Dobson Protest Grows
by Jack Hafferkamp
EDGE Great Lakes Regional Editor
After a slow start, the campaign against demagogic homophobe James Dobson’s induction into the National Radio Hall of Fame appears to be gaining steam as word spreads and time counts down to the induction awards dinner in Chicago planned for Saturday, November 8, 2008.
While Dobson is not the only right wing radio star in the hall’s history - Rush Limbaugh was inducted in 1993 - the argument with Dobson is that he is a special case whose hate speech is beyond acceptability in a civil society.
Dobson is the power behind Focus on the Family, a daily syndicated fundamentalist radio show that claims 4000 stations internationally. His over-the-top anti-gay outbursts on the radio, in lectures and books have created a backlash charge initially led by Truth Wins Out’s executive director, Wayne Besen, but which is now spreading.
One difference between this year’s election process and that previously in place has been jumped on by anti-Dobson campaigners. For the first time this year anyone could vote. Previously only members of the hall could vote - that is people willing to pay for the privilege. Dobson actively campaigned for the win, and using his organization in a manner similar to Chicago ward politics, he got out the vote.
In response to this change in the hall’s election process, Eric Johnson posted this at the Reader website: "The key issue here is what DuMont says in his response: ’The public has been able to
vote for Radio Hall of Fame inductees for 15 years--if they were museum members or joined the museum. This year we REMOVED the requirement to join the museum.’ That was a DUMB mistake, Bruce. It left the museum and Hall of Fame open to all sorts of mischief by charlatans, crazies, and saboteurs. In this case, it’s perfectly obvious that Dobson’s Christianofascist followers stacked the vote. The presence of Dobson is evidence of a larger problem--incompetence--which does erode the credibility of the Hall of Fame."
vote for Radio Hall of Fame inductees for 15 years--if they were museum members or joined the museum. This year we REMOVED the requirement to join the museum.’ That was a DUMB mistake, Bruce. It left the museum and Hall of Fame open to all sorts of mischief by charlatans, crazies, and saboteurs. In this case, it’s perfectly obvious that Dobson’s Christianofascist followers stacked the vote. The presence of Dobson is evidence of a larger problem--incompetence--which does erode the credibility of the Hall of Fame."
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