Yes, my hometown is where six people died last night because of a job related argument. Please be in prayer for all the families involved.

By Frank Schaeffer

Senator Obama just took another giant step toward winning the presidency. Actually, someone who considers himself a sworn enemy of Senator Obama took the step for him. Dr. Dobson of the Focus On the Family radio program (and evangelical media empire) has aired a program in which he attacks Senator Obama, the Senator's theology and his credentials as a Christian. With enemies like this Senator Obama doesn't need friends.

No, I'm not talking about Dobson energizing liberal Democrats. I'm talking about Dobson energizing his fellow evangelicals to vote for Senator Obama.

I first met Dobson when I was on his program back in the early eighties. At that time I too was an evangelical right wing agitator. I describe my encounter with Dobson and my journey from the heart of the Republican/evangelical right to sanity in my book CRAZY FOR GOD-How I Grew Up As One Of The Elect, Helped Found The Religious Right, And Lived To Take All (Or Almost All) Of It Back.

In the bad old days Dobson gave away 150,000 copies of a shrill bestseller evangelical screed of mine called A Time For Anger. (There was a lot more money in the God business than working as a legitimate author let me tell you! If any of my novels made the kind of money my evangelical books did I'd be set! ) Along with my late evangelical leader father Francis Schaeffer, like Dobson we were busy welding the evangelicals and the Republican Party into what amounted to a new party of soft theocracy. I changed my mind and got out in the mid eighties. But I have plenty of friends still in the evangelical movement, and they say unequivocally that Dobson's time has passed.

Dobson is one of the Evangelical religious right old guard. He's to the right what Nader is to the left. Like the late Jerry Falwell, Pat Robertson and others Dobson has alienated as many evangelicals -- let alone moderate Christians -- as he's inspired. In fact, ever since he tried to get Richard Cizik, vice president of the National Association of Evangelicals (NAE) fired last year Dobson has found himself painted into a reactionary corner. Many evangelicals still fear him and so won't denounce his posturing power-plays but they also despise him.

Cizik is the future of evangelicalism. Dobson is the past. Cizik is a strong environmentalist advocate on the issue of global warming. Dobson tried to get the board of the National Association of Evangelicals to fire Cizik because of that fact. Dobson said that Cizik's environmental beliefs ran counter to what Dobson thought was in George Bush's best interests. He also said that the environment distracts from the favorite issues Dobson raises most of his funds on: abortion and gay bashing. But Dobson failed. The board of the NAE rejected Dobson's power play, for the same reason many evangelicals will reject his telling them how to vote this year. Dobson also failed in stopping John McCain (who failed to kiss Dobson's ass sufficiently) from becoming the Republican nominee.

If you're one of many Americans who thinks that the war in Iraq was a mistake or believe that the Republicans have run the economy into the ground or think that perhaps the chaos George Bush unleashed in our foreign affairs has something to do with the price of gas at the pump... then you have Dr. Dobson to thank -- personally. No one worked harder to get Bush elected then reelected. Dobson delivered his millions of dupes. But now many of them see through him and like most Americans, are appalled by Bush.

Nevertheless Dobson has -- for eight years -- been George W. Bush's personal shill. In return Dobson has had ego-stoking "access" to the White House, or rather to the lackeys in the White House laughing at him but charged with stroking Dobson and the other pompous asses masquerading as religious leaders.

But the new generation of evangelicals is sick of being labeled as backward rednecks because of their association with fossils like Dobson. There are many evangelicals like Cizik too who are not all about homophobia, nationalism, war-without-end and American exceptionalism or the Republican Party. Like Cizik they believe that the America has a responsibility to do something about global warming, poverty, AIDS, human trafficking and other issues. They see through Dobson and the other so-called pro-life leaders, who have actually done nothing to reduce abortion. In fact Dobson has increased abortions because of his "abstinence only" crusade.

As a result of his power grabs and bullying of other evangelicals, not to mention his telling people how to vote and pointing them to the failed W, Dobson & Co. have zero credibility with a growing number of otherwise conservative evangelicals who happen--this year--to be looking favorably at Senator Obama's holistic Christian-based world view. Unlike Dobson they like Obama's theology just fine.

All that was missing to put the frosting on the Obama cake was for Dobson to attack him. For Obama to win all he needs to do is peel off a chunk of heretofore solid evangelical Republican votes. Dobson just handed Obama those votes.


