IF you watched the conversation tonight between Pastor Rick Warren of Saddleback Church and Sens. Obama and McCain, how do you think they did?
I capitalized the word IF above as a qualifier. If you did not watch, then please refrain from commenting. Also, I don't want this to be "I'm voting for __________ because." Just answer the question, please.
If you missed the broadcast on CNN and Fox, I would imagine it will be repeated.
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12 comments:
I'll go first.
Obama was very relaxed and seemed to enjoy the format. I think he knew that for the most part the crowd wasn't in his corner, but he still answered candidly. He didn't avoid answering nor did he do the politician two-step, dancing around the questions. I enjoy listening to him.
McCain seemed a bit more intense and serious. I guess that's his personality. He used a lot of stories, many from his own experiences to answer questions. His answers resonated more with the audience. He inspires me because he's a genuine hero.
Rick Warren is a brave man. He's going to get blasted from right and left for doing this. Sadly, the worst criticisms will come from the evangelical right. He was jovial as usual and many of his questions surprised me.
Well done Saddleback Church.
I agree with your assessment. I was also impressed with the FOX commentators after the event, saying that this was the "best" format for a political discussion/debate they'd ever seen. I was thinking the same thing.
I did think that Obama's response to the abortion issue was horrible. He gave a bad stat (abortions ARE down), stated that the answer to the question was above his pay (ummm?), and made it sound like most abortions are being performed on middle-aged, church-going, married women, which is not true.
McCain started very slow, and did look very super serious, IMO, but I was surprised at how well he finished, especially on the social issues.
Nate
I think they both answered the question about their Christianity. Both were articulate and seemed to share about this with sincerity.
I personally think that the "sit down and lets talk" format is not Obama's best format.He seemed to hem and haw around to much.
McCain is much better in this setting.
McCain came across as being more presidential! I think his stories helped to create the visual pictures that people need to make the connections to the issues.
I agree with the Fox commentators... this was a great concept and one that should be used often! BTW... Warren did a great job moderating the 2 hour meeting!
I thought both the format and atmosphere were superb. Rick did an excellent job of setting the tone. The questions were fair and relevent.
I was initially impressed with Obama's relaxed demeanor and skill in handling delicate issues. But as the questions moved along, I felt that some of the answers weren't real answers, but just made you feel all warm inside. Ex. He talked about his mother and grandmother when answering the "Who are the wisest people you know and will turn to for advice as president".
I thought McCain was much more serious, and took a few of the questions very literally. But I felt he answered everything very straightforward, and did not dance around, ex. abortion, marriage, Evil,energy....I was glad to hear both men profess their faith on national TV. Rick, I agree with you, Rick Warren will be slammed from both sides, but what he has done, is what he talked about, He did it for the good of the country, knowing there is no "Win" for Rick Warren, or Saddleback. Great Job.
What a great way to get a real feel for the candidates and their positions. Both were asked the same questions, which were worded fairly and not slanted towards either candidate. McCain came across as genuine, passionate and experienced. Obama was poised and confident. I think that this type of forum, which was easy to follow and understand, and devoid of all of the usual party rhetoric, is what we all need to make our informed decisions in the voting booth. Rick Warren put himself in a position to be roundly criticized when he could have easily avoided doing that. We owe him our thanks for providing a great service to his country.
We watched it and I think John McCain had an overall better performance than Barack Obama.
Although they were asked the same questions, Obama's came off as inexperienced on several answers (the three people he'd have as advisors, abortion, his biggest moral failure, etc). Obama does best speaking from a teleprompter to large crowds that support him. He seems to stumble more when he's unsure of the audience support and one-on-one.
McCain was very confident in his answers which the audience seemed to respond well to. His typically best performances are the one-on-one and townhall style venues. He is a real life hero and I think that his experiences he spoke of last night will help him to lead this country.
I did see many flaws or atleast many one liners that will become future campaign ads (Obama's answer on abortion topping the list), but overall I think it was a completely fair debate and FOX really covered it well.
I watched and was very pleased with what I observed. The questions asked were those I would have chosen to ask. I was most interested in the "when does life begin" question. I actually thought McCain would blow this one, (because I thought he wasn't completely pro-life) but his answer was clear and appeared honest, not just formed to please the crowd.
Obama stuttered (and this will be exploited by David Letterman in the future) his answers several times and came off as a politician trying too hard. McCain may have been more serious but these are serious issues.
I thought it was interesting that McCain gave too many examples of Reagan. Good examples, but Reagan isn't running, McCain is. Also I was touched that McCain realizes that a failed marriage is a serious thing.
I don't know how Rick Warren managed to get this opportunity but I am so glad he did.
I agree with the others - I enjoyed the format immensely. I'll admit I was interrupted a few times during each man, but what I did see, Obama seemed more "comfortable" but his answers were quite fluffy and... when he was asked about his Christianity, I STILL didn't get away from the feeling that it's just a canned answer... it never feels like it comes from his heart.
Have you ever watched The West Wing? There's an episode called Shibboleth... you should get your hands on it if you can (it's on itunes)... I don't want to give it away, but I'm looking for that kind of passion.
McCain did seem a smidge more stiff to me, but yet was engaging and honest. I enjoyed his anecdotes and candor. I ADORED when he said that his greatest moral failure was the failure of his marriage. How RAW was that?? Could you see the emotion on his face?
Basically I came away from it ready to vote for Rick Warren.
Good format for sure. Too bad we do not get to hear the other candidates in the same format. How sad this is "the best" we see before us out of a country with over 300 million people. McCain's military demeanor is evident in those sharp deceive answers. His frequent referencing Reagan is a bit of pandering I think since he is , in policy and practice, so very far removed from him on most issues. Great response from both on the Supreme Court Justice evaluation since those appointments , which are sure to come, will be of enormous significance. Good thing McCain mentioned the divorce as it will most likely be a question at some future time. Sadly I am reminded of a quote by President Harry Truman, " Never trust a man who lies to his wife". Too bad we can't vote for Rick Warren!
Agnes wrote, "Good format for sure. Too bad we do not get to hear the other candidates in the same format."
As long as the mainstream media controls such things we won't, unfortunately.
How do I think they did?... just as I expected.
j
I watched the repeat of this Q&A the other night on Fox and I listened to Obama first. He really impressed me with his ease of speaking. He said he would fix all my problems and do whatever it took to fix the USA. Basically, he left me feeling very safe and secure about the United States and the future. Then, I listened to McCain answer the same questions and it was as different as night and day. McCain knows what he's talking about because he can back up his ideas with personal experience. He knows our history and he understands what, how and why we have to do what we have to do!!!! Period! I had to laugh what Obama said about debating McCain..."bring it on". FUNNY because he's been avoiding the debate forEVER.
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