Remember all that negative talk from James Dobson about John McCain? Well, times they are a changin’. Read below from The Associated Press:

Conservative Christian leader James Dobson has softened his stance against Republican presidential hopeful John McCain, saying he could reverse his position and endorse the Arizona senator despite serious misgivings.

"I never thought I would hear myself saying this," Dobson said in a radio broadcast to air Monday. "... While I am not endorsing Senator John McCain, the possibility is there that I might."

Dobson and other evangelical leaders unimpressed by McCain increasingly are taking a lesser-of-two-evils approach to the 2008 race. Dobson and his guest, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary president Albert Mohler, spend most of the pretaped Focus on the Family radio program criticizing Democratic candidate Barack Obama, getting to McCain at the very end.

In an advance copy provided to The Associated Press, Dobson said that while neither candidate is consistent with his views, McCain's positions are closer by a wide margin.

"There's nothing dishonorable in a person rethinking his or her positions, especially in a constantly changing political context," Dobson said in a statement to the AP. "Barack Obama contradicts and threatens everything I believe about the institution of the family and what is best for the nation. His radical positions on life, marriage and national security force me to reevaluate the candidacy of our only other choice, John McCain."

Earlier, Dobson had said he could not in good conscience vote for McCain, citing the candidate's support for embryonic stem cell research and opposition to a federal constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage, as well as concerns about McCain's temper and foul language.

Dobson said on the radio program he must consider McCain's record against abortion rights and support for smaller government, and added McCain "seems to understand the Muslim threat." He also indicated McCain's choice of a running mate will be a factor.

Of his new position, Dobson said in the statement to the AP, "If that is a flip-flop, then so be it."

More here. James Dobson moving towards John McCain is definitely good news for the McCain campaign but remember this move isn’t so much about John McCain as it is a move AGAINST Barack Obama. That is a very important point to keep in mind. Any stumble by McCain could cause Dobson and other Evangelical leaders and their supporters to back away. For example, the VP pick is very important. You see for Evangelicals (and for broader social conservatives) the problem with McCain has always been that he doesn’t champion their issues like others AND some feel like he has poked a finger in the eye of social conservatives one too many times ( Gang of 14, Campaign Finance Reform just to name a couple)

So the Dobson shift should be noted for what it is which is a way to galvanize voters against Obama rather than FOR McCain. The McCain campaign has believed all along that when social conservatives realize the choice, it’ll be a no brainer. That could hold true unless McCain makes a few bad moves on his way to November.

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