McCain Vs. Hussein: “The Purpose-Driven” Forum - With Hussein ‘Near-Miss’ Gaffe Video
MOST telling words of the night?In regards to Clarance Thomas … The words “He was not ex—”
Obama, McCain’s Abortion Positions Contrast Sharply at Faith Forum
by FOXNews.com
Barack Obama and John McCain went soul-searching in front of thousands of Christian evangelicals Saturday night, sitting down with influential pastor Rick Warren to answer his questions on faith and leadership.
Though the event was meant to broadly address moral themes, Warren touched on hot-button issues minutes into it, asking Obama and McCain their positions on gay marriage, stem-cell research and abortion.
The event highlighted their divergent styles and beliefs. McCain often gave quick answers to Warren, while Obama took his time explaining his positions. Obama seemed conversational, while McCain occasionally turned to lines from his stump speeches.
But McCain was clearly more in sync with the church-going crowd, particularly when it came to abortion.
Asked at what point he believes life begins, McCain immediately said: “At the moment of conception.”
“I will be a pro-life president and this presidency will have pro-life policies,” he said, after receiving thunderous applause.
Obama, rather, said answering that question would be “above my pay grade.”
He explained he is pro-choice, but not pro-abortion, and that he thinks women don’t make the decision to have an abortion casually and wrestle with it. Obama said he would limit abortions in the late stages of pregnancy if there are exceptions for the mother’s health.
McCain was equally unequivocal on his stance on marriage: “A union is between man and woman — between one man and one woman,” but added “that doesn’t mean people can’t enter into legal agreements.”
Obama said much the same, although he said he supports civil unions for gay partners. He said he would not support a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage because the issue is one for state governments to handle.
Obama and McCain were asked the same set of questions separately. Obama went first and after about 50 minutes, McCain joined him and Warren on stage for a handshake and photo op. McCain then sat down with Warren.
The forum was a rare opportunity for the candidates to be seen side-by-side, before they head into their respective national conventions over the next few weeks. Their contest has until now been waged via TV ads, campaign memos, conference calls and stump speeches, but not in person.
Warren’s format aimed to toke the candidates off their usual talking points. The event was intended to allow the candidates to engage in a kind of long-form discussion with Warren that would not be permitted under the time constraints of a traditional presidential debate.
Warren asked several questions, such as one on the nature of evil, that would never find their way into traditional debates.
Asked about moral failings, Obama said the greatest moral failing of America is its inattention to the disadvantaged. Quoting scripture, he said the line that “whatever you do for the least of my brother you do for me” should apply to poverty, racism and sexism.
“There’s a pervasive sense I think that this country, as wealthy and powerful as we are, still don’t spend enough time thinking about the least of these,” he said.
McCain said the nation’s greatest moral shortcoming is its failure to “devote ourselves to causes greater than our self-interests.”
After the September 2001 terrorist attacks, McCain said, there should have been a national push for joining the Peace Corps and other volunteer organizations. His comment seemed an indirect criticism of President Bush, who had urged tax cuts and more shopping to stimulate the economy at the time.
McCain said his greatest personal moral failing was the failure of his first marriage, while Obama pointed to his alcohol and drug use during his teenage years.
Both candidates invoked the obligations of faