Yep….McCain hit this ball out of the park. As I’ve posted before….I am still skeptical about his conservative credentials, but McCain almost made me an ecstatic supporter of him this evening at the Saddleback Church forum with Rick Warren.
Obama’s performance….well, let’s just say that McCain’s Straight Talk Express just ran over Obama’s bus…you know, the one where he throws those people that are no longer useful to him…Jeremiah Wright, his grandmother, Ayers…you name it.
(In the interest of fairness, a minor correction: Obama actually took his grandmother out from under the bus tonight on the question asked about “the people who have influenced him most”)
I watched the entire forum led by Rick Warren. A thing or two about Rick Warren….I think he did a great job with the questions despite the chatter on the blogs that Warren was obtaining his questions from the more liberal group, Faith in Public Life. I didn’t detect that and the questions for each candidate were almost identical. And frankly, I was surprised at some of the questions that were asked…in the sense I thought they were questions not often asked of Presidential candidates…not softball questions.
One great thing I think Rick Warren did with his questions, whether intentional or not, was force Obama to answer questions that exposed his allegiance to unions, the abortion industry, the anti-war crowd, the atheist/non-believers and others, WHILE sitting in a CHURCH with a congegration that was likely made of majority conservatives and Christians……It was really kind of fun and agonizing, at the same time, to watch.
Bottom line———
McCain was quick to answer, showed his sense of humor, seemed at ease, had stories to share and his experience was clear. For someone like me, who doesn’t fully trust McCain and resents his ability to turn his nose up at conservatives, it produced a feeling of hope (you know, the real kind) and made me just want to cheer the guy.
He really did that well on most of the issues.
For Obama–partly because of the questions presented as I mentioned above–it was very clear that Obama was straddling a very wide fence on many of his answers….on the other answers he just struggled to get out a word other than “UH”!
Some CNN analysts categorized his lagging speech interspersed with fillers as “conversational style”….I would call it a “shallow, nuanced struggle for words”.
Where did they come down on the issues tonight?
Where does life begin?
McCain, in 2 seconds, answers: Conception!
Obama: Anytime I walk into a room
(note: Obama didn’t really answer that question, so I did my best in answering closest to how I thought Obama would answer it)
The worst thing the candidate has done from a moral standpoint or is least proud of…something like that :
McCain: His first marriage
Obama: I had a troubled childhood.
Name 3 people from whom you will draw counsel as President:
McCain:General Petraeus, Meg Whitman (founder of E-bay) and Democrat John Lewis
(note: 2 out of 3 aint’ bad)
Obama: His Wife and Grandma (note: An America-hater and a typical white person…well, alrighty then…..)
Abortion:
McCain: Pro-life and would have a pro-life Presidency
Obama: To make that call conclusively is “above his pay grade”
(note: I did not make that one up!)
Does Evil exist and should it be defeated, debated, appeased…or something like that?
McCain: It exists and can be exemplified in Al Qaeda and Osama bin Laden. It must be defeated.
Obama: It exists but we must have humility when confronting it and just because we think we are doing good in the world doesn’t mean we are.
(note: Kind of like — just because you think you’re called as savior of the world doesn’t mean you are…?!?)
Definition of Marriage:
McCain: between one man and one woman and that the California Supreme Court was wrong in their recent decision to overturn the voters of California –they voted it was between one man and one woman; Unless the court rules that same-sex marriage valid in one state must hold true in another, McCain is not for pushing the Defense of Marriage Act….he believes it is a state decision
Obama: between one man and one woman…against same-sex marriage…unless…they want to have a civil union…and unless one gay wants to visit another in the hospital…..
In summary it was made abundantly clear tonight why Barack Obama does not wish to participate in Town Hall meetings alongside McCain and why Obama only wants to have the 3 required Presidential debates…..Obama’s clock was cleaned tonight….KO’d in 2 hours in front of millions.
More interesting views on tonight’s forum:
Faith Forum: Obama & McCain Saddle Up At Saddleback …Update: Obama on Abortion Video
Update 8/16/08: More good links on the forum…
Showdown At Saddleback! UPDATE: Almost A Big Slip By Obama
Two Quick Thoughts on Saddleback
WHO OVERCAME MORE AND WHO HAS ACHIEVED MORE, CLARENCE THOMAS OR BARACK OBAMA?
