In 2009, the Denver Post reported that Daly shared Dobson's views in the public policy arena, but had taken a different approach from that of his predecessor. Daly referred to himself as more of an evangelist than a prophet. He believed that the Christian community should demonstrate the values it wishes to promote and maintain civil discourse. While Dobson's approach included the political, Daly and his colleagues said about a decade ago that he was trying to make it less so. According to reports about a decade ago: similar to Dobson, Daly and his colleagues opposed abortion and same-sex marriage, but also wished to address issues other than these typical evangelical hot button issues; they "want to frame political work as an inspirational call to do good—not just to oppose what they view as sinful behavior." In a 2009 interview with the Washington Post, Daly stated,
I am pro-life, I am pro-traditional marriage. At the same time, I'm also a person who looks for the conversation.... The question I have is where can we meet on common ground?
Daly also told the Post, "We will definitely be rigorous in the policy debate. We're not going to back out of that or back off expressing a biblical worldview in the public square." Daly said that he wished to make abortion much rarer as a step toward eliminating it. In addition to meeting with abortion rights groups, at the state and local levels, Daly also met, approximately a decade ago, with organizational leaders who were traditionally at odds with Christians, including the Colorado-based gay rights organization, the Gill Foundation. Daly participated in the White House's Fatherhood initiative. With the Colorado Springs Independent the two organizations co-sponsored an event supporting foster families. Daly's childhood experience possibly influenced him to start Wait No More, an organization that encouraged Christians to adopt children. Wait No More possibly led to a drop in the number of children in foster care in Colorado from 900 to 365. Daly wants Colorado to become the first state to "wipe out the waiting list for foster care." In 2012 it was reported that Daly reached out to the younger generation through various speaking engagements at venues such as Kings College in NYC, "The Civil Conversations Project" from On Being with Krista Tippett, featuring conversation between Daly and Q Ideas leader, Gabe Lyons, and writing for Catalyst. In 2017 an Associated Press story published by the Denver Post reported that under Daly, Focus on the Family "has scaled back involvement in politics and sees himself as part of a younger generation of religious leadership.... 'Jesus does not go after Caesar much -- he dealt with people at their point of need,' Daly said, touting the ministry's radio show, counseling and efforts promoting foster care and adoption." A similar assessment is made by religious studies scholar Susan B. Ridgely, writing in 2017 that Daly has "reached out to second-generation evangelicals... by softening Dobson's stance on homosexuality, matching anti-abortion rhetoric with pro-adoption and foster care discussion, and keeping open dialogue with all regardless of political party."
