DALLAS - James Dobson, the influential founder of the conservative, evangelical advocacy group Focus on the Family, has delivered a blow to John McCain — by saying he won’t vote for him if he’s the Republican presidential nominee.
“I am convinced Sen. McCain is not a conservative, and in fact, has gone out of his way to stick his thumb in the eyes of those who are … I cannot, and will not, vote for Sen. John McCain, as a matter of conscience,” he said in a statement on Tuesday.
“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,” he said.
Dobson said he was just expressing his views as a private citizen — but many of his millions of followers in the evangelical community, who listen to his radio show and read his books, will take it as a signal to do the same.
Dobson previously had said he would do the same if former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani became the Republican nominee. There was even talk among conservatives inside Dobson’s inner circle of supporting a third party candidate if Giuliani, who has since dropped out, carried the Republican crown.
Giuliani’s support for abortion and gay rights made him anathema in the eyes of conservative Christians, a key Republican base.
McCain has long opposed abortion rights. But Dobson said McCain’s failure to support a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage and his support for embryonic stem-cell research among other things were beyond the Christian conservative pale.
Click here for more Reuters 2008 campaign coverage.
- Photo credit: Reuters/Jim Young
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Please help me to understand how it is possible for individuals such as James Dobson, to do the following, call themeslves patriotic and yet villify a man who has served his country(McCain) protecting the lives of these very folks, call themselves prolife, but do little if anything to protect and contribute to a quality of life for many poor children throughout the U.S.and larger world, and lastly, and most important, call themselves Christians, yet find it so difficult to love others as modeled by The Christ they claim to represent.I have believed for along time that the agenda of the so called pro-lifers has more to do with who is having abortions than the abortion issue itself. Consider this, if the only women having abortions in this country were poor, black, brown, and Hispanic women ,would Jmes Dobson and those of his ilk still be as vehemently opposed to abortion? I think not, given that I do not see any of these children making up the households of these so called pro-life folks,(unlike John McCain whose household does in fact have such a child). The foster care system in this is made up of children who were born to mothers who did choose life for their babies. These children have not made their way into the homes of Dobson and his followers. I think it is fair to ask why not? Something about the talk and the walk that make me suspect of these present day pharisees.
- Posted by JeannetteDobson and those like him can and will be ignored by the general public. I will vote for McCain and believe that when Democrats take over, the country will go to pot. President Bush took the fight to the devils on their turf rather than American turf. If Democrats had been in power, we probably would have been speaking arabic by now.
- Posted by George ReaganI can’t imagine Jesus Christ ever walking around draped in self-righteousness. Tears must be pouring down His face as he listens to the religious right spew hatred and fear.
- Posted by voterIt is truly amazing to me that those on the left claim to be all about individual rights but when a conservative excercises his, they get all upset about it. Give me a break! Dobson has a right to express his views just as every other American does.
I will join Dobson in abstaining from voting this election if McCain is the Republican nominee. I had decided this long before I read this article. I never thought I would even consider this possibility. If we are going to have a liberal in the White House, I would prefer it be a Democrat and not a Republican.
Any Republican out there who believes that McCain is a conservative is simply ignorant and has ignored McCain’s actions in the past decade.
If the country is going to tax the middle class families into poverty in their redistribution of monies, open our borders and offer amnesty to the millions who could care less about our laws or sovereignty and scrap the traditional family values that have made this country strong, then let a Democrat do it and not someone who calls himself a Republican. Perhaps the country will wake up and in four years we can elect a true conservative.
- Posted by AliceWhile it is Mr. Dobson’s right to cast a vote for whomever he wishes — or no one at all if he wishes; he must accept responsibility for the weight he carries in public forum. To make the public statements he has made about not even voting this election year can, and probably will, sway other Christian conservatives to follow suit. This news no doubt has democrats dancing on their chairs and celebrating in the streets, since it has the potential to guarantee a democratic presidency. All they need for a win is for conservative Christians to withdraw from the political arena. There may be better choices than McCain, but he is FAR AND ABOVE a better choice for conservative American families than Clinton or Obama? Mr. Dobson must pull his head out of the sand and face the facts that, at this point in time, ONE OF THE THREE WILL ALMOST CERTAINLY BE OUR PRESIDENT. Yes, stances on political issues may “black and white”, but ALL people (including political candidates) have “gray” areas on the important issues, and people are who we have to vote in and out of the presidential office — not issues.
