Some thoughts of Saddleback Forum
Saddleback Forum
The Forum, on Saturday, Aug. 16, 2008 from 5-7 p.m. PDT, at Saddleback Church featuring Sens. John McCain, R-Ariz., and Barack Obama, D-Ill., is open to official media representatives who have requested credentials to attend and have received approval. 3
Team McCain needn’t have worried. This was not your usual political TV show. Warren ? Pastor Rick, around here ? asked big questions, about big subjects; he wasn’t concerned about what appeared on the front page of that morning’s Washington Post. And the fact is, John McCain has lived a much bigger life than Barack Obama. That’s not a slam at Obama; McCain has lived a much bigger life than most people. But it still made Obama look small in comparison. McCain was the clear winner of the night. 2
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But while the crowd gave Obama a strong reception, they were clearly McCain’s audience - a good sign for the Republican’s effort to win the enthusiastic support of social conservatives. Given that the Religious Right has to seriously be disappointed in McCain before any door opens for Obama, this forum was first and foremost an opportunity for the Republican to rally a constituency with whom he shares a lot policy-wise. Much of the social conservatives’ distrust has come from McCain’s dislike for talking about abortion and gay rights - but tonight’s forum was a golden opportunity. On stage with no one else but a pastor, invited to talk about nothing but social issues for an hour, McCain was bound to satisfy the audience. 6
Tonight’s Saddleback Church Forum on the Presidency, at which both John McCain and Barack Obama appeared, is being called by some the opening round in the general election of 2008. If so, McCain is ahead, 1-0. 1
But Pastor Rick hasn’t built a huge church and sold more than 25 million copies of The Purpose-Driven Life for nothing. By the time Warren finished questioning Obama, people were eager to hear how McCain would handle the same subjects. In a debate, candidates are often asked the same question, but the second guy has always heard what the first guy said and tailors his answer accordingly. At Saddleback, there was something much different ? and more revealing ? going on. 5
When McCain got the question, he was able to tell an old story with a sense of gravity and poignancy that he seldom shows in public. He described his time as a prisoner of war, when he was offered a chance for early release because his father was a top naval officer. In any event, the message was very clear: John McCain has had to make bigger, more momentous decisions in his life than has Barack Obama. 7
Rev. Rick Warren promises to engage Sens. John McCain and Barack Obama in a dialogue dedicated to “civil discourse and the common good of all” at the Saddleback Civil Forum on Saturday. Will those who advocate for sexual and reproductive justice be included in that “all?” 4
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