By Ross Balano, Midwest Voices Columnist 2008
Presumptive presidential candidates John McCain and Barack Obama participated in a forum hosted by Pastor Rick Warren at his Saddleback Church.
McCain clearly got the better of the evening. His answers were quick, precise and to the point while Obama was halting and appeared to be trying to make sure he didn’t say anything that would offend any of his core base.
On a couple of questions, Obama danced around and didn’t even answer.
When asked when the unborn should have human rights McCain did not hesitate to answer that it should happen at the moment of conception while Obama refused to answer by saying that it was, “above my pay grade.” I found that to be a smug answer that will not work if he is to be the most powerful person in the world.
When asked about evil in the world, McCain said that it should be defeated. Obama, after reminding us that there is evil in Darfur, said that it was God’s job to defeat evil but that we could be soldiers in the fight.
In the end, McCain should benefit more from the forum. He was the better man on this night. His answers were direct and from the heart with conviction as opposed to Obama who was searching for the right answer, making sure to be careful what he said. McCain showed leadership qualities while Obama showed none.
Finally, when all the talk was of how well McCain had done in comparison to Obama, Obama’s people accused McCain of cheating. He heard all of the questions and answers they said.
“Not true,” said Pastor Warren. McCain was in another building with no feed of the questions or Obama’s answers.
All of this talk reminded me of the kid on the playground who loses the wrestling match then cries that he would have won if the other guy hadn’t cheated. Whaaaah!
I believe Obama is slowly exposing himself. The bloom is off the rose so to speak. A couple of months ago I didn’t give McCain much of a chance of winning in November but now it’s looking more and more like he might be the next POTUS.
Nine times out of ten the American people will spot a fraud. Let’s just hope this isn’t that one time they don’t and are fooled by Obama.
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he doesn't
"If you, Mr. Balano, have a degree in journalism that you didn't buy"
He apparently has no scruples about printing lies, half-truths, and innuendoes, so long as they reflect his political leanings.
Right out of the mold of that walking armpit Limbaugh, he is.
this is a criticism?
"When asked about evil in the world, McCain said that it should be defeated. Obama, after reminding us that there is evil in Darfur, said that it was God’s job to defeat evil but that we could be soldiers in the fight."
Ross doesn't think we should be soldiers in the fight against evil in the world?
lost is all the bluster
is that Obama doesn't need to win a majority of the Evangelical vote to win. McCain needed this win to shore up his 'cred' with the Religous Right.
As far as when does human rights begin, I don't see it as problem to answer 'it's above my pay grade'. It's the folks who think that they already know all the answers that we need to keep an eye on.
Candidates
So if I was running for POTUS and agreed to attend a forum sponsored by minister, held at his church, I would kinda be prepared for a question on 'when life begins' or other such topics. You know, especially if I wasn't good at debating, only giving speeches with a teleprompter.
Anyhow, good to see Andrea Mitchell continue to push the Obama campaign's spin on why he didn't do so well. Can always count on those folks at NBC/MSNBC to aid their candidate of choice.
"Separation Called For"
Can anybody even imagine an FDR, HST, or DDE subjecting themselves to the questions of a televangelist? These powerful men would never have appeared with Rick Warren no matter how desperate they were for votes. The first question Warren directed to General Eisenhower would have been his last. The General would have treated Mr Warren with the same disdain as any "buck private" in his command. These men, and so many presidents before them, were secure and confident in their own beliefs. They didn't need to share their inner faith with the outside world, much less use a religious entertainer as a conduit.
Right you are Ross
Old Man Amnesty McCain flat kicked the Messiah's keester all across the board.
Now of course you will have to put up with the typical moonbats of the whackdom who will cuss you and Old Man Amnesty McCain because you both dared to criticize the "Rock Stat", Osama Yomama.
saddleback forum
All scientific textbooks on embryology agree with the bible in that human life begins at conception. See http://www.abort73.com/HTML/I-A-1-medical.html
The Developing Human: Clinically Oriented Embryology, 6th ed.
Keith L. Moore, Ph.D. & T.V.N. Persaud, Md., (Philadelphia: W.B. Saunders Company, 1998), 2-18.
Essentials of Human Embryology
William J. Larsen, (New York: Churchill Livingstone, 1998), 1-17.
