Frankly, I think that Dr. James Dobson overestimates his ability to influence the outcome of the Republican nomination process, as well as the general election. In any event, Dobson has everything to lose. There hardly seems a candidate that he is sastisfied with. I'm sorry to say that he is beginning to appear slightly ridiculous.

If Dobson and those with the Religious Right succeed (unlikely but not impossible) in causing the defeat of a Fred Thompson or Rudy Giuliani, because they have supported a third party candidate out of dissatisfaction with the Republican nominee, and contribute to the election of Hillary Clinton, then they will lose an enormous amount of political clout in the Republican party. If they support a third party candidate and Fred or Rudy wins anyway - a more likely scenario - than they will still lose the clout, not only with Rudy or Fred as President, but with the next Republican nominee in 2012, presumably Rudy or Fred. What Dobson is doing makes little sense. He seems like a five year old having a temper tantrum, kicking and screaming on the floor because all is not going his way.

And Fred Thompson is having none of it. He says - and I'm glad he's saying it - that he's not about to come kneeling before the altar of James Dobson:

Republican presidential hopeful Fred Thompson has responded to criticism from Focus on the Family founder James Dobson, saying he doesn’t want to speak with Dobson unless he apologizes for his remarks.

In March, Dobson – one of the nation's most politically influential evangelical Christians – had said about Thompson: “I don’t think he’s a Christian.”

And in September, Dobson made it clear in a message to friends that he will not support Thompson, charging that he is weak on the campaign trail and wrong on issues dear to social conservatives.

Appearing on Fox’s “Hannity & Colmes” with his wife Jeri and their two young children, Thompson told Sean Hannity: “Don’t read too much into the Dobson thing. He is a gentleman who has never met me, never talked to me. I’ve never talked to him on the phone.”

Thompson said a Dobson aide did call him to apologize for Dobson’s comment that the former Senator isn’t a Christian.

But when asked if he was interested in speaking personally with Dobson, Thompson responded: “I don’t particularly care to have a conversation with him. If he wants to call and apologize, it’s O.K. with me.

“I’m not going to dance to anyone’s tune.”

This is bound to help Fred Thompson. He is clearly not worried that Dobson isn't happy with him, suggesting a belief that if he has to, he believes that he can indeed make it to the White House without the support of Dobson et al.

I found some of the questions that Dobson asked Newt Gingrich in that televised interview a few months ago too intrusive, as well as insulting, and I thought Gingrich should have told Dobson so to his face. It was embarassing to watch. Instead, Gingrich danced to Dobson's tune, and in my view demeaned himself. Fred Thompson is having none of Dobson's demand that he come kneel before his altar, and Fred's stock is bound to rise as a result.