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The Politics of Life

Posted by TONY CAMPBELL, Columnist in At TMV, Politics, Religion, Society.
Jul 24th, 2008 | Comments

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Yesterday I touched on the change in direction of Dr. James Dobson, founder of Focus on the Family, in his support for Senator John McCain. For those of you who missed it, here is what Dobson said about supporting McCain only 5 months ago:

“I am convinced Sen. McCain is not a conservative, and in fact, has gone out of his way to stick his thumb in the eyes of those who are. He has at times sounded more like a member of the other party…Given these and many other concerns, a spoonful of sugar does not make the medicine go down. I cannot, and I will not, vote for Sen. John McCain, as a matter of conscience.”

Last Monday, on his radio show, Dobson announced a potential change in support for John McCain by stating “I never thought I would hear myself saying this…While I am not endorsing Senator John McCain, the possibility is there that I might.” What has caused the change of heart for Dobson: quite simply, a lack of a suitable alternative.

Dobson’s switch is a microcosm of a larger problem for evangelicals who believe in the sanctity of life; what is more important, a reduction of the number of abortions in other countries or the promise of an end of the war in Iraq? Will either McCain or Obama appoint justices to the Supreme Court to overturn Roe v. Wade? No. What is the criterion this year for voting for the pro-life (anti-abortion) candidate?

It may come down to which candidate will allow federal funds to be used for abortions. Every change of party in the White House over the last 30 years has included an Executive Order either allowing or forbidding the use of tax payer funds to pay for abortions (Reagan – 1984, 1988) (Clinton 1993) (Bush 2001). Obama, who is endorsed by NARAL, will probably issue an Executive Order to provide funding for international family planning groups who provide abortions. McCain will probably keep the current funding restrictions in place during his presidency.

If there is no realistic chance of overturning Roe v. Wade, then what constitutes the preservation of life for evangelicals in 2008: perhaps ending the war in Iraq? As far as the war in Iraq is concerned, Obama has gone on record to say he favors an earlier withdrawal of American troops. McCain’s staff and surrogates are not sure which policy is better for their candidate. If you are an evangelical supporter of a pro-life platform the question may come down to the following: Is saving the lives of American soldiers and Iraqi nationals more important than continuing a funding ban on abortions that primarily affects other countries? Pro-life v. Pro-peace…one of the tough decisions of Election 2008!

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Polimom

"Will either McCain or Obama appoint justices to the Supreme Court to overturn Roe v. Wade? No."

Tony, what on earth makes you think this? McCain has been extremely clear, and unusually consistent, about his desire to see Roe v. Wade overturned. From the McCain website:

John McCain believes Roe v. Wade is a flawed decision that must be overturned, and as president he will nominate judges who understand that courts should not be in the business of legislating from the bench.

shaun

As someone who has killed a goodly number of brain cells studying Dobson, I would suggest that his pussyfooting toward a semi-endorsement has less to do with there not being a suitable alternative than him not wanting to be cut out of the action.

Dobson is an egomaniacal power monger and influence peddler who happens to hide behind Jesus's robes and he simply can not stand the thought of being on the outside of the Republican tent looking in should McCain somehow prevail.

JSpencer

Dobson: "I cannot, and I will not, vote for Sen. John McCain, as a matter of conscience.”

Interesting how flexible the definition of "conscience" can be for some folks. Next time maybe he'll choose a more appropriate word. Then again, if Shaun is right about him being an egomaniac, then he will likely use whatever word gives him the most bang for the buck per moment and let tomorrow worry about tomorrow.

Jim_Satterfield

Of course McCain will appoint justices willing to overturn Roe V. Wade. In spite of his age, should he win he will want to be re-elected. He will see the votes of the fundamentalists as being necessary to that. He'll find people to appoint who will lie their way through the confirmation hearings and then make a hard right turn. It's an important reason to not elect him.

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