June 25, 2008
Hotline After Dark -- According To Jim
FNC's Hannity spoke with Focus on the Family founder James Dobson on his radio show about Dobson's radio segment accusing Barack Obama of "deliberately distorting" the Bible and pushing a "fruitcake interpretation" of the Constitution. Parts of the interview ran on last night's "Hannity & Colmes."
Dobson: "Speaking as a private individual again, it terrifies me the thought that he might be our commander in chief, might be in the oval office, might be the leader of the free world because I said it a minute ago, the man is dangerous, especially with regard to this issue of morality" (FNC, 6/24).
Radio talk show host Ed Schultz: "I think the timing of the attack is very interesting. Barack Obama is breaking out in the polls. He's starting to get younger Evangelical Christians on his side, because they're concerned about the environment. And so I think even though [Dobson] is not supporting [John] McCain, this is what he can contribute to the rabid right" ("LKL," CNN, 6/24).
Independent Women's Forum pres. Michelle Bernard: "Most people who read the Bible or read anything for that matter, tend to ... see things through their own lens. And so, I think this is a definite lose for Dobson on this issue. We know from everything that we've seen over the last week that Senator Obama is aggressively going after the evangelical vote" ("Verdict," MSNBC, 6/24).
GOP strategist Bay Buchanan: "I think Barack Obama has made an enormous mistake here moving into this area. The last thing he wants is a debate with Jim Dobson. We have this huge sleeping giant out there of social conservatives, Evangelicals, born again, the traditional Catholics. We kind of feel we don't have a place in this election. He will never get our votes. The best thing he can do is keep us sleeping. He wakes us up when he starts talking about what the Lord meant when it comes to the 'Sermon on the Mount' to suggest that the 'Sermon on the Mount' somehow justifies gay marriage. He will get us all up in arms. We will be intrigued, interested, and in the middle of this battle, and he will lose as a result of that" ("Hannity & Colmes," FNC, 6/24).
After the jump, more on Dobson and Bill Clinton supports Obama ... sort of.
(KATHERINE LEHR)
Family Research Council pres. Tony Perkins: "There's something novel here, in that the Democrats, who traditionally have kind of picketed churches, are now preaching in the pulpit in this election cycle, and it's something new" ("AC 360," CNN, 6/24).
More Perkins: "Increasingly, there is a very overt effort by Barack Obama and his campaign to reach evangelicals. ... And what Dr. Dobson was saying in his program is that Christians, who are the target of Barack Obama's efforts to bring them into his campaign, have every right to determine whether or not he's another sheep in the church yard or if he's, you know, a wolf just wearing a wool suit. They have every right to know that. And that's what they are saying. Let's dissect his theology. ... There's a disconnect. Either it's a disconnect in his theology or it's the application of that faith. And Christians, again, who are being wooed by his campaign, have every right to look at that" ("Election Center," CNN, 6/24).
Newsweek's Alter, on whether this is a win for Obama: "I actually think it's a mild loss for Obama because Obama has a real shot at getting a certain percentage of these evangelical voters. Because he is a person of faith, as they say, and there's not really a lot of evidence that John McCain is. ... So, Obama has a chance with these voters. And when Dobson, even if he does so in a very unchristian way, comes out and starts playing politics, that sends a signal to some of those voters to maybe stay away from Obama" ("Verdict," MSNBC, 6/24).
CURB HIS ENTHUSIASM
And a spokesperson for Bill Clinton announced, "President Clinton is obviously committed to doing whatever he can and is asked to do to ensure Senator Obama is the next president of the United States."
GOP strategist Andrea Tantaros: "Bill Clinton's enthusiasm for Barack Obama comes through his spokesman by saying that he is committed to Barack Obama? Come on. I mean, if he really was committed ... he would have come out more forcefully than going through his spokesperson 17 days later" ("LKL," CNN, 6/24).
WashingtonPost.com's Cillizza: "It is in Bill Clinton's self-interest and Hillary Clinton's self-interests to be as supportive and active for Barack Obama as possible. That's the way they can get back to being the sort of 'first family' of Democratic politics that they clearly want to be" (Countdown," MSNBC, 6/24).
Dem strategist Hilary Rosen: "President Clinton knows that this is Hillary's week, that the big plan is for Senator Clinton and Barack Obama to come together, to do their event on Friday. They're meeting with their donors Thursday night and where she is handing over a significant amount of her donors to him and relinquishing all control. ... And I think that President Clinton knows that he needs to step back a little bit" ("LKL," CNN, 6/24).
Air America's Maddow: "If we're supposed to be reading between the lines to suss out Bill Clinton's level of enthusiasm for Barack Obama's candidacy, that message is as clear as it could possibly be and it is not a positive message" ("Race for the WH," MSNBC, 6/24).
Posted at 09:21 AM
Comments
I can't wait until Dobson, Robertson, et. al. tell me which cartoon character is gay, and what world leader we ought to assassinate. Jesus would be so proud.
Seth | 06.25.08 09:41 AM
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I've always thought Speedy Gonzales was gay, and I do so love that big hat, but speed is such a heterosexual objective. Besides, it is Sylvester who has the lisp.
Royal King | 06.25.08 10:59 AM
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Dobson, Perkins and their ilk have become such a joke. They are powerless in their own parties let alone the nation at large. Idiots.
Shaun | 06.25.08 02:42 PM
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