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Pastor Rick Warren hosted presidential candidates Barack Obama and John McCain tonight during a two-hour Saddleback Civil Forum held at Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, Calif. Pastor Warren asked Obama questions during the first hour, and a session with McCain followed. Below are my observations about questions both candidates had opportunities to address.
Obama offered long-winded answers. McCain offered succinct responses followed by anecdotes as time permitted.
When it came to describing a gut-wrenching decision in his life, Obama described the process via which he arrived at his vote against going to war in Iraq. Conversely, McCain described a decision made while incarcerated as a prisoner of war in Vietnam.
On the subject of world view, Obama said something that fascinated me — something many might have missed. After describing himself as a Christian and outlining his beliefs, he said his “…sins, hopefully, will be washed away.” Most Bible-believing Christians, myself included, would say our “…sins are washed away.”
The topic of abortion produced answers that said a lot about the candidates. After Obama described his faith journey, he claimed he was pro-choice. And when asked a question about abortion (i.e., “At what point does a baby get human rights?”), he said, “Answering that question with specifics is above my pay-grade,” before going on to describe how he favors reducing the number of abortions. When asked whether he had ever voted to reduce abortions, his dance around the question equated to saying, “No.”
Conversely, McCain answered the baby human rights question in one word — “Conception!” — before going on to say he would be a staunch pro-life president.
Both candidates defined marriage as a union between a man and a woman. Obama opposed a Constitutional amendment to protect traditional marriage. McCain said he would only push for such an amendment if states rights on the matter were threatened (i.e., a federal court holds Massachusetts law up as a standard other states must follow).
Both candidates answered the stem cell debate question in opposition to my evangelical conservative viewpoint, but hid behind “This is a tough issue” and “This is a terrible dilemma” rhetoric.
When asked if evil exists and, if so, what should we do about it, Obama answered like a politician. McCain said, “Defeat it!” and then went on to pledge how he would find Osama bin Laden if it meant following him to the gates of hell. He also identified the elephants in the room — Radical Islamic extremists and Al-Qaeda — that Obama ignored. Here’s the video clip.
Asked which Supreme Court justice he would not have nominated as president, Obama said he would not have nominated Justice Clarence Thomas to the Supreme Court of the United States. He explained that he did not think Thomas was a strong enough legal thinker. He also added that he didn’t agree with Justices Antonin Scalia and John Roberts, though the latter was “compelling, smart and thoughtful.”
McCain answered the same question in a more-succinct manner, naming Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Stephen Breyer, David Souter and John Paul Stevens as four he would not have nominated.
Questions about whether faith-based organizations should qualify for federal funding if they didn’t hire staff per guidelines of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Obama expressed worry about discrimination occurring. McCain highlighted the work of FBOs in post-Katrina New Orleans as being more productive than government agencies and said he believed they should received federal funding.
In general, both candidates seemed to express support for merit pay for teachers. Obama said he would set up a merit pay system and involve teachers in the process. McCain said we should find bad teachers another line of work and asked, “What kind of opportunity is it if we send (kids) to a failing school?”
Asked to define “rich,” Obama put a dollar amount — $150,000 — on it. McCain said it’s not for him to define what being rich is. It’s up to him to not raise taxes and offer tax breaks.
Questions about the United States’ role in the world generated similar Washington, D.C. answers. McCain was able to say we should safeguard freedom with a sense of purpose Obama did not offer, citing personal experience of having lived without freedom during a season of his life.
Nothing in the candidates’ answers to questions about ending genocide and religious persecution struck me as noteworthy, but McCain’s answer to Pastor Warren’s question about helping orphans around the world. Using few words, he described his wife Cindy’s trip to Bangladesh nearly two decades ago and how she returned with a baby girl, now 17, who they adopted as their own.
On the question of why each candidate wanted to be president, one (Obama) said, in essence, he wanted to stand up for the little guy and show that anything is possible in America. McCain said he wanted to inspire younger generations.
I, for one, was inspired by McCain. Not so much by Obama.
29 responses so far ↓
1 BA // Aug 16, 2008 at 9:28 pm
What does Obama mean about having lived without freedom during a season of his life, when he was a child in Indonesia, a country he was not a citizen of?
