Focus on the Family founder James Dobson on Thursday blamed Republicans’ crushing defeat on abandoning "values voters" and predicted the GOP would stumble further if it charts a more moderate course.
A panel of conservatives on Dobson’s national radio program also lambasted Republicans, credited some Democrats for seizing on moral values and argued – in contrast to conventional wisdom – that Tuesday’s results validated their cause.
"If (Republicans) hope to return to power in ’08, they must rediscover the conservative principles that resonated with the majority of Americans in the 1980s – and still resonate with them today," Dobson said in a statement. "Failure to do so will be catastrophic. Values voters are not going to carry the water for the Republican Party if it ignores their deeply held convictions and beliefs."
Dobson told Republicans as much earlier this fall. Last week, he implored supporters to vote amid predictions that disillusioned conservatives would stay home.
Dobson predicted political apathy would result in a liberal Democratic takeover of congressional committees, a paralyzed White House and setbacks on abortion and gay marriage.
Exit polls showed evangelical Christians did turn out. But a greater number than in 2004 voted Democratic, with abortion and gay marriage being trumped by dissatisfaction with the Iraq war and government scandals.
"The values voters from 2004 really have become the integrity voters of 2006," Family Research Council president Tony Perkins said on Dobson’s show. "These values should guide your policies and your conduct. The Republicans failed to do that, and as a result, they lost the values voters."
The one value that was on the ballot that a value voter and anyone else could stand behind was honesty. I don’t think that the voters in this country feel that they’ve gotten that simple value from the GOP and in return voted accordingly. I certainly wasn’t going to vote for the liars and cheats that have been in charge for the last 6 years.