James Dobson Interviews Sarah Palin: Election in G-d's Hands

By Jeralyn, Section Elections 2008
Posted on Wed Oct 22, 2008 at 04:51:42 PM EST
Tags: Sarah Palin (all tags)

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Uber-evangelist James Dobson interviewed Sarah Palin Monday in Colorado Springs. He aired the interview on his radio show today, you can listen here. The Denver Post reports:

Dobson asked whether Palin was discouraged by polls showing the GOP ticket behind.

"To me, it motivates us, makes us work that much harder," Palin said. "And it also strengthens my faith, because I'm going to know, at the end of the day, putting this in God's hands, that the right thing for America will be done at the end of the day on Nov. 4. So I'm not discouraged at all."

Palin called herself a "prayer warrior."[More...]

Palin thanked Dobson and supporters for their prayers and — when Dobson inquired about the importance of faith in her life — said: "It is my foundation, yes, my Christian faith is." She also used terms like "prayer warrior" and "intercession" — words that might be unknown to the average listener but are common vocabulary in Pentecostal Christianity. Palin spent 20 years in a Pentecostal Assemblies of God Church, but she usually refers to her faith generically as Christian, not even evangelical.

"It is that intercession that is so needed and so greatly appreciated," Palin told Dobson. "And I can feel it too, Dr. Dobson. I can feel the power of prayer, and that strength that is provided through our prayer warriors across this nation."

She continued: "When we hear along the rope lines that people are interceding for us and praying for us, it's our reminder to do the same, to put this all in God's hands, to seek his perfect will for this nation, and to of course seek his wisdom and guidance in putting this nation back on the right track."

The Time Has Come Today to say goodbye to Gov. Sarah Palin.

< Time/CNN Poll: Obama Ahead in Red Battleground States | McCain and Palin: The Thrill is Gone >

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James Dobson Interviews Sarah Palin: Election in G-d's Hands | 45 comments (45 topical)

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Demons! Leave my White House! (5.00 / 0) (#1)
by scribe on Wed Oct 22, 2008 at 04:57:14 PM EST

And take the Republicans with you!

Sheesh. Time to break out the Holy Water, incense, and Home Exorcism Kit.

Is Obama any different re faith? n/t (5.00 / 1) (#2)
by rilkefan on Wed Oct 22, 2008 at 05:04:14 PM EST

yes. (5.00 / 0) (#11)
by coigue on Wed Oct 22, 2008 at 05:50:16 PM EST

[ Parent ]

In what way(s)? n/t (5.00 / 1) (#14)
by rilkefan on Wed Oct 22, 2008 at 06:29:04 PM EST

Well for one (5.00 / 0) (#16)
by s5 on Wed Oct 22, 2008 at 06:50:09 PM EST

Obama is expecting actual people to vote in the election, rather than expecting the election to be decided by divine intervention.

[ Parent ]

See above comment - by your standard (5.00 / 1) (#19)
by rilkefan on Wed Oct 22, 2008 at 06:59:03 PM EST

Obama thought God assembled the people hearing the speech announcing his candidacy (and put him on the stage). But I suspect that in neither case is the reliance on God intended to exclude free will (a concept I professionally find nonsensical but whatever).

[ Parent ]

Seems like a case of false equivalency. (5.00 / 2) (#22)
by Thanin on Wed Oct 22, 2008 at 07:06:54 PM EST

here's the difference: (none / 0) (#34)
by coigue on Thu Oct 23, 2008 at 11:29:56 AM EST

Obama does not want to inflict his religious values on me via laws.

...and to me that's what counts.

[ Parent ]

So you agree with me (none / 0) (#37)
by rilkefan on Thu Oct 23, 2008 at 12:58:17 PM EST

and disagree with the post.

[ Parent ]

sounds like it (none / 0) (#38)
by coigue on Thu Oct 23, 2008 at 02:50:52 PM EST

I got lost in all the replies.

[ Parent ]

I think the point is (5.00 / 1) (#39)
by rilkefan on Thu Oct 23, 2008 at 05:58:38 PM EST

that we don't like Republican policies, hence we don't like Palin's policies - but her being a devout xian isn't relevant to that. I think it's unfortunate to say, "Look at the wacky Pentecostal" when from my POV Catholics and Mormons and whatevers have equally impossible beliefs. And esp. since the guy we're all voting for is so vocal about his faith.

