Christian Right Formally Unhappy With Field of Presidential Candidates

From the New York Times:

WASHINGTON, Feb. 24 — A group of influential Christian conservatives and their allies emerged from a private meeting at a Florida resort this month dissatisfied with the Republican presidential field and uncertain where to turn.

The event was a meeting of the Council for National Policy, a secretive club whose few hundred members include Dr. James C. Dobson of Focus on the Family, the Rev. Jerry Falwell of Liberty University and Grover Norquist of Americans for Tax Reform. Although little known outside the conservative movement, the council has become a pivotal stop for Republican presidential primary hopefuls, including George W. Bush on the eve of his 1999 primary campaign.

Unhappy though Dobson and company may be, traditionally moderate Republicans John McCain and Mitt Romney have been desperately courting their favor. Frankly, McCain's pandering to Falwell, Dobson, and others will keep me from voting for the Arizona senator were he to be the Republican nominee next year. (Until recently, I would have given McCain serious consideration.)

As I've said before, we need to assess how much influence James Dobson and friends actually have. I'm confident that they don't represent the views of most Christians, and I doubt that they even represent the views of most Republican Christians.