Our discussion of the Dobson and Obama dust-up raised one point, that of misrepresentation of Obama by Dobson, but there was something else in Dobson’s discussion that day that deserves a conversation. Dobson, who speaks for many in the religious right, are wary of McCain and some think Bush wasn’t a true conservative, and, yes, some seem to long for the good ol’ days of Reagan. Which led Dobson to say the conservatives in Washington DC haven’t done the job. That’s what I’d like to generate a conversation about.
Before I say that, though, let me register my disgust with the ploy the House Democrats are now using by employing a Bush impersonator in radio ads.
Before I go further, I commend the efforts of the young radical Christians to call us back to following Christ.
I’m glad McCain met with Billy Graham.
Back to Dobson and DC results … and I’d like to have a good, honest, clear, and non-accusatory conversation today about this topic.
In essence, it can be put like this: apart from appointments of some conservative justices in the Supreme Court, and we dare not minimize these appointments as those who have the power to carry on the conservative agenda, what has been done in the last 30 years or so to further the agenda of those in the religious right?
Dobson and many complain that they simply can’t stand with McCain because he isn’t conservative enough, even though he probably would appoint conservative justices. I’m sure they think they are consistent in their stands in this judgment of McCain. But here’s something that I’d like to see the religious right leaders address and address with open eyes and and open mind. I’d like to hear your views on this question:
Has the religious right been had? Have the politicians running for office used their power and their numbers and their support? Does the fact that they ran on some of these conservative agendas and not doing much (or anything) about those agendas in DC suggest that they were disingenuous? That they, in general sided with that conservative viewpoint, but did not have the passion to carry it out in DC? Is their social conservatism in morals a mask for economic conservatism? Or is the political system/machine so complex that our elected representatives are unable to carry out their promises (whether Republication or Democrat)? Or is it the checks and balances that we have in government? Or ….?
Tell me what you think. Explaining the failure of conservatives in DC since the Reagan years to pull off the major promises in such terms as “they’ve been had” is a little too skeptical for me, but I must also confess: some days I think it might be the best explanation. What do you think?