[ Parent ]

I could care less if she is devout, true (none / 0) (#40)
by coigue on Thu Oct 23, 2008 at 06:47:35 PM EST

except that to some people that means that they want to put their dogma into law...that is part of the religious dogma and mandate. So, it's hard if not impossible, to separate the two in the case of Sarah Palin.

[ Parent ]

The above post doesn't address your concern n/t (none / 0) (#41)
by rilkefan on Thu Oct 23, 2008 at 07:03:30 PM EST

wrong. (5.00 / 1) (#42)
by coigue on Thu Oct 23, 2008 at 07:10:49 PM EST

Obama does not want to legislate his personal beliefs.

That was my point all along.

Can we drop it now?

[ Parent ]

Your blanket claim is silly and is nonresponsive (none / 0) (#43)
by rilkefan on Thu Oct 23, 2008 at 07:30:03 PM EST

to my argument about the post but whatever.

[ Parent ]

: that's because I am replying to (none / 0) (#45)
by coigue on Thu Oct 23, 2008 at 09:07:50 PM EST

what you actually said to me, not what you said to others elsewhere in the thread.

[ Parent ]

Are you saying Obama is the same? (none / 0) (#15)
by Thanin on Wed Oct 22, 2008 at 06:33:22 PM EST

I'm not a Christian (5.00 / 1) (#17)
by rilkefan on Wed Oct 22, 2008 at 06:50:59 PM EST

so it's a bit hard for me to judge, but Obama started the campaign by saying, "Praise and honor to God for bringing us together today" and has been on several few "faith tours" lately, and if he's got a different position about prayer and "God's hands" and so forth, I haven't seen him delineate the difference. Hence my question.

[ Parent ]

Eh... (5.00 / 0) (#20)
by Thanin on Wed Oct 22, 2008 at 07:01:20 PM EST

palin just sounds kind of crazy to me when she says this stuff. I suspect there are a good amount of people who'd agree.

[ Parent ]

What Obama said (5.00 / 0) (#30)
by litigatormom on Wed Oct 22, 2008 at 09:22:20 PM EST

is like saying grace -- a moment of thanksgiving.

I've never heard Obama suggest that the Almighty has His hands on the touchscreen voting machines.

[ Parent ]

: I think you've failed to understand (none / 0) (#32)
by rilkefan on Wed Oct 22, 2008 at 11:40:56 PM EST

what Palin said. Not that God's going to magically give her ticket victory, but that she's done her best and God can take care of the rest as He wills. Same thing Obama said about erasing evil from the world being God's task. If you ask Obama whether God plays an active role in the world, do you really think he's going to say no, it's all physics?

[ Parent ]

Oh, I thought that wasn't a trollish question (5.00 / 1) (#18)
by rilkefan on Wed Oct 22, 2008 at 06:52:59 PM EST

on your part but I see from the above ratings I was wrong. Never mind.

[ Parent ]

: It wasnt a trollish question. (none / 0) (#21)
by Thanin on Wed Oct 22, 2008 at 07:03:59 PM EST

[ Parent ]

Is Obama the same? You tell me. (none / 0) (#25)
by vml68 on Wed Oct 22, 2008 at 08:45:54 PM EST

A couple of quotes from Obama. Enjoy!

The junior Illinois senator stood in the pulpit of a Pentecostal church Sunday to challenge the partisan religious perception by telling some 4,000 worshippers that faith "plays every role" in his life."It's what keeps me grounded. It's what keeps my eyes set on the greatest of heights." (Greatest of heights=POTUS??)

When people work together, there is "nothing that can stop us because that's God's intention."

[ Parent ]

: Its palins conservative values... (5.00 / 0) (#26)
by Thanin on Wed Oct 22, 2008 at 09:07:23 PM EST

that trouble me far more than the faith stuff. So on that, the far more important issue, Obama is better.

[ Parent ]

Boy are they going to be disappointed (5.00 / 1) (#5)
by Maggie Mae on Wed Oct 22, 2008 at 05:23:13 PM EST

when, come November 5, after doing this (emphasis, of course, is mine)

"When we hear along the rope lines that people are interceding for us and praying for us, it's our reminder to do the same, to put this all in God's hands, to seek his perfect will for this nation,...

that the answer she will find, as to what

his wisdom and guidance in putting this nation back on the right track."

will be, was that it wasn't McCain/Palin.

