James Dobson might endorse McCain

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

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

Dobson and other evangelical leaders increasingly are taking a lesser-of-two-evils approach to the 2008 race.

In an advance copy of his Focus on the Family radio program provided to the Associated Press, Dobson said that though neither candidate was consistent with Dobson’s views, McCain’s positions were much closer to Dobson’s.

“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,” Dobson said.

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 constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage. Of his new position, Dobson said in his statement, “If that is a flip-flop, then so be it.”