The iconic Dr. James Dobson is telling South Carolinians via robocalls that a vote for anyone but Ted Cruz is a vote for Donald Trump:

Other Republicans are certainly worthy of consideration, but at this point it looks like a vote for anyone other than Ted Cruz is a vote for Donald Trump. For people of faith, who care about religious liberty, life and marriage, it’s time for us to rally around Sen. Ted Cruz.

The robocall is being paid for by one of the Cruz affiliated Super PACs. The New York Times, which obtained a copy of the robocall, manages to work into its story the idea that it could be a prelude to some kind of dirty trick, which is unworthy of Dr. Dobson if not The New York Times.

“Recorded phone messages are a time-tested political technique in South Carolina, often used as a difficult-to-trace method of disseminating harshly negative information to voters,” the reporter opined.

Yes, or in this case they are used by a profoundly sincere evangelical leader — who has helped millions of families for free — give his opinion: it’s time to rally around Cruz.

Maggie Gallagher is a senior fellow at the American Principles Project.