Frank Schaeffer is a writer and author of "CRAZY FOR GOD-How I Grew Up As One Of The Elect, Helped Found The Religious Right, And Lived To Take All (Or Almost All) Of It Back"

The GOP is bereft of ideas and chances to redeem itself this election. All of theirs have failed so the only tactic they have left is to attack and smear Obama with guilt by association, false rumors and gossip. I thought most people had wised up long ago to how the GOP dirty tricks swift-boat boys operated but at each election they just keep going after the same old gullible segment of the population that wants to believe the worst lies about others. I was hoping McCain would be different since the Bush/Rove attack machine had subjected him to their slander and lying push polls during the 2000 primary election but I guess he thinks the only way for him to win is to resort to the same against Obama. So much for integrity. The best they can do is go after Obama's pastor as though the former Episcopalian-McCain's newly adopted fundamentalist Southern Baptist religion doesn't have nutty preachers too, like Hitler loving John Hagee and Ron Parsley. If every Catholic left their Church because of all the priest on child sex abuse cases there would be no more Catholic Church. Why the hypocrisy by the GOP toward Rev Wright? These Appalachian right-wing conservatives are just desperate to tar and feather Obama for whatever reason they can dream up. Pretty pathetic, eh? Let them cling to their hatred, racism and bitterness. It's all they have to hold onto since their GOP political saviors have been discredited during the last eight years and failed at every neo-con wet-dream Cheney and his coven of Constitution killers could attempt. Haters never win but they seem to be very successful in republican politics. It seems that to many NRA right-wingers, their guns are phallic symbols that represent their inadequacies. The bigger and deadly their guns the more macho they feel. Too bad they can't debate and reason based on facts and reality rather than on paranoia and anger. I too am an avid hunter and gun owner but I don't allow it to take over my common sense and objectivity. What is it about NRA extremists that causes them to shun logic and Constitutional realities? How can average working people vote against their own financial self interests by supporting politicians that always vote against helping them? These politicians feel like they have a free pass just because they always vote for even the most extreme pro-hand gun law? (i.e. Mitch McConnell) I expect McCain to embrace these extremists in his quest to be "w's" version of the compassionate dictator of middle earth America. Just watch out for all the smoke and mirrors because they are going to use copious amounts to obscure their many neo-con failures. You might even see McCain pandering to all the Ky, Tenn, and West Virginia Hillary lovers by wearing a pink pantsuit on the campaign trail. I wouldn't put it past him. Hell knows there is no furry like a log-cabin conservative scorned.

In America's history we have had a handicapped president, a bachelor president, a Catholic president and a retarded president. Don't you think its time for a half African and half Kansas president? Senator Obama is just what our country needs at this time in history. He's intelligent, independent and isn't owned by right-wingers and oil corporations. If you liked the last eight insane years of death, war, endless spending / debt, torture, fuel price gouging, with countless deadly lies, cover-ups and Constitutional destruction, vote for McCain and nothing will change. If you want a voice for average Americans, both Clintons in critical governmental roles, some political sanity, fiscal accountability, reason and responsibility in policies, then vote for Barack Obama. If you think Clinton played dirty politics with Obama just wait and see what the Republicans are going to do to him. Don't fall for repu lies, ugly distortions and diversion of blame for all their failures. Stay out of the right-wing Rovian "dirty politics" gutter and support a good man who will bring back pride in being an American and living by the principals of the Constitution. Prove that racism is a thing of the past and justice is blind. Show the world that we truly believe and practice what our Constitution declares. Vote for competent leadership and a new direction not the same old failed ideas of the Bush/Cheney party. Vote Obama. He encompasses the best of what America stands for.

