Rick Warren cnn debate
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- mtgentry
What qualifies this guy to moderate a debate between Obama and Mccain?
- skwiotsmith0
His every day man, down to earth good looks?
- designbot0
because his new-age philosophies are right in-line with Obama's....and probably McCain's.
- dog_opus0
I think this is a single event with dual purposes: As per the former, it's to give evangelicals a forum to get the candidates' viewpoints on issues important to them. Regarding the latter, it's an opportunity for both candidates to present their Christian bona fides: McCain will say, "I'm your guy, even if we don't agree on everything," while Obama will say, "Even though my party has not traditionally reached out to you, I'm here to listen to what you have to say." I think Obama is making a very wise, if calculated and disingenuous (such is the game of politics), move here. Whoever is running his campaign is no dummy.
It should be self-evident why a guy like Warren is moderating such an event.
- McCain never jibed with that side of the party, so his pandering to it is equally if not more disingenuousTheBlueOne
- mg330
When is it?
- designbot0
Today, right? I know someone who is present.
- mikotondria30
Personally I find it terrifying that in order to become the most powerful man in history, with your literal finger on the real button, you have to proclaim a belief in an omniscient, unprovable, unfalsifiable forceful prescence, as if somehow that act qualifies your very important judgement on all other matters. Fucking freaks.
- Not really. Something like 90% of human beings believe in that unprovable entity. Religious belief is the most normal thing in the world.dog_opus
- ...in the world.dog_opus
- a bit more scary to have someone's finger on the button...slinky
- ...that doesnt believe in a higher power.slinky
- the president cant launch nukes by himself.mrdobolina
- Pretty sure Bush could find a way if he wanted to, not like he abides byt the other restrictions to his power.NONEIS
- 90% of people believe in a deity? Fact: 79.4% of statistics are made up or distorted.kieguy
- era4O40
I miss Tim Russert. *weep*
- Yes, me too, very, very much. He would have been so welcome right now, esp. with all the McCain ad lies.mg33
- ditto.TheBlueOne
- mg330
mikotondria3,
I agree with you for the simple reason that, though the United States was founded on the hope and basis of religious freedom, the Constitution explicitly calls for a separation of church and state. It shouldn't matter. Morals, knowledge, and the ability to do what is right for citizens is what matters.
It's that very reason that I completely disagree with churches being used sometimes as polling locations. I voted in a church once. While some might say "it's just a building, an available space, what's the big deal?" I think it's an inappropriate place because of the explicit instruction of a separation between church and state.
- designbot0
The "separation of church and state" was put in place to keep the government out of churches....not the other way around!
and mikotondria , your apparent belief in no God is also "unprovable and unfalsifiable" so what's your point? Go back to your history books and you will see that this country was founded on those principles and beliefs. Whether you agree or not, it's always been important to alot of people.
- Exactly.dog_opus
- not true, it was set up so that a state religion wouldnt be fostered.mrdobolina
- again, not true. it came about as the division of christianity within the colonies.johndiggity
- puritanicals in the north, catholics in the south (the french).johndiggity
- It came about because they didn't want to like england - with a divine king..TheBlueOne
- ...a singlepower entity that represented church and state.TheBlueOne
- dog_opus0
Since we seem to have gotten on the topic: Why do unbelievers so often think that it's cool to disparage people for having faith? I've been an atheist/agnostic for a good part of my adult life, and I see faith, particularly Judeo-Christian and Eastern faiths (like Hinduism and Buddhism), as enormously beneficial to civilization. Beyond the fact that, as I stated above, faith is perfectly natural, it's a precious, indispensable part of the lives of countless everyday people. People have fought over faith, but communism has shown that we don't need religion to cut each other down in the name of ideology.
I find the smug disdain of unbelievers toward the devout to be small-minded, hypocritical, and mean-spirited. Not to mention intolerant.
- lambsy0
How did the Saddleback Civil Forum on the Presidency come about?
On July 2nd, after efforts by another organization failed to get the two candidates together, Dr. Rick Warren personally contacted the candidates out of his relationship with both men, and invited them to Saddleback's Civil Forum for August. Both agreed to participate on two conditions: 1) that Dr. Warren ask all the questions -- instead of a panel, or from the audience -- and 2) that it be open for all national media to cover as news or carry via live video feed from Saddleback, as opposed to co-sponsorship by any one network or outlet, as was done during the primary campaigns.After so many debates among candidates throughout the primaries, what makes this event unique?
This will be the first joint appearance of the two presumptive nominees of both parties for President, and one of only four joint appearances of the campaigns, including three debates planned for later this fall. It is also the final general appearance by either candidate before they go into hiatus prior to their respective conventions. And, as far as we know, it is the first time that a church pastor has ever moderated an event, in a local church, featuring the two major candidates for President.What will be the format of the Forum on the Presidency?
The two-hour format will be held in a non-debate format, from 5 pm to 7 pm PDT. Dr. Warren will have a separate long-form conversation with each candidate for about 50 minutes.To avoid bias, and give America a true and fair comparison the questions to both candidates will be identical to provide a fair comparison, although the follow-up questions may differ, based on their response.
