The Tuesday election is causing hand-wringing by many on the right, but not James Dobson. He knows what happened to the Republicans, they didn't embrace the base tightly enough. Here's a short report from the Denver Post. They write, "Focus on the Family founder James Dobson on Thursday blamed Republicans' crushing defeat on abandoning 'values voters' and predicted the GOP would stumble further if it charts a more moderate course.
A panel of conservatives on Dobson's national radio program also lambasted Republicans, credited some Democrats for seizing on moral values and argued - in contrast to conventional wisdom - that Tuesday's results validated their cause. 'If (Republicans) hope to return to power in '08, they must rediscover the conservative principles that resonated with the majority of Americans in the 1980s - and still resonate with them today,' Dobson said in a statement. 'Failure to do so will be catastrophic. Values voters are not going to carry the water for the Republican Party if it ignores their deeply held convictions and beliefs.' Dobson told Republicans as much earlier this fall. Last week, he implored supporters to vote amid predictions that disillusioned conservatives would stay home. Dobson predicted political apathy would result in a liberal Democratic takeover of congressional committees, a paralyzed White House and setbacks on abortion and gay marriage. Exit polls showed evangelical Christians did turn out. But a greater number than in 2004 voted Democratic, with abortion and gay marriage being trumped by dissatisfaction with the Iraq war and government scandals."
"If more Republicans had championed those amendments Tuesday, the party's fortunes would have been different, former GOP presidential hopeful Gary Bauer said. He singled out Sen. George Allen of Virginia, whose narrow loss was key to swinging the Senate to the Democrats. Dobson also criticized longtime nemesis Sen. Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania, a moderate Republican who said his party must become 'a lot more progressive and a lot less ideological' in light of the election. Michael Cromartie, who directs the evangelicals in civic life program at the Ethics and Public Policy Center, said in an interview he agreed with most of Dobson's analysis. But he argued that the Bush White House has delivered plenty for evangelical voters, including backing a federal marriage amendment and seating two conservative justices on the U.S. Supreme Court. Others, such as Barnard College religion professor Randall Balmer, portray the election as a repudiation of Dobson. Balmer said a growing number of evangelicals see a 'moral inconsistency' in opposing abortion while failing to condemn torture of war prisoners. 'The stranglehold of the religious right over evangelicals is beginning to loosen,' he said.
Category: 2008 Presidential Election
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