I find it hilarious how right-wingers use such tortured and twisted logic to justify their racism and sexism relative to their political candidates. They always claim that it's not that they don't want a woman or black as president, yet they can't get them to run. I wonder why? Right-wingers claim Condi Rice and Colin Powell are more qualified than many Dem candidates, so what's the problem? Could it be they know a black man or woman would have no chance to get the nomination much less win the general election in their biased party? After all, the only way they can get blacks to serve in the Republican party is to appoint them because they can't get elected. If political beliefs were the standard then Clarence Thomas would run for president. He is more right-wing than "W," but he would have no chance in the Republican party of today.
Alan Keyes is a good example of the futility of a black conservative in the Republican party. The only thing he can win is a right-wing talk show. I can only remember one conservative black (rich Oklahoma football hero, J.C. Watts) who was elected in the Republican party, and he resigned in frustration. Is that a coincidence? If right-wingers really represented minorities they would change their political positions to reflect it, but that is not going to happen in the WASP party of big money and materialism that has a history of being anti-civil rights and runs campaigns by demonizing blacks.
Just wait for all the racist ads in this year's election. We've had but a sample in North Carolina already and even here in Kentucky with our Republican Rep. Geoff Davis calling Obama, "boy." When Republican presidential candidates get less than 10 percent of the black vote in elections one would think they might say to themselves, "Hey, maybe we need to change a little to accommodate the political views of minorities." Instead they always come back with, "We don't need blacks anyway; they'll come around to our viewpoint eventually." Who needs minorities when you have a super-majority of southern bigots? That's the view that has worked for right-wingers in the past, and it will probably continue to work for them in the future.

Why is it that future President Obama, is always referred to as black? He is as much a white man as he is black. Just because he is half black does not make him any more black than white. How many white people are pure white? Very few I imagine. People are a composite of many relatives that come before them. This country is truly a melting pot and I am proud of the fact that we are slowly coming to see that a person’s color has no bearing on their potential success. I have Indian, Cajun, Irish, British and who knows what else in my heritage. Does that make me better or worse than any other American? Of course it doesn’t. John McCain is so white he could be called an albino but we don’t do that. Why the double standard? Obama wants to be a healer and someone who will try to bring different people together. I can think of no one better able to do that. He has grown up in two different worlds with two different sets of grandparents and world views. Who better to actually be able to bridge the divide between our country’s racist history? I hope and pray that the public doesn’t let their prejudice get in the way of actually hearing what Obama is saying and campaigning for. He is a historic candidate, not because of his color but because he actually wants to bring all Americans together. I hope he chooses the Republican, Chuck Hagel as a running mate to show he means what he says. I am an independent and I too want to see a real uniter, not a partisan divider like we had over the last eight years leading this country. Our country desperately needs someone like that at this time in our history.

In response to a couple of frustrated and misinformed local right-wingers concerning my letters, the facts certainly don’t get in my way of observing that republicans have (zero) elected officials in the U.S. Congress. That is not speculation. That is a FACT! It is beyond statistical probability and any reasonable judgment that this fact is anything but the result of blatant racism on the part of the Republican Party. Repus don’t support the election of black politicians. They don’t give them the money, party support or legislative bills needed in order to win over the black population. Since the 60’s when the voting rights act was passed by a Democratic Congress and a Democratic President, the repus have pursued Nixon’s southern strategy (i.e. Kevin Phillips) of ignoring the black voter and embracing the reactionist southern racist. That is a far cry from what Lincoln envisioned. It is obvious these young right-wing letter writers have no clue as to the reality of the civil rights struggle that actually transpired in the 60’s. They only rely on the biased FOX network and other right-wing talk show blow-hards for their history information all based around Reagan worship. How tragic that the repu party continues to reject black voters and won’t even try to accommodate some of their concerns. The fact is that over 90% of blacks do not vote republican and over 98% of white republicans do not vote for blacks. That is not speculation. That is fact. Colin Powell was forced out of the Bush administration and he would have no chance going up against the neocons of the repu party today. He would have a better chance of running as a democrat and he knows it. Rice has been one of the worst Sec. of State and National Security directors in history. She will go down as the one who ignored the August 6 FBI memo warning of airplane attacks on American targets from 911. She is radioactive as far as repus are concerned. The repus know that their own party will not vote for a black presidential candidate. They can’t even get a U.S. Congressman elected much less a president so before right-wingers start attacking Obama in their ads as the next convict Willie Horton or a horny Tenn. Congressman Harold Ford remember that they are the ones who campaign on demonizing blacks. The proof is in the pudding and facts don’t lie. Zero repu blacks in Congress. That is not a coincidence. That is intentional. Don’t be fooled by their diversion tactics. Just look at their record. Over 80% of the U.S. population thinks we have been going in the wrong direction and only 25% think w is doing a decent job. Presently the American people support democrat policies and know that repus are responsible for our terrible situation economically, militarily and constitutionally. These are the facts and they are on Obama’s side.