One of the most insightful and funny writers about America 2008 is David Harsanyi. In a recent column here he takes on James Dobson, a man many media-types love to hate. Harsanyi writes that for a politician, "pleasing Dobson can be a holy hassle." I think Harsanyi's point is that the Republican Party, if it ever wants to win elections, must make room for all kinds of conservatives: fiscal, social, those who want strong national security, and those who cherish individual freedom.
Harsanyi believes Dobson is not inclusive, and that he confuses traditional values with "illogical rigidty." Moreover, he thinks Dobson's doctorate degree must be in "divine insight."
The GOP had some really outstanding candidates for president this year, in my opinion. Thompson, Romney, and Giuliani, for example, brought significant skills and experience with them for our consideration. But each had something in their background that Dobson did not like, and he could not support them. I think Huckabee was the candidate Dobson would have preferred. Dobson withheld support for McCain until Palin joined the ticket. Dobson poured a half million dollars of Focus on the Family contributions into the Prop 8 fight in California, then had to lay off or not fill over 200 positions at Focus.
The same media that loves to hate Dobson, like they used to love to hate Jerry Falwell, persists in turning to Dobson when they want to know what an evangelical thinks about this or that politicial issue. Dr. Dobson certainly has a right to speak his mind on political or any other matters. Through his best-selling books and his incredible global outreach of his radio programs, he has earned the respect and listenership of millions of people who care deeply about moral, spiritual, and cultural issues, and the effects of those issues on the family and the individual in today's world.
On the other hand, who among us is perfect? As Jesus said, if you are without sin, go ahead and cast the first stone! Where is the mercy? Where is the forgiveness? Each of us has something in our past we'd like to do over, perhaps even Dobson. We need to field the best candidates we can find; people who believe in conservative principles, have a record of being faithful to those principles, and an ability to articulate those principles clearly to large numbers of people.
It almost seemed at times that John McCain enjoyed bashing Republicans, that he was proudest when he joined hands with the likes of Teddy Kennedy on issues that mattered to millions of Americans. McCain, therefore, had earned the lukewarm support of Republicans, and that allowed Obama to win the White House rather easily.
Ronald Reagan had a record as California Governor that established him as a person who proudly stood up for traditional values. He earned the enthusiastic support of millions of people. Kind of like James Dobson!
5 comments:
You are absolutely right in what you say. Though I supported McCain, especially with Palin, I did not have that ole tingle up the leg thing going on. Here in Ohio we have a new party leader who believes the party must give up the social issues to focus on fiscal ones. Yeah, another 40 years in the wilderness with leaders who really do not understand the base nor the country. Please keep writing on this subject because the base needs to send a strong message to our "leaders"!
I haven't listened to Dobson for years, but he is a PHD in child psychology, and once at a Pediatric conference at Johns Hopkins, his books were recommended.
The problem is that the press is making a caricature of him...along with Catholic priests, Bishop Chaput, the LDS church, and conservative blacks and Hispanics who voted to support traditional marriage.
The persecution is beginning, and it will start slowly...
On the other hand, Reagan as governor of California okayed an abortion bill...that was before he had realized the harm it did (indeed, in the late 1960's, if you were anti abortion you were catholic and ridiculed for imposing your religion on others...but that is another story).
There are a few things I disagree with Dr. Dobson about, but he has been unfairly maligned by the press, and others.
I believe most conservatives are socially, fiscally and national security conservatives, not one or the other, although that doesn't mean there aren't some who are only concerned with one or two of those broad issues.
But as a conservative in all the issues, or to be more precise, a classical liberal, I'm not so socially conservative I would take away any liberties we currently have.
For instance, I would never try to ban even the most violent video games (which some on the Left and Right wanna do), but I do believe they shouldn't be sold to children.
That's just one example that's sensible and doesn't infringe on anyone's liberty.
OTOH I also believe life is sacred, and that unborn babies should have more rights than murderers on death row.
At the very least that should be an issue decided by the states, and no tax dollars should be used to support abortions.
That may seem intrusive to some, but certainly not to the unborn.
We should, as a society, make adoptions easier and work with women who don't want their babies for whatever reason.
I would rather see taxes used for that than to support Planned Parenthood who have no regard for unborn life.
Some conservatives would like to see the GOP drop the respect for life issue, but I believe that's short-sighted, and that they don't see the consequences to society when society no longer considers life an important issue. It erodes our conscience and our very souls.
It's not just a slippery slope it's a dropoff into the abyss, and history shows what happens to countries that don't consider life sacrosanct.
If the GOP ever does drop this platform we are in serious trouble as a nation.
We need to be incusive and principled, and I hope that those in the GOP who aren't socially conservative can see that.
I also hope that social conservatives will see the importance of being fiscally responsible.
As I said, most of us are both social and fiscally conservative.
I do have a question for those who are fiscal conservatives
but are socially to the Left:
How does one be fiscally conservative and yet still advocate all that social spending that social leftism requires?
Excellent post, Bob!
mRed,
I am happy to have you as a reader, and I will keep writing about this subject, because it interests me, and it seems to be on the front burner.
boinky,
Thanks for reminding us about Reagan, and your comments about persecution seem to be accurate.
Ben,
Thank you for such a thoughtful comment. Your question at the end is a great one. I work at Wal-Mart as a cashier on the weekends, and those vid games require the purchaser to show proof of being 17.
It is great to have such thoughtful readers!
I'm late to the conversation here but I get the socially liberal/fiscally conservative group...it's taking individual rights perhaps a bit too far. As with you all I believe it's imperative for the Repubs to be the party for life. It's an easy decision regarding abortion, but what about Terri Shiavo? How do you feel about that one? I know how I felt, betrayed by the party that said they believed in life.
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