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Today, Betsey and I reconvene after nearly a month.

NOTE: This conversation was recorded before the tragic murder of Charlie Kirk. We talk about the headlines that dominated the news prior to the horrible, very public shooting in Utah - and issues that should not be forgotten.

The President has targeted Chicago, Betsey’s hometown, with the National Guard. He calls it a hoplessly crime-ridden city. Illinois Governor JB Pritzker and Mayor Brandon Johnson are pushing back hard, calling it more like shameless political payback than public policy. Protesters pour into the streets. It’s made a difference.

Meanwhile, the President is busy renaming the Department of Defense the Department of War. His birthday letter to Jeffrey Epstein has been made public, while the country waits for the Epstein files to be fully released. The victims of Epstein’s crimes are ready to expose names.

We’ll also talk about Robert Kennedy Jr.’s explosive testimony before Congress, the latest drama at the CDC, and the sudden firing of Dr. Susan Monarez.

We also visit the legacy of Dr. James Dobson. Betsey shares her informed memories.

And on a more personal note, Betsey and I dig into The Atlantic’s article, The Marriage Effect, which challenges the idea that family life makes women unhappy—it suggests the opposite.

Join us for a lively conversation.

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The Podcast Official Site: TheBeachedWhiteMale.com

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Because of the shocking news regarding Charlie Kirk, I'm postponing the Beach Talk with Betsey Newenhuyse that we recorded this week. Listen in to our 6.5-minute reflection.

Support the show

Become a Patron - Click on the link to learn how you can become a Patron of the show. Thank you!

Ken’s Substack Page

The Podcast Official Site: TheBeachedWhiteMale.com

Send us a text

Ken Fong and I unpack the life and legacy of Dr. James Dobson, who just recently passed away. For many of us, Dobson’s voice was a constant presence in American evangelical homes. He was the trusted “family counselor” who seemed to offer simple, practical guidance about raising children, strengthening marriages, and protecting the home. His books—Dare to Discipline, Bringing Up Boys, Bringing Up Girls—were bestsellers, and his radio program reached countless millions. They shaped how countless parents understood what it meant to raise a family in a “Christian” way.

On the surface, it all seemed non-political, even innocent.

But as the years progressed, it became clear that Dobson was building something much bigger than a parenting movement. He founded Focus on the Family, moved his empire to Colorado Springs, and began to insert himself more directly into politics. Along the way, he inspired children’s programming and homeschooling curriculum. He trained thousands of young people in “Biblical World View.” He became an outspoken promoter of Donald Trump. He engineered the identification of white evangelicalism with the Religious Right, commandeering the Republican Party into an unrelenting culture war.

Ken Fong shares his research on the roots of Dobson’s work in the discredited “science” of eugenics and names his mentor in psychology, the famed eugenicist and atheist Paul Popenoe.

As Senator Barry Goldwater warned back in 1980, when religious leaders gain control of a political party, it creates a dangerous situation. Goldwater said, “These people believe they’re acting in the name of God, so they can’t and won’t compromise.” Dobson embodied that posture - NO COMPROMISE.

For those of us who grew up under his influence, the costs were real. His insistence on “breaking the spirit” of children, corporal punishment, his crusade against the LGBTQ+ community — fighting same-sex marriage in California’s Prop 8 campaign, promoting conversion therapy, framing homosexuality as a threat to children—all of these left deep wounds. Add to all that, he applauded and facilitated the election of this current wrecking-ball administration.

As we remember his legacy, we must not ignore his undeniable contribution to the rancorous Us-versus-Them culture in our perilously divided nation.

In this episode, Ken Fong and I peel back the layers of Dobson’s legacy. His death may close a chapter, but the impact of his divisive ideology continues to shape families, churches, and American politics.

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Support the show

Become a Patron - Click on the link to learn how you can become a Patron of the show. Thank you!

Ken’s Substack Page

The Podcast Official Site: TheBeachedWhiteMale.com