Even the Lord himself (5.00 / 3) (#6)
by Steve M on Wed Oct 22, 2008 at 05:25:22 PM EST

is helpless before the power of ACORN, or so they will tell us.

[ Parent ]

which Lord? (none / 0) (#9)
by Salo on Wed Oct 22, 2008 at 05:46:11 PM EST

The flies or the host of heaven?

[ Parent ]

: Well, we know her Lord is (5.00 / 0) (#29)
by litigatormom on Wed Oct 22, 2008 at 09:20:50 PM EST

not Allah or Buddha or Hindu (!!), because we know that voting for Obama will make those lords more powerful than Sarah's.

[ Parent ]

Surprised that you did not pick up on (5.00 / 2) (#10)
by JoeA on Wed Oct 22, 2008 at 05:46:15 PM EST

Palin's comments/reassurances from the Dobson interview that McCain fully supports the full GOP platform and intends to implement it in full. i.e. Constitutional amendments to ban abortion without any rape/incest exceptions, to ban gay marriage, stem cell research etc. Issues where McCain managed to get himself a relatively "moderate" reputation in the past.

Of course Palin could just not have a clue what she is talking about . . . it wouldn't be the first time. Either way surely fodder for some targetted contrast ads from Obama or a 3rd party group?

hmmm (5.00 / 1) (#12)
by Howard Zinn on Wed Oct 22, 2008 at 06:09:19 PM EST

To me, the insinuation is that God will choose her to be Pres . . . I mean, Vice President. W made a similar proclamation, which made the evangelicals giddy with excitement. So I guess God wanted America to go down. Did anyone else find that incredibly odd? Imagine if Gore had said the same thing. Or if Obama even came close to saying this -- the "chosen one" backlash would be huge. Hopefully being presumptuous enough to claim to know the mind of God will, at some point, backfire on Repubs.

Palin's Actions Belie Her Words (5.00 / 0) (#27)
by john horse on Wed Oct 22, 2008 at 09:12:36 PM EST

If Palin truly wanted to put this election in God's hands then why does her campaign resort to robocalls and character assasination?

: Hmmm..... (none / 0) (#28)
by vml68 on Wed Oct 22, 2008 at 09:19:06 PM EST

(Raises hand) Because God helps those who help themselves?... :-)!

[ Parent ]

Putting this in God's hands... (5.00 / 1) (#33)
by kdog on Thu Oct 23, 2008 at 10:23:20 AM EST

Is God in the electoral college or does he do programming for Diebold? I'm confused...

If he/she/it exists, I'll bet my last dollar he doesn't give two sh*ts who the presidents, prime ministers, kings, and queens are. Not his/her game..it's ours.

: It could be God's game... (none / 0) (#44)
by stevea66 on Thu Oct 23, 2008 at 08:18:32 PM EST

Elections could be God's game if it's the same God who chose to put us on earth flawed and unconscious and then punish us for it if we don't happen to take Jesus as our savior. It all sounds like a weird game, doesn't it.

[ Parent ]

In Iran (none / 0) (#3)
by Jlvngstn on Wed Oct 22, 2008 at 05:17:05 PM EST

it is in Allah's hands. Crusade anyone?

Gee, Jeralyn... (none / 0) (#4)
by rooge04 on Wed Oct 22, 2008 at 05:22:42 PM EST

Christianity and Evangelicalism and Pentecostalism are not all that distinct from each other. Pentecostals are Christians. Pentecostalism is one of the many branches of Evangelical Christianity (another is fundamental Baptists). "Intercession" is how Evangelicals in general refer to some forms of prayer.

I can't stand Palin. I think she's a hypocrite, a terrible candidate and a downright malicious and bad woman. However, you keep perpetuating these boogey boogey ideas about Evangelicals and Pentecostals that are incorrect. And I'm an atheist.

