COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (ABP) — In a move unprecedented for him, Focus on the Family founder James Dobson has endorsed a candidate for the Republican presidential nomination.
In a statement released Feb. 7, Dobson backed former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee for the GOP nomination over his only remaining significant rival, Arizona Sen. John McCain.
“My decision comes in the wake of my statement on [Feb. 5] that I could not vote for Sen. John McCain, even if he goes on to win the Republican nomination. His record on the institution of the family and other conservative issues makes his candidacy a matter of conscience and concern for me,” Dobson said.
Dobson said at the time that McCain's then-chief rival, former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney, was more acceptable on social issues — even though Romney is Mormon and held moderate positions on abortion and gay rights prior to launching his presidential run.
But Romney's Feb. 7 withdrawal from the race, following a disappointing showing in the Feb. 5 “Super Tuesday” primaries, left Dobson with only one remotely viable choice in the GOP race, he said.
“The remaining candidate for whom I could vote is Gov. Huckabee. His unwavering positions on the social issues, notably the institution of marriage, the importance of faith and the sanctity of human life, resonate deeply with me and with many others. That is why I will support Gov. Huckabee through the remaining primaries and will vote for him in the general election if he should get the nomination.”
Dobson has never endorsed a candidate in a presidential primary before. While federal tax laws do not allow non-profit organizations like Focus on the Family to endorse political parties or candidates, Dobson said he is making his endorsement as a “private citizen” and not as the head of Focus on the Family. The statement was distributed under the aegis of the organization's CitizenLink e-newsletter.
Dobson and other conservative evangelical leaders have had an uneasy relationship with McCain. The Arizona senator has generally voted conservatively on social issues and has a strongly anti-abortion-rights voting record. However, he supports federal funding for embryonic stem-cell research, which Dobson and others consider tantamount to abortion.
McCain also opposed President Bush's attempt to amend the Constitution to ban gay marriage, calling it a states'-rights issue. McCain had supported a similar amendment on the state level in Arizona.
Dobson and other religious conservatives have further criticized McCain for his sponsorship of a campaign-finance law they say restricts the ability of anti-abortion-rights groups to influence elections.
Many of Huckabee's fellow evangelicals, however, have also been reluctant to get behind the former Baptist pastor's campaign. Some distrust Huckabee's populist economic rhetoric and his willingness to raise taxes while he was governor of Arkansas. Others worry about his ability to beat the Democratic nominee in the general election.
Dobson's endorsement gives Huckabee an obvious boost, but the former governor faces an uphill battle against McCain, who has more money and nominating delegates than he does.
Michael Cromartie, vice president of the evangelical Ethics and Public Policy Center, criticized Dobson's pledge not to vote for McCain — all but certain to be the GOP nominee — in November. He told Christianity Today that evangelicals sitting out this election will assure the White House to one of the two top Democratic contenders — Illinois Sen. Barack Obama or New York Sen. Hillary Clinton.
“Dr. Dobson should know that John McCain would certainly appoint better justices to the [Supreme] Court than either Obama or Clinton,” Cromartie said. “Politics is about making choices between relative goods and lesser evils and not about having perfect choices. It's a wasted vote on Dr. Dobson's part. It's irresponsible on his part to give that kind of leadership.”
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Huckabee's role in SBC conflict presaged political balancing act (1/15)