2 hotoffthepress2 // Aug 16, 2008 at 9:30 pm
BA — McCain said it, not Obama. Perhaps reading the sentence over again will help: McCain was able to say we should safeguard freedom with a sense of purpose Obama did not offer, citing personal experience of having lived without freedom during a season of his life.
3 CKA in Red State USA // Aug 16, 2008 at 9:32 pm
Thanks for your observations. I was unable to watch because of a special meeting at church.
Based just on what you said, again, IMO, Barack Obama, or whatever his name is, is still a CINO, Christian in name only.
Two reasons?
He’s still supporting abortion, a position for which he cannot find support in the Holy Bible.
And he doesn’t know or won’t answer when life begins? Given his support for the grotesque practice of allowing babies who’ve survived attempted murder in their mothers’ wombs to die, because he believes the mothers’ constitutional rights should not be violated–I’d he has a fairly severe test.
You wonder: What happened to him that causes him to have such hatred for the most vulnerable humans, save for the elderly and the infirm?
And, as someone who I presume continues to profess being a Christian, he’s hoping his sins have been washed away?
Well, yes, Barack, if you’re really a Christian, that happened at and through the Cross.
Perhaps he needs some encounter with Christ Jesus and the Word of that he hasn’t had heretofore. Sounds as if he didn’t get that at TUCC. Sounds, too, as if he may have some things on his heart about which he needs to speak to someone.
He and his family need our prayers.
4 hotoffthepress2 // Aug 16, 2008 at 9:35 pm
CKA — He definitely needs our prayers. Makes me wonder what he might be able to accomplish if he had the Holy Spirit in him. Wow! Until then, just pray!
5 zombie // Aug 16, 2008 at 9:35 pm
What I think is truely remarkable is that as an Athiest….this election I feel that I can talk and have a good political discussion with religious evangelicals because of John McCain.
Proof positive that McCain can and does help people to work across political divides.
6 BA // Aug 16, 2008 at 9:36 pm
Thank you. You’re right.
7 hotoffthepress2 // Aug 16, 2008 at 9:39 pm
zombie — Remember the saying, “There are no atheists in fox holes?” This world is heading downhill fast, thanks to Russia, Iran and others; therefore, I implore you to open your heart and your mind to Jesus Christ before it’s too late.
8 Blog Roundup on the Saddleback Civil Forum « NObama - Not Now, Not Ever // Aug 16, 2008 at 10:01 pm
[...] Saddleback Civil Forum Observations Offered – Bob McCarty Writes The topic of abortion produced answers that said a lot about the candidates at the Saddleback Civil Forum. After Obama described his faith journey, he claimed he was pro-choice. And when asked a question about abortion (i.e., “At what point does a baby get human rights?”), he said, “Answering that question with specifics is a… [...]
9 CKA in Red State USA // Aug 16, 2008 at 10:03 pm
Zombie, God bless you. You bet you can have such discussions. Even about faith, if you so desire.
And if want, just get my e-address through the blog moderator, who has my approval to share that with you.
Be glad to e-chat anytime.
10 Charles F. Ellis // Aug 17, 2008 at 12:32 am
HERE ARE MY SUMMARY THOUGHTS FOR SOUND BITES FROM THE SADDLEBACK CIVIL FORUM:
SENATOR OBAMA LOOKED LIKE HE WAS AUDITIONING FOR:
“EQUVICATOR IN CHIEF”
SENATOR MCCAIN LOOKED LIKE HE
WAS RUNNING FOR:
“COMMANDER IN CHIEF”
11 julia // Aug 17, 2008 at 1:07 am
It is clear from the merchandise you sell that you are filled with hate and prejudice.
12 Kitsap // Aug 17, 2008 at 1:24 am
So, how do I go about getting this bumper sticker:
POTUS is above Obama’s Paygrade!
13 greystonebabe // Aug 17, 2008 at 4:20 am
I, too, noticed “hopefully” and just about jumped out of my chair. That one word identified The One.
14 Recovering Republican // Aug 17, 2008 at 5:39 am
From the sound of this analysis, if you agree with McCain’s positions, you think he won (whatever winning constitutes in a conversation at a church).
Yes, McCain was able to immediately regurgitate what the audience (and you) wanted to hear. Likewise, when he appears before a more liberal crowd, his positions magically change, just as eagerly. I guess Maverick means having the balls to mislead everyone.