- Posted by A. FieldsWhen it comes down to it, for conservatives most democrats are worst than most republicans.
Really, it was Rudy who was the man that could not hold the republican base. Republicans cannot elect a pro-abortion candidate.
When one looks at what McCain disagrees with the republican elite, one finds a compassionate, faithful, and reasoned opinion. McCain is a conservative.
It is sad that some republicans want to almost give the nomination to the democrats. Absolutely McCain is GOOD for the party in the long run and the short term.
Perhaps Mr. Dobson should be happy with a chance at the white house and an administration which is
NOT HOSTILE to conservatives.
Consider that as you ponder you vote.
- Posted by TimothyI have to agree with Dr. Dobson. The problem is the Republican party is in tatters and John McCain is taking advantage of it. The South will only vote for an evangelical and the West will not support the bigotry of the South.
- Posted by John S.I do not see how this rift will heal by fall, which means the Democrats will win. McCain is not getting the support of the conservatives.
I am a religous conservative that is way to the right of Dr. Dobson. I call myself a fundamentalists, because evangelicals are too liberal. I’m appaled at the reasons Dobson gave for not supporting McCain.
McCain has been solid and consistent in the fight to end abortion for decades, as has Dobson. The difference is Dobson wants a constitutional amendment. McCain doesn’t believe in tinkering with the constitution, and that there is a bright line between issues that should be decided at the federal level and those issues that belong at the state level. He belives Roe v. Wade was a bad decision, because the federal courts made a decision on an issue that should have been decided at the state level.
McCain believes the way to end abortion is to appoint constructionist judges that will overturn Row v. Wade and trow the issue back to the states. Abortion can then be outlawed at the state level, state by state. Dobson wants a constitutional amendmennt.
The same is true with gay marriage. Both McCain and Dobson oppose it. Dobson wants a constitutional amendment, McCain thinks the issue should be handled at the state level.
To villify someone that holds the same goals as you, but wants to take a different path to get there is insanity. Especially when you consider the alternative the Democrats would give us on those issues.
I was dissapointed Dobson sited campaing finance reform and immigration. He may have said he was speaking on his own, but there is no doubt the people that will heed his words will do so because they see him as a religious leader.
I can’t see where the Bible takes a stand on campaign finance reform one way or another. It may be an important convertaive issue, but not an important religious conservative issue. There are no religous conservative grounds for critisizing McCain on this at all.
Illegal immigration does have a religious conservative context, but I think Dobson is missing it. Whether we seal the borders or open them up is not a religous issue. What happens to the people does. The Bible commands us to love others. You see this in Huckabee’s position on illegal immigration, where he is opposed to it, but also talks about the need to be concerned with the people affected by it. A position that has caused Huckabee to be strongly critisized by most conservatives, but I have a hard time faulting him on this knowing his position grows out of his religious beliefs.
Unlike Huckabee, Dr. Dobson seems to have forgotten that illegal immigrants are also human beings created in the image of God, and that from a religious standpoint you can’t address the illegal immigration issue without also taking into account how you are going to deal with the people involved (illegal immigrants or otherwise.)
I don’t agree with McCain on everything (certainly not on campaing finance or immigration), when it comes to the issues that are important to me from a religious standpoint (abortion, gay marriage, school & public prayer/religious expression) McCain has been solid for years.
- Posted by MartinDobson seems to be forgetting that whoever gets elected to the whitehouse will be appointing federal judges. It is my feeling that if we don’t vote for a Republican, we will get liberal activist judges, and all of the potential that we have for defeating Roe v. Wade and gay marriage will go right out the window. McCain may not be ideal, but at least he has voted pro-life, and seems to have a view life affirming convictions. Dobson will not sway my vote. For the sake of the country, I will choose the lesser of two evils so long as that candidate is not pro-abortion.
- Posted by Joyce[...] Reuters story adds this: Dobson said he was just expressing his views as a private citizen–but many of his [...]
- Posted by Even After Super Tuesday’s Results I’m Still Smiling : RSSBinghamton.com“FYI: It’s DR. DOBSON. He’s a child psychologist, and author of many widely-read books.”
So is Dr. Phil. Doesn’t mean I give any credence whatsoever to his political opinions.