Sen. Barack Obama will be interviewed first, as determined by a flip of a coin. To insure fairness, Sen. McCain will not hear the questions during the first hour. Between the two interviews, the candidates will appear together on stage for photographs.
What kind of questions will Dr. Warren ask?
Dr. Warren has been soliciting and considering questions from leaders representing all sectors and sides for over a month. First, he invited the 250,000 American pastors and church leaders who subscribe to his weekly newsletter to email their "heartland" questions. Next, he put together a team of experts in various areas to help him shape the questions on their area of expertise (i.e. religious persecution, AIDS, hiring freedom, abortion, etc.)Questions from debates and town hall meetings typically deal with hot political topics like the war, the border, the price of oil and reaction to campaign statements. While important questions to ask, these tend to be short-term issues on which the candidates have repeatedly stated their positions.
The Saddleback Civil Forum will focus on the core convictions of each candidate that would shape how each one would lead and their views on America's role, direction, and culture. Each interview will be segmented into four themes:
STEWARDSHIP: Questions on the constitution, the role of government, security, education, and energy.
LEADERSHIP: Questions on personal character, competence, convictions, and experience to be president.
WORLDVIEW: Questions on life, family, evil, freedom, Christianity, and Islam.
AMERICA'S ROLE IN THE WORLD: Questions on going to war, on America's responsibility to bless other nations, poverty and disease, human rights, religious liberty, corruption, and their vision for America.
Is this event a violation of church and state?
When asked this question in media interviews, Dr. Warren has given this response: "Of course not -- it has no government sponsorship. I believe in the separation of church and state, but I do not believe in the separation of faith and politics, because faith is simply a worldview and everyone has some type of worldview. Whether you are an atheist, secularist, Buddhist, communist, Christian or any other faith, you have a worldview. Your worldview is your personal database that you reference to make every decision. Any leader who claims that he will "not allow his faith to influence his decisions" is either ignorant or dishonest, as that is impossible to do. Leaders make decisions based on their values, or worldview, so it is entirely appropriate for voters to want to know what a candidate's worldview is."Does Dr. Warren intend to endorse either candidate?
No. First, the law prohibits non-profit 501(c)3 organizations such as churches from making official endorsements. Second, Dr. Warren believes it is inappropriate for pastors to make personal endorsements of political candidates, since pastors must shepherd all the flock, regardless of their political persuasion.Sens. John McCain and Barack Obama have both been friends of Dr. Warren before they began their run for President. He knows many leaders from both parties, including six of the candidates who ran for the Presidency, but he has never endorsed any candidate.
At the 2006 Saddleback Global Summit on AIDS and the Church, Barack Obama participated as one of 60 speakers. At that annual event the following year, Hillary Clinton appeared in person. John McCain, Mitt Romney, Mike Huckabee, Barack Obama and John Edwards joined via video to share their plans for addressing HIV/AIDS if elected to national office.
Why did Dr. Warren invite the candidates to the Saddleback Civil Forum?
Dr. Warren wanted to provide a different context and climate for the candidates to let the faith community and the entire electorate know who they are and how they will lead – sharing not just what is in their heads, but also in their hearts. He is not a political pundit, but a pastor who deals with the real life, daily life concerns of average Americans, and he wants to ask objective, but tough questions about those issues. Dr. Warren intended for a panel to interview the candidates, but both presumptive nominees asked that he alone ask the questions, expressing their trust in him to provide a fair and civil format.
- 4est0
I still don't quite get what qualifies Dr. Rick Warren as a debate moderator. The ability to pastor a large church and write a book isn't a qualification. Many people have written books. Many people pastor large churches.
Charles Gibson and George Stephanopoulos showed us that being a "known" commodity isn't enough to make you fit for debate moderation.
If Rick Warren bias's come through (and he is biased)...this could be a very ugly debate.
- lambsy0
i managed to sneak in as a volunteer.
this place is locked down tight. there's snipers on the roof, mounted police, secret service, and about 20 other types of law enforcement present. the only thing missing are tanks.
protesters are beginning to accumulate along the sidewalks.
lots of ron paul supporters.
- boobs0
What qualifies him is that the two candidates agreed to show up.
If Joan Rivers could have pulled off the same thing, that would have qualified her.
- epete220
That was hilarious, obama fucked it all up
- NONEIS0
How exactly did he fuck up? By being honest about his views? Sorry he didn't pander to a different "world-view", and by the way, it's "YOU'RE", not "YOUR".
- epete220
Obama showed he is a post modernist far left socialist liberal. If you cant see that you need to move europe.
- I'm cool with most of that, how did he fail again?NONEIS
- those are some great retorts you got there epete.lambsy
- That would be like calling an Arian a racist, he'll think that's a good trait too.Obama
- move to europe... hmmm, now that's a fine idea. Let me look into thatflashbender
- Obama0
epete22 that's not going to work. That would be like calling an Arian a racist, he'll think that's a good trait too.
Talking sense to nonsense just doesn't work. Stick with name calling, that's all they understand. They don't have any sense of balance.
- TheBlueOne0
"I have to tell you up front, both of these guys are my friends. They both care deeply about America. They are both patriots," Warren said in his introduction. "They have very different ideas on how America can be strengthened."