Filed under: 2008 Presidential election, Abortion, Barack HUSSEIN Obama, Evil, Gays/Homosexuality, John McCain, Military Matters, Morality/Character, Patriotism, Politics, Progressives Ain't, War on Terror, religion | Tagged: 2008 Election, Abortion, Barack Obama, definition of marriage, John McCain, Politics, Rick Warren, Saddleback Church
I agree with you that McCain handily won. Obama was right on the issues, which were complex and nuanced, but McCain pleased the crowd.
Kurt,
Thanks for commenting…but I respectfully have to ask how could Obama be right on the issues when he didn’t really answer anything clearly?
How would you know if he answered in a way you liked.
You obviously had your head up something on John McCain. Down with Republicains! once and for all lets bury this criminal Republcain Party Tactics. Lies, deciet and just ill natured people you all are. Lets all gang up on Liberals! hahahaha just like the Neo Nazis you are! Oh please, cancelle me now please,,I had no idea I was involved with murderers and bigots,,,, don’t hurt me! of course you have to support your old man running for office, someone has to remind him of where he is at at all times right!.
Kurt,
Also if the issues were complex and nuanced and both candidates were asked the same questions—why was McCain able to give a direct answer and Obama struggled to find words on many of them?
mgjams,
I’m not really sure if you are drunk or just stupid…
…please go away until you can post intelligently and coherently.
Take the question about evil. Obama had to get a lot into a short amount of time. Saddam was evil, yet, Bush lied us into war. China is guilty of atrocities, but so are we. Russia was wrong to invade Georgia to gain control of their oil pipeline, we were wrong to invade Iraq for their oil.
Or on abortion, which pro-lifer Bush hasn’t gotten rid of, but Obama sees as a human rights issue for women, and thinks the best thing we can do is make America a better place to raise a kid – not strip women of their inalienable rights.
McCain didn’t have to get into any serious discussion about his positions, because to him, everything is black or white.
So…let me get this straight. In Kurt’s world…
- Bush is evil just like Saddam…
- The US commits atrocities just like China…
- The US invades countries just like Russia…
- Women have an “inalienable right” to life, liberty, the pursuit of happiness, and ABORTION? I guess Jefferson must have forgot about that one.
Does Kurt count “Stuttering Barry’s” ‘ums’, ‘ahhs’, and ‘uhs’ as “serious discussion”?
Kurt, the reason most of those questions were easy for McCain is because he’s actually thought about them and already knows what he believes. Barry, sans teleprompter and staff, has to think on the fly…not that easy for him, as we shall repeatedly see in the coming weeks.
Kurt,
It is not about being black or white…..McCain understands the issues and knows where he stands on them. It is a whole lot easier to answer those types of questions they were asked when you know what you think and you aren’t pandering to teacher’s unions, the anti-war crowd, and the abortion industry.
On each answer Obama seems to struggle as if he is having to remember all of the 20 answers he has given before on the same question…..AND making sure he can sit firmly on both sides of the issue until elected.
mgjams,
Modern medicine offers a range of pharmaceuticals that can make you calmer and more coherent. I’m sure your doctor can find the right one for you.
According to the Supreme Court, a woman does have the inalienable right to privacy – Jefferson INCLUDED that one.
Obama, as progressives always do, sees all sides of the discussion. We live in a complicated world, even George W. Bush admits as much.
You want to talk about a complicated issue? How about energy. McCain’s solution is more offshore drilling. Even though oil companies are currently leasing 68 million acres they’re not touching, giving them MORE will somehow save us from high gas prices? That’s patently absurd. Yet, McCain got a huge ovation when he said we need to drill offshore and we need to drill NOW!
Obama has actually studied this problem. Even if every single gallon from every single inch of land and offshore space were in our refineries, we’d still be importing more than half our oil. The only answer to our energy woes is to get off oil altogether. That means using alternative sources for power and transportation. But Washington has subsidized the oil industry for so long, we serve Big Oil instead of Big Oil serving us.
Also, McCain’s standing joke about nuclear energy. He wants us to follow France, even though he has blocked even transportation of nuclear waste through Arizona for years. Even though building new nuclear facilities would be astronomically expensive – yet he doesn’t want to raise taxes, and extraordinarily dangerous – yet he can keep us safe from terrorists.
It’s COMPLICATED!