Some people believe that many (5.00 / 1) (#35)
by MyLeftMind on Thu Oct 23, 2008 at 11:52:53 AM EST

religious people live in a fantasy world and that various religions have perpetrated huge evil in the hearts of their followers throughout history (Jihad terrorists and witch-burning Christians to name a few). Conservative evangelicals teach that the world is going to end in a flash of white light that consumes all the non-believers and brings the good guys (believers) to heaven in the rapture. Clearly, right-wing evangelical Christians are becoming more and more involved in U.S. politics through the Republican party, and their belief that the end times are near results in economic and environmental policies they are non-sustainable and detrimental to the rest of us who think the world will continue beyond four years from now.

You suggest that Jeralyn is perpetuating boogey boogey ideas, yet many conservative evangelicals have even pinpointed December 21, 2012 as the day Armageddon will happen! If a political leader actually believes that, I don't want him (her!) anywhere near the nuclear button that could be used to fulfill that fantasy.

[ Parent ]

: Conservative evangelicals? (5.00 / 1) (#36)
by CST on Thu Oct 23, 2008 at 12:57:21 PM EST

"many conservative evangelicals have even pinpointed December 21, 2012 as the day Armageddon will happen!"
Just so you know, that comes from the Mayan calender. And a lot of non-christians think so too. Personally, I doubt it's true, it's kinda fun to joke about, but if evangelicals believe it they should know they are putting their faith in the "heathens".

[ Parent ]

Isn't she saying what others have said: (none / 0) (#7)
by Natal on Wed Oct 22, 2008 at 05:39:57 PM EST

Pierre Elliot Trudeau said during one of his campaigns: "The universe is unfolding as it should."

She's just saying it from her conceptual viewpoint. The same thing IMHO.

: sounds vaguely Buddha like (none / 0) (#8)
by Salo on Wed Oct 22, 2008 at 05:45:36 PM EST

[ Parent ]

Damn I love that song! (none / 0) (#13)
by Dadler on Wed Oct 22, 2008 at 06:15:34 PM EST

The Chambers Brothers rock. Palin doesn't.

God declared ineligible to vote..... (none / 0) (#23)
by steviez314 on Wed Oct 22, 2008 at 07:32:53 PM EST

Name appears on registration rolls as G-d.

: Huh. (none / 0) (#24)
by Adept Havelock on Wed Oct 22, 2008 at 08:08:09 PM EST

I thought he was disqualified because Adonai Elohim registered twice (once for each face).

[ Parent ]

The difference (none / 0) (#31)
by bluejane on Wed Oct 22, 2008 at 10:12:57 PM EST

between Obama and Palin on spirituality and faith -- to me -- is how they treat people, how inclusive they are (or aren't), how loving, how forgiving. OR how they allow their beliefs to interfere with acceptance of others in the mode of how Jesus was said to have accepted others (accent on "other" as in different). Do they have genuine empathy or do they judge people?

That "faith fortifies" a person doesn't bother me. I'm not particularly religious although I do enjoy attending Episcopalian or Jewish services occasionally to remind myself of the process of introspection and self-truth which some call "prayer." When I'm in serious trouble I whisper to myself, "I'm in the hands of God" which allows my ego to relax and things begin to open up or calm down. I have no idea if that is "God" -- I just know it works.

When Palin judges people and wants to ban gay marriage, that's not "faith" but narrow-minded intolerance based on fear of loss of control. The same is true of her wanting to ban a woman's right to choose. If she wants to transform our civil laws into God's laws, we're likely to end up with an anti-democratic righteous inquisitor regime that discriminates against people not part of her cult. If Palin is anti-science, taking on faith that evolution never happened, that's regressive. If she reads the Bible literally and not metaphorically, she's missing a beautiful piece of literature while deriving erroneous little edicts about homosexuals and other kookie nonsense popular 2000 years ago. If her literal reading of the Bible makes her believe the Rapture is coming in her lifetime, I would be concerned that she welcomes disasters as signs of the End Times and might start big wars to accelerate the unfolding of the Last Battle of Armageddon in the Middle East to hasten the Second Coming of Christ.

Fergettaboutit.

There are lots of problems with acting upon one's faith in these concrete ways, as Palin seems to do. The alternative is to allow one's faith to be an underlying strength, in the background of one's life, as Obama seems to do (and Carter and Clinton did too), while in the foreground governing in a secular manner and maintaining a reasonable separation between church and state.

I prefer the latter. There's more freedom there.