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Originally Posted by Archaea
You allude to Dobson as being some mastermind of the Republican Party, even though as an anecdote, I doubt I could find anybody or rarely anybody I associate with, who knows who he is, and most of my friends are Republicans, some of the party wanks of significant position. Now I admit to lacking current ties to the very highest ranking party officials at the national level, but at one time I knew the Republican National Chair or whatever his title was and he certainly wasn't beholden to the likes of Dobson.
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The political awareness of your friends is hardly indicative of the major players at the national level. It was widely rumored that Palin was specifically selected because Dobson had withheld his endorsement. If that's true, or even if his opinion was a consideration, that's quite an influence. And indeed, following her selection Dobson announced that he was finally "comfortable" with the Republican ticket.
I do find it unlikely that any of your friends in "significant" positions within the party would not be aware of Dobson, Focus on the Family, and its PAC.
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Your point seems to be that the Rove generated Religious Right voters seem to listen and follow the advice of this man and people like him, fearing for the creation of some theocracy. I admit that the RR have exercised unbeneficial influence over Republican Party policies, but have yet to discern any significant control by Dobson as the one man doing it. So the fact that my contacts are not insignificant and don't listen to this funny little pastor seems to contradict the fact that you have overstated his influence. He influences a minority, vocal block of voters within the Republican Party, nothing more, nothing less, much like Jesse Jackson, Jerry Falwell, or any other group of politically motivated clergymen.
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I am speaking of his influence on the party at the national level. I never suggested that he influences each voter individually.
If you think that his influence is limited to his interaction with his subscribers and listeners, then you're not following along. Rove consults Dobson regularly, if not daily.
Regardless, you and I have had this discussion a hundred times already. You know my feelings on the matter and we know that we will not come to agreement as to the best response to this election or the best means of shaping the future of the Republican party. You and I could go back and forth forever but we probably both have better things to do than rehash the same argument. As a chick once said, "I won't back down and I don't have time to go round and round."