Excuse me for asking this, but I believe the American public MIGHT
have been duped by Pastor Rick, who looks silly in that goatee of his,
and he could lose some weight too……but what I am talking about is
this: you didn’t mention it and nobody else, but I have a very strong
suspicion that the questions that Pastor Rick asked the two candidates
were GIVEN to both Obama and McCain in advance of the
“show”……..why do I suspect this? because at one point Obama said
“I cheated here and did some research before hand…..I actually
looked at this idea ahead of time….”
he said this in response at first to one of Rick’s question around the
45 minute time….
and CNN made a major gaffe: on the news scrawl below the screen, the
news editor who is obviosuly illiterate wrote for all the world to see
on CNN: “What is the greatest moral failure in your LIVE?
shoulda been LIFE? it was never corrected during Obama’s half……way
to go, CNN!
but the main questuon here, sir, is WHERE THE QUESTIONS GIVEN TO THE
TWO MEN BEFORE THE SO CALLED FORUM? I believe they were. I am going to
ask Rick right now and see what he says….
when Rick also said “we are the most blessed nation on earth”…again
he is so full of it. Other nations are also blessed, sir Rick,
American is not NUMBER ONE in BLESSEDness, this is a huge mistkae of
arrogant overweight ammericans like Pastor Rick, who is a brainwashed
mindcontrolled robot of an ancient religion that is completely based
on myth and legend, there is NO JESUS at all, and yet he gets away
with this crap…..sad in this day and age..but that’s America for
you, LIVE!
Danny Bloom,
I am not sure what Rick Warren’s goatee and weight or CNN’s gaffe really have to do with anything.
Also, if they had the questons before-hand it certainly makes it all the more puzzling why Obama’s performance was so bad.
You said ” this is a huge mistake of
arrogant overweight americans like Pastor Rick”. (spelling corrected) That statement pretty much assures that anything you have to say about Christianity afterwards is probably going to be an illogical and/or ignorant view……and it was.
Kurt,
You have a Koolaid mustache….
Quick …wipe it off.
I have to say that I was impressed with John McCain during this forum. I was unable to watch it live because our oldest daughter and her husband came down to spend the night. Since I haven’t seen them in several weeks, I chose to spend some time visiting with them. I was able to catch a replay on CNN and McCain was impressive.
In reality, McCain is not a great speaker when it comes to actually making speeches and debating. In a forum setting such as last night’s, he really does a good job. He answered the questions and didn’t beat around the bush.
On the other hand, Obama seemed like he really didn’t want to answer some of the questions. The one on abortion really stuck out to me. He says he is against abortion, but we need to find a way to reduce unwanted pregnancies in our country. With all due respect to the good Senator, we have been trying to show everyone how to do that, but groups like Planned Parenthood keep shooting it down. I wonder if that could be because they are the largest provider of abortions in our country?
“The only answer to our energy woes is to get off oil altogether.”
Kurt,
People like yourself think coal is too dirty, nuclear is too dangerous, oil is somehow obsolete, and that wind and solar will cure all. A news bulletin for you…sometimes the wind doesn’t blow and the sun doesn’t always shine. Although I’m a fan of both as part of a diverse energy plan, our power grid can’t be the mercy of the seasons and daily weather changes.
Obviously, there isn’t much physics or engineering in your background. Let me explain something to you…but it’s kind of COMPLICATED. Short of a technological discovery on par with the harnessing of fire or the invention of the wheel, aircraft won’t be flying on ANYTHING other than petroleum. With only a few exceptions, ships won’t be powered by ANYTHING other than petroleum. Our military runs on petroleum. Although autos certainly have some room for better fuel efficiency using electric power, NOTHING offers the energy density of petroleum for heavy lifting and long range movement.
Anyone who thinks that NOT exploiting our own oil sources will reduce the cost of oil, reduce our dependence on foreign sources, and/or help our economy has got a screw loose. Do you think that if the currently unexploited leases held reserves that could be efficiently developed, that the lease holders (mean ol’ BIG oil) wouldn’t be drilling right now?
I’ve got more news for you regarding those off-shore tracks. Much of the oil reserve estimates are old, as in up to 3+ decades old. The technology to find and extract oil has improved significantly in just the last 10 years. It is very likely we can pull much more oil than is currently known. People like you work very hard to discount the potential benefit because you cringe at the thought that someone might put another hole in the ground. People like you need to get past that and take a big bite of reality.
Oh yes…the best answer isn’t always the longest.
“According to the Supreme Court, a woman does have the inalienable right to privacy – Jefferson INCLUDED that one.”
Really…where?
Danny Bloom,
If the US isn’t #1 in “blessedness”, then I’m curious…which nation is?
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But my party won! nah, nah,nah,nah,nah! lol
Now who needs the drugs?
Not me! I knew what was going to happen.
America is tired of your right wing lies and showed
you!