Fear is an incredible motivator. If there’s a crisis, politicians can use fear to gather people to a common purpose in order to accomplish a common goal. Christians sometimes use hell as a fear motivator to get them to become Christians. Because it plays on our emotions, a sense of fear brings us into a state of “protect me.” It takes an innate and built-in trait—our desire and need to protect ourselves—and accelerates it, at worst causing disastrous results, and at best causing regrettable ones.
Focus on the Family’s leader, James Dobson, has recently written a letter in a theoretical 2012 after Obama’s first term as president. His sole purpose is to describe an America in a complete and utter leftist paradigm. What he has written is no more than a prophetic voice, but no less than a tactic of fear. Jim Wallis, Brian McLaren, and other Christian leaders are crying out against Dobson’s letter, attacking it as “fear-mongering.” Citing racial overtones, divisive tactics, and anger as “unChristian” and therefore not worthy of trusting, these leaders do point out what Dobson shouldn’t be doing: playing on our fears. Dobson’s letter obviously wants its readers to fear what Obama would do, and to be fair any supporter of an opposing candidate would have legitimate fears (it should be pointed out that McLaren is on record pointing out his fear that America would decline as a trustworthy leader in our world under a McCain-Palin administration). The problem with Dobson, in my opinion, is not simply that he invokes fear. Invoking fear is not necessarily bad. The problem with Dobson is that his fears are his fears for an America he wants to create because of his Judeo-Christian ethics and religious beliefs. I find great issue with that, even if I personally agree with Dobson on any given point (they are becoming fewer and fewer as time goes on). Of the many things Dobson cites, only a few touch on things that every American should be proud to protect, and vote to protect. Most of the letter is all about “conservative values” pitted against the values of Obama, and mentions freedom only when freedom protects the values Dobson wishes to see upheld (same-sex marriage being at the top of his list).
One incredibly positive aspect of the Obama campaign that should be commendable is his positive message of hope. It paints a picture of America as a land of people who are positive, voting for hope, rather than voting on fear. It is a complete opposite of the fear-based messages of Dobson and other right-wing pundits. It is a message that Americans want to hear, rather than one they have to hear. Personally, I like the message of Obama. But the message must be pragmatic (redistribution of wealth has never worked), be based in reality and not in propaganda (the economy failure was not a free market failure), and be one of supporting the people and not growing the government (it failed with Bush, and it will be no different with Obama). In other words, it sounds good, but its substance is that of ideologies that haven’t worked.
Dobson’s letter should have pointed out that while something “sounds good,” it doesn’t follow that the medium is good. Dobson’s letter should have pointed out that Obama’s message is exactly what America needs, but his methods are not freedom-protecting but government-growing. Dobson should have pointed out that while he believes permitting same-sex marriage would deteriorate the fabric of our society, that he trusts the people to make decisions on public discourse, rather than trusting in government to uphold his personal beliefs. Dobson should have explained that even during a failed Obama administration, Americans have always worked hard and pushed through the tough times, coming out on the other side a better people and a better nation. He should point out that while many Americans will become highly disappointed in Obama’s policies, Christian hope is rooted in God, and American hope is rooted in a co-dependence on each other’s strengths, talents, ingenuity, and willpower to succeed.
In other words, perhaps Dobson should take a play in the Obama playbook, and paint a message of hope in the presence of despair. After all, we all survived Jimmy Carter.
