
Simple, because it is not the con ideology! The latest WSJ poll 74% of Americans says Bush Jr and his conservative policies are leading the country in the wrong direction. McCain has adopted every major Bush policy position. Why would America want another four years of heading in the wrong direction?
21. Dennis | July 25th, 2008 at 2:22 pm
Mark on anther thread called Sen. Obama “a nobody who does nothing but preens himself on his supposed intellectual superiority.”
It has occurred to me more than once that this might actually be a pretty apt description of James Dobson.
22. Dennis | July 25th, 2008 at 2:25 pm
An apt description of Dobson, that is, substituting the pretense of “moral” for “intellectual”…
23. Mark Noonan | July 25th, 2008 at 3:20 pm
Dennis,
Well, Dobson actually does things - gets his hands dirty, in a manner of speaking, trying to help people out…Obama just talks and talks and talks.
24. Dennis | July 25th, 2008 at 4:27 pm
Talks and talks and talks? Mark, for efficiency’s sake I will cite a post from another thread to respond.
“Between attending Columbia and Harvard Obama worked as a community organizer for a Catholic Church-based organization, doing genuinely useful work in impoverished Chicago neighborhoods.
“He was president of the Harvard Law Review and graduated Magna Cum Laude. He went on to teach constitutional law for twelve years at the University of Chicago. He then worked for eleven years at a Chicago law firm specializing in civil rights legislation and neighborhood development. During this time he also served on the board of directors of multiple public organizations and committees.
“He next served seven years in the state legislature. He has been a US senator for three and a half years.”
James Dobson has been a radio preacher and a demagogue for as long as I have known about him. Please bring us up to date on what else he does besides “talk and talk and talk,” and muddy the pure waters of Christianity with politics. Like, when was the last time the good doctor actually helped a sick child?
25. Mark Noonan | July 25th, 2008 at 5:12 pm
Dennis,
What, exactly, does a community organizer do and, furthermore, what made Obama think that a community he wasn’t part of needed him to organize itself?
26. Dennis | July 25th, 2008 at 7:04 pm
Mark, I feel sad for you. You are eaten up with envy and resentment for a person brighter, more accomplished and principled than yourself. It would be so much better for your spirit to acknowledge the goodness in other people, even if you disagree with some aspect of their thinking or values.
In parting I would ask, just what does a preacher do? Of all the times I have heard James Dobson speak I don’t recall him ever speaking of Christ - and what good is a Christless minister?
How does Mr. Dobson get his hands dirty, other than by mixing the unsanctified mud of politics with Christianity? What makes him think people need him telling them how to vote or how to live their lives?
27. Gina | August 22nd, 2008 at 12:04 pm
Well, now that Steven Strang has left a vacancy for a religious endorsement, on the stage at Barack’s coronation ceremony, maybe Barack should come out of the closet and recruit the religious leaders who have always supported him … and, who Barack has always supported. Pastor Jeremiah Wright … Father Phleiger … and the rest of the radicals. But, we know Barack won’t do that, because even though that represents who Barack truly is … it wouldn’t help Barack deceive us … and get him elected. In November, vote for Senator John McCain, a man who truly loves America, with over 40 years of service and sacrafice … not Obama, an inexperienced, incompetent, empty suit, who is being agressively packaged, promoted, and sold to the American people.