Three important lessons for conservatives, libertarians, and Republicans. Dobson's switch from Grayson to Paul is a defining moment and can teach us all a thing or two...Photo by Gage Skidmore
Daryl Luna | Articles | Author's PageRegular Columnist
Earlier this week THL reported that Focus on the Family founder Dr. James Dobson has officially taken his support away from Trey Grayson and endorsed Rand Paul in the Kentucky Senate race. The implications of this act are vast and reveal a great deal about Dobson, Paul, and the GOP establishment.
After listening to Dr. Dobson's change-of-heart explanation it is evident that he was lied to by Republican Party leadership. In a shameless act of political desperation, leadership within the GOP flat out lied to secure the Dobson endorsement for Grayson. In short, Dobson was falsely told that Rand Paul is, among other things, not pro-life. This led to an understandable opposition to Rand's campaign by the famed social-conservative. But this past week things changed.
Thankfully, after hearing Rand speak on the pro-life issue, an OB/GYN friend of Dobson alerted him to the truth. After looking further into the issue, Dobson uncovered the GOP deception and found Rand to be "my kind of man." He then dropped his support for Grayson, exposed the GOP establishment's lies, and endorsed Rand.
So what lessons can we take away from this?
First, we see that the Republican establishment will stop at nothing to maintain the status quo. Lies in politics are nothing new, and the Grayson campaign has relied on them from day one in an attempt to stay relevant in a primary not going its way. Opponents lying about one another is one thing; party leadership crafting the lies is another thing all together.
All those who identify with the Republican Party should be outraged by the news. More than just picking favorites, senior members in the party took an active role in defaming a legitimate primary candidate and member of the party. To make things worse, they did so in a truly sleazy manner. Surely, lies about Rand Paul's position on life are just the tip of the iceberg.
The reasons why these lies have been spread are clear. Rand is a threat to the "big government" wing of the GOP. He wants to go to Washington, fight for liberty, and shake things up. Disruption of the status quo strikes fear into the hearts of Washington insiders, so Rand is a major threat to McConnell and his gang. Sadly, since Rand wants to hold the GOP to its stated principles, the Republican establishment sees him as an enemy.
Secondly, this event shows Dobson to be more of an independent thinker than many might have expected. I am personally proud of him for standing on principle and defying the GOP establishment. Through his actions he has shown that he will not merely act as a pawn of the party. He further showed that he is willing to admit when he is wrong and correct his mistake; that shows integrity.
Yes, he should have never made the Grayson endorsement without the proper facts, but his decision was made based on "facts" presented to him by people he trusted. It just so happened that they didn't deserve his trust.
Lastly, we can now clearly see that Rand is the true conservative choice. As evidenced by Dobson's conclusion after testing Rand's mettle, he is the candidate who will prove to be the conservative choice even after close scrutiny. Dobson by his own admission looked closely at Rand's positions after the GOP's lies where brought to light. This led him to see that Rand's conservative record holds up--even if the establishment's lies do not.
Like Dobson, we need others to see the light. Clearly, Rand Paul represents true conservatism, while the Republican Party establishment does not. If everyone would merely look to the issues and support true conservative candidates, we would have more Rand Pauls and less Trey Graysons representing our country. Until we do, we will continue to see our liberties eroded by the very liars who claim to defend it.
I leave you with Dobson's own words: “If I lived in Kentucky, I would vote for Dr. Rand Paul. Would you consider sending him to the U.S. Senate to shake things up in Washington?”
