Damage Control Continues Apace

Still further damage control over at Focus on the Family on Monday November 16th, with a link on the daily program page to "Jim Daly's Story". You know the kind of thing, heartwringingly sentimental claptrap, "both my parents were alcoholics", "my father gambled away all the money", "my mom left him...", "us kids were adopted...." The usual Focus overegged "true" story ending in the clouds parting and behold! Salvation! All of course just to garner sympathy for Jim and the boardroom coup. I understand why they did it. I also understand why this time, because of the enormity of Daly's error, that it ain't going to work.

Damage Control at Focus On The Family

Following the announcement of the ignominious forcing out of "Doctor" James Dobson last week, the Focus On The Family Daily broadcast of Monday November 9th 2009 was nothing more than a damage control exercise by Jim Daly and other members of the Focus On The Family board - yes, I'm talking about you, the Reverend Al Mohler and Lt. Gen. Patrick Caruana.

It really looks like Jim Daly has blundered big time in his understanding of the public perception of what the Focus on the Family Ministry actually is. And he and his fellow board members can spin what they did until it becomes a dreidl, but they will rue the day they put the knife into James Dobson's back.

You could hear in Jim Daly's statements that the public have contacted him about his boardroom coup and have universally asked him "WTF are you doing?" He said during the radio program "All of us have mixed emotions right now with what's happening."

Daly's emotions may well be mixed, probably a combination of elation and fear he did the wrong thing ( he did ).

The public's reaction is anger all round that a much loved buffoon has been silenced forever.

You could also hear in John Fuller's voice that he is not happy with what has happened. I suspect John will be gone from Focus within three months.

Focus on the Family itself will unravel before then end of 2010. And when it does, that will be the Best News of 2010 if not Best News Ever.

Definition of a Bloodless Coup

Following his force out from Focus On The Family, Doctor James Dobson in the radio broadcast of Monday November 2nd 2009 desperately tried to spin what had happened into something positive, into something the Lord was leading both the board of FoF and himself to do.

But of course, as always he was lying. And I know this how?

Because between his rambling invocation of scripture and telling us how strong his heart is, James Dobson said the following ( this is an exact quote ) :-

"The Board of Directors voted previously on Wednesday, before we ( Shirley and "Doctor" ) got there, to ask for my resignation. Although their request was made with kindness and respect, we can only guess the reason for their decision, because frankly, I DON'T KNOW WHY". ( my emphasis )

So he doesn't know why? On the radio show he made some half-assed attempt to say that Jim Daly perhaps wanted to fully take control and bring to an end the Dobsonian era, but you could tell from Doctor Dobson's voice that this was pure speculation on his part - and really weak speculation to boot. He simply could not believe Jim Daly had stabbed him in the back - even with the handle of the knife clearly visible. So it had to be "the Lord's will".

So here is my take and I think this is probably nearer to the truth than any spin put on this bloodless coup by James Dobson.

Jim Daly doesn't want to have Focus On The Family perceived as a Personality Ministry. He has seen what has happened to the influence of "The Old Time Gospel Hour" without Jerry Falwell and to "The Coral Ridge Hour" without the intellectually challenged Doctor D.James Kennedy.

Both of those ministries have suffered perilous declines since their founders passed away. They truly were a product of the men who created them. And without their egos firmly stamped on them, they have just become the same as any other mediocre "I-pay-no-taxes" religious Ponzi scheme out there stealing money from the gullible.

Daly fears just such a the decline of Focus On The Family when James Dobson does finally pop his clogs ( that's why Dobson kept rabbiting on about his health ), but alas, his actions are too late to achieve his desired goal.

James Dobson is so associated in the public's mind with Focus On The Family ( was there ever a more folksy voice on the radio offering such hateful advice? ) that his removal will damage the organization irrevocably.

Donations were down $5 million in 2009, leading to many layoffs at the FoF gulag in Colorado Springs. After what has happened, just look how down contributions will be in 2010. Jim Daly has gotten rid of the only reason to send money to the "ministry" and he has ensured its influence will decline to that of the AFA, FRC, PTC, MRC and the "American Values" organization headed up by the Gollum lookalike, Gary "pancake tosser" Bauer.

No one will listen to the FoF radio broadcast after James Dobson leaves. If Jim Daly thinks "Doctor" Bill Maier and Bob "The Squeak" Waliszewski can hold and retain the listenership of the man he has forced out, he is very much laboring under a serious delusion.

I predict real estate sales of parts of the Focus On The Family campus before the end of 2010 as contributions simply dry up.

All that being said, James Dobson going off the radio simply is The Best News of 2009.