Before I start let me just say I am writing this on vacation. That my friends (as John McCain would say) is total Brody File dedication! And yes, I have no life!
Now on to Dr. Dobson's comments about Barack Obama. If you're not up to speed click here to read more.
Look, let's boil this down and get to the heart of the matter.
There are many, many conservative Christians who don't believe Barack Obama is a "true" Christian.
Hey, wait a minute! Don't fire off the angry e-mails at me. I am just the messenger of that news so you know what's really going on. I am just relaying to you the dozens of e-mails I receive everyday about this topic. James Dobson is simply pointing out what millions of conservative Evangelicals are thinking.
These conservative Christians have problems with Obama's views on abortion, partial birth abortion, civil unions, and statements that contradict basic Christian philosophy.
For example, Obama has talked before about how he's not sure what happens after he dies, and that good people, even if they don't believe in Jesus, will make their way to Heaven. Yet conservative Evangelicals say that when you believe in Jesus, you go to heaven and that there are not different paths to get there. They believe Obama is confusing Christianity for people truly searching for the truth. And THAT is really the major beef they have with him. They believe the distortion (in their view) is dangerous.
So clearly there are differences between Obama's more progressive views of Christianity and the conservative viewpoint. It's important to remember that while Obama will attract some conservative Evangelicals, Obama's main goal is to win over moderate Evangelicals. Also young conservative Evangelicals seem more open to Obama's "Christian" message of caring for the poor, fighting genocide, healthcare for all, and climate change. They also like the fact that he is reaching out to try and find common ground with conservative faith voters.
One other quick point: while Obama may not win over conservative Evangelicals, he has to be careful that they don't make this a huge issue. If they do, watch out. It could have some crossover effect and hurt Obama with more socially conservative Democrats in key swing states.
Well, there you have it.
A reality check on what's going on. James Dobson is expressing a majority viewpoint among conservative Evangelicals. Can I now get back to my vacation? I have to sort whites and darks in the laundry room, fold socks, and then head to Chuck E Cheese. Life is great.