YIKES! I Agree With James Dobson

Dobson and his far-right conservative Christian “Focus on the Family” radio program are based in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Last Thursday Dobson said he couldn’t support Senator John McCain (R-AZ) and his presidential bid "under any circumstances." That’s something Dobson and I agree on. Dobson’s attack on McCain was because McCain doesn’t support traditional marriage values. And that’s where Dobson and I part company. There are so many issues where McCain is flat-out wrong, that his views on gay marriage aren’t even a blip on my radar screen. In a radio interview with KCBI, a Dallas Christian station, Dobson said not only did McCain not support traditional marriage values, but also, the campaign finance legislation that McCain had co-authored hurt Christian broadcasters. Although McCain can hardly be called pro gay-marriage, he does not support a constitutional amendment outlawing same-sex unions and he believes it’s an issue best left up to each state. On October 6, 2006, WaPo reported, “In 2004, white evangelical or born-again Christians made up a quarter of the electorate, and 78 percent of them voted Republican, according to exit polls. But some pollsters believe that evangelical support for the GOP peaked two years ago and that what has been called the "God gap" in politics is shrinking…A nationwide poll of 1,500 registered voters released yesterday by the nonpartisan Pew Research Center found that 57 percent of white evangelicals are inclined to vote for Republican congressional candidates in the midterm elections, a 21-point drop in support among this critical part of the GOP base.” So why is McCain even bothering with the far-right Christian faction? Because it’s McCain's nature to say anything to anyone anytime if he thinks it will net him one smile, one vote. Yesterday, the New York Times reported, “During a campaign stop in Columbia, S.C., McCain said: ‘I'm obviously disappointed (about Dobson’s lack of support) and I'd like to continue and have a dialogue with Dr. Dobson and other members of the community.’” McCain added, ''I'm happy to say that I've established a dialogue with a number of other leaders.'' Those leaders include the Rev. Jerry Falwell and Dr. Richard Land of the Southern Baptist Convention. McCain, of course, doesn’t give a damn whether he and Dobson kiss and make up or not. But McCain has a track record of testing the waters and saying anything he thinks may resonate with any group. The NYT noted, “In 2000, Falwell opposed McCain's campaign for the GOP nomination and supported George W. Bush. At the time, McCain labeled Falwell and others on the right and the left as ‘agents of intolerance.’” I still maintain that John McCain learned more than he will ever talk about when he was a POW in Vietnam. You don’t stay alive in enemy territory by opposing the enemy. And I would never fault anyone for saying and doing anything to stay alive. I certainly would adopt that modus operandi if I were captured by, oh, say, Bill O’Reilly or the FBI. It’s just that I don’t think it’s a good or honorable political strategy. On October 18, 2006, good-guy, political jokester and stay-alive-by-any-means McCain was asked how he would react if the Dems took over the Senate. He said, "I think I'd just commit suicide," adding, “I don't want to face that eventuality because I don't think it's going to happen...I think it's going to be tough, but I think we'll do o.k." My advice? Don’t hold John McCain to anything he says about anything ever. As we can see, he is still alive and making nice with the opposition.