15 hotoffthepress2 // Aug 17, 2008 at 6:44 am
Julia — You’re wrong. It’s called patriotism and humor.
16 hotoffthepress2 // Aug 17, 2008 at 6:58 am
greystone babe — I don’t have that bumper sticker, but I do have plenty of great merchandise available, much of which can be seen in the sidebars on this blog. More is available at The Bob McCarty Shop.
17 Always On Watch // Aug 17, 2008 at 7:09 am
Bob,
I just posted a link to your observations here.
I watched much of last night’s forum and agree with most of your observations.
I noticed something else: Obama keeps turning his head to the side when he gives responses which are not scripted or teleprompted. Why is that? Watching his head keep tilting to the side reminded me of the movie Forrest Gump. Yes, indeed, that tilting is indeed one sign of the autism spectrum. Am I suggesting that Obama is autistic? No, but the mannerism gets on my nerves and is childlike, IMO.
18 hotoffthepress2 // Aug 17, 2008 at 7:21 am
AOW — I thought tilting one’s head as he speaks was a sign of dishonesty. I left it out of this post, however, since I think his words contained enough information (or lack thereof) to bury his White House aspirations.
19 Anee // Aug 17, 2008 at 12:17 pm
Yes, I would like to order the bumper sticker too, but have it say POTUS is above Soetoro’s paygrade.
20 Gayle // Aug 17, 2008 at 5:19 pm
I came over from the link that Always left. I think your analysis is right on!
I found myself very proud of McCain while watching this debate at Saddleback Church. I was of the mind that I would vote for him because to not vote would be a vote for Obama. Now I feel like I can vote for him and be happy to do so. You are right, his answers were succint and immediate. He didn’t have to hedge or think about his answers. He knows who he is and he is a proven patriot, unlike Obama. Thanks for a very good analysis!
21 hotoffthepress2 // Aug 17, 2008 at 5:28 pm
Thanks, Gayle!
22 z // Aug 18, 2008 at 5:43 am
Recovering Republican….how can anyone ‘regurgitate what the audience wanted to hear’ when he knows that CNN and FOX are covering it live AND the national and international media will be ALL OVER IT? (Germany’s media raved about McCain and how much better he seemed than Obama, by the way…they also skewered the Berlin performance after the emotion of the first few days was over but our media neglected to tell us that)
You don’t pander to an audience in the room when the world’s going to hear!
McCain told his truth…….Obama’s truth is “America last”……..Tell me one time when you’ve felt Obama is glowingly appreciative and positive about anything America. Good luck.
23 hotoffthepress2 // Aug 18, 2008 at 5:45 am
z — Well said!
24 monoblogue » Blog Archive » It wasn’t a townhall, but it was McCain vs. Obama // Aug 18, 2008 at 9:43 am
[...] the pair were not on stage together, fellow blogger Bob McCarty recounted his observations on a candidate forum held at the Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, California. Dubbed the [...]
25 Ross // Aug 19, 2008 at 9:29 am
Also, what would Jesus care more about? Unborn babies and gay marriage, or wars that kill millions of civilians and cost billions of dollars, government corruption, the environment.
He’s the prince of peace. He’d probably worry about more pressing matters at hand.
26 hotoffthepress2 // Aug 19, 2008 at 9:34 am
Ross,
It’s hard to take you seriously when you use the name of Jesus and the f-bomb in the same comment — your first comment about this post — which, by the way, I deleted.
Keep your language clean, and I’ll continue to allow you to post your comments, whether they be worthwhile thoughts or not.
27 Kris // Aug 23, 2008 at 1:05 pm
Where, in America, is $150,000 a year mean you are rich. i heard last night that his, Obama, number for ‘rich’ has been coming down since 2004 or so. On this particular intrview I saw the figure was in the low $200’s.
good overview. i was not able to watch, but have read much. i am not a great fan of the saddleback croud.
kw
28 hotoffthepress2 // Aug 23, 2008 at 1:07 pm
Thanks, Kris!
29 janiceenberg // Jun 15, 2009 at 12:56 am
Just saying hello to you all .. Still a bit confused about the goings on here, but I guess I’ll keep poking around.
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