Dobson is a psuedo-doctor, who regularly disparages science as liberal fodder and seeks only to advance a ultra right-wing agenda. I believe he is now stewing in his conservative juices because the electorate is beginning to get wise to these types of charlatans, and whatever political power he’s wielded over the last decade is quickly dissipating.
Thank God.
- Posted by ScottNow now now, when Obama gets on TV and says that George Bush is very efficient but doesn’t have the ability to listen to the ideas of those who don’t agree with him, the democrats amongst us applaud.
- Posted by DanDr. Dobson is a good man, his reputation is strong and there is no reason he should have to NOT express his opinion.
I suppose everyone wouldn’t be so upset about this if his view supported theirs.
I, like many of my fellow “right wing fanatic christian conservatives” as stated above, will be praying for the nominees and will trust that God has a plan.
[...] all-out assault led by conservative talk radio hosts such as Rush Limbaugh and Laura Ingraham and Rev. James Dobson questioning if McCain is truly a conservative. (Question perhaps for another blog, but is there a [...]
- Posted by Super Tuesday: Winners and Losers « The View from the SidelinesThe only true conservative in this race is Dr. Ron Paul. He is pro-life since he delivered 4,000 babies and introduced a bill to remove supreme court jurisdiction over abortion, which would send the issue back to the several states. He will not spend federal money on stem cell research. He does not support a ban on gay marriage, since the government has no role in marriage - and he is a strict constitutionalist that believes in individual freedom. That includes the freedom to keep the money you earn to support your family, that’s why he’s NEVER voted for a tax increase and will ABOLISH the INCOME TAX.
- Posted by DavidI am appalled that people who claim to protect freedom of speech are to so prone to attack a citizen simple for expressing a view that does not agree with their political views. Why are you so afraid of a citizen who exercises this right that you claim to defend? Who is the intolerant here?
- Posted by Jose Perez“James says:
February 5th, 2008 at 11:14 pm GMT
when one religious elitist passes on (jerry farwell) another rises in his place. the esteemed mr dobson claimes to be apalled at the likes if hilary clinton an barrack obama, but leaves the intelligent readers to speculate how he cold possibly have any hope for the family when an obvious self serving political opportunist like george bush is in office as we speak. i’m not even voting for john mccain, even though i am a military member serving my country on active duty, but my hats off to him for the stand he has taken on issues within the republican party. mr dobson–please bow out gracefully and if you don’t want to cast a vote keep it to yourself. no one but your fellow small minded right wing religious bigots will care.”
I believe that you used the descriptive word “intelligent” somewhere in this rant… I’m certain you place yoursef in that category. I was planning to list all instances of your blundering grammar and uncountable mis-spellings, but I don’t think there’s enough time…I need to work in the morning! FYI: It’s DR. DOBSON. He’s a child psychologist, and author of many widely-read books.
- Posted by PaulReuters,
I pay attention to your headlines because it provides some of the most accurate and comprehensive information…
So why would you allow this garbage to be posted for the world to read?
To quote the line that prompted this response, “I certainly can’t vote for Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama based on their virulently anti-family policy positions.”
Who would seek to undermine our democracy by using the word VIRULENTLY to describe these candidates’ family positions?? The word implies that our presidential candidates would seek to literally poison our families… That is simply inaccurate information and violently opposes their actual intentions regarding family policy.
James Dobson has hit my top 5 list of most atrocious anti-democracy individuals.
- Posted by SaraWhat an inaccurate headline. When I read that Dobson would not vote for McCain, it solidified my decision to vote for McCain in the Primary. I am not the only person fed up with the Right Wing fanatic behavior of the Christian conservatives. They have come close to destroying the core of the Goldwater conservatives.
- Posted by Pat Devinewhen one religious elitist passes on (jerry farwell) another rises in his place. the esteemed mr dobson claimes to be apalled at the likes if hilary clinton an barrack obama, but leaves the intelligent readers to speculate how he cold possibly have any hope for the family when an obvious self serving political opportunist like george bush is in office as we speak. i’m not even voting for john mccain, even though i am a military member serving my country on active duty, but my hats off to him for the stand he has taken on issues within the republican party. mr dobson–please bow out gracefully and if you don’t want to cast a vote keep it to yourself. no one but your fellow small minded right wing religious bigots will care.
- Posted by JamesThis may end the Republican’s chances for the Whitehouse. I certainly hope so!
“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,” he said.
- Posted by Dirk Ouellette