Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Opinion

Dobson for President—Let Him Test His Rigid Views With the Voters

June 25, 2008 11:50 AM ET | John Mashek | Permanent Link | Print

Perhaps it is time for James Dobson of Focus on the Family to run for public office—even the presidency.

Perched at his base in Colorado Springs, Colo., Dobson has been a consistent voice of intolerance in the evangelical-right crowd.

Dobson cannot abide either Sen. Barack Obama or Sen. John McCain. It is difficult to tell what he is for since he usually is shouting against someone.

Dobson's latest venture into politics was ripping Obama for a speech two years ago about a more diverse view of the Bible. Dobson was having none of that heresy in his mind. His interpretation is apparently the only one.

Here is a man who also distrusts McCain because he isn't more vocal on the issues of abortion and same-sex marriage. In other words, the presumptive GOP nominee had better agree with Dobson or else. Earlier this year, he said he would stay home rather than vote for McCain.

Of course, Obama's liberal views will never sell with Dobson or his ilk.

Dobson has become a force to be reckoned with in partisan politics—so why not run himself and test his views with voters? It will never happen.

But there is good news on the evangelical front. The Rev. Joel Hunter of Orlando is the subject of an article in this week's New Yorker magazine. Hunter is worried about global warming, backs immigration reform, and is angry at the Republican venomous language on the immigration issue.

Hunter's views are refreshing since the public perception of evangelicals is that they are rigidly conservative if not as extreme as Dobson.

Americans of all faiths have different views on interpreting the Bible. Dobson's is not the only one, and we all should be thankful for that.

Tags: presidential election 2008 | James Dobson

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About the Capital View Blog

John MashekJohn W. Mashek covered politics in Washington for four decades with U.S. News & World Report, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, and the Boston Globe. His primary beats were Congress, the White House, and national politics. He covered every presidential election from 1960 to 1996. He was a panelist in three televised presidential debates in 1984, 1988, and 1992.

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