Human Embryology & Teratology
Ronan R. O'Rahilly, Fabiola Muller, (New York: Wiley-Liss, 1996), 5-55.
So there is no question from a theological or scientific perspective. Obama even opposed legislation requiring care for a born infant that survived a botched abortion. So regardless of when life starts Obama does not care about protecting innocent human life. The question asked when does a baby get human rights. So as long as everyone agrees the baby is a human then the question is valid - "When does a human get human rights?" McCain's answer would be at conception. We don't know Obama's specific answer except that it is sometime after being born, if ever. He would not give an answer other than saying “it’s above his pay grade”, yet his actions or votes reveal what he believes. He should have given a straight answer consistent with his voting record.
The evidence seems to indicate that Obama is not telling the truth about "born alive". The later version of the bill included the language he asked for yet he still did not vote yes. To be consistent he would have had to vote no on the federal bill which others like Boxer and Clinton supported. Obama clearly believes that if an abortion was intended then the baby should be aborted even if he/she is already born.
The purpose of BAIPA at the Illinois state level was to protect innocent life post-birth. The reason the legislation came about is that a concerned nurse revealed that in the process of performing an abortion the baby was born alive. The staff in charge in no way cared for the baby nor allowed anyone else to take care of the baby. The baby eventually died. Many babies are born early and even those that are born full term need care – they are babies. Obama says there were already laws on the books protecting infants born alive. If that is the case then why was this baby not protected? Was the hospital staff prosecuted?
Obama said abortion rate has increased under Bush. Actually, Obama is mistaken – according to pro-abortion Guttmacher Institute the abortion rate last year was as low as it’s been since 1974. Also, the number of abortions was at its lowest since 1990.
Baptists believe people are saved by grace through faith. Baptism is a symbol or outward expression of an existing faith. Followers of Jesus Christ have recognized and admitted separation from God by disobediance. They turn from living by their own rules and commit to following God's plan. Believe Jesus died to pay the price for your wrongdoing/breaking the 10 commandments and receive forgiveness. Commit by act of will and heart to trust him and follow him. Put him in the pilot seat of your life. Then be baptized because he commanded it and do it the way he did it - by submersion. Baptism is from Greek baptizo which means submersion or immerse.
Separation of church and state - this is not in the Constitution. The first amendment says, "Congress shall MAKE NO LAW respecting an ESTABLISHMENT of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof;..." (emphasis my own) This simply means the gov cannot force Americans to follow a certain religion and cannot establish a state religion. There is no indication of intent to separate faith from politics. That is impossible. Everyone has faith in something. Everyone has a worldview.
McCain did not know the questions ahead of time. If he had he could have come up with something original. He's already said most of what we heard last night. Most answers were short and anecdotal. He had brief answers then went on and told a POW story. He didn't even answer how being a Christian affects his day to day life.
Look who's calling the kettle black!
Fraud?
To cherry pick what happened and dissect it in such a way as to highlight your position is yellow journalism.
You didn't mention that McCain was asked how he defines wealthy, and his answer was "someone who makes over 5 million." While he added that his "joke" would be misconstrued, he NEVER answered the question. Obama said "Someone who makes over $250,000."
I believe a lot more of your readers will be affected by how our president defines wealthy rather than when life begins.
The question Rick Warren didn't ask was "How do you intend to protect the children who ARE born?"
That would entail getting McCain to talk about poverty, health care and education, three subjects that Warren, McCain, and all conservatives steadfastly avoid talking about in this election cycle.
The thrust of McCain's campaign so far (besides flip-flopping on EVERY position he's had in the last 5-8 years) is to attack Obama the man, hardly ever discussing the issues. Then again, that would go against your pubisher's policy of running only yellow journalism.
My favorite flip-flop by McCain so far? "I'm going to run a clean, ethical campaign." The next day he was running advertisements from the gutter.
He's even reversed positions on the bill he sponsored himself - the Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2007!!!
If you, Mr. Balano, have a degree in journalism that you didn't buy (like McCain and Bush's family bought them) but earned (like Obama, who didn't check an ethnicity box on his Harvard admission application), then the appropriate thing for you to do would be to put it in your toilet and have a nice sit down with a real newspaper and a cup of coffee for about 1/2 an hour. Then put the toilet paper in a lovely frame up on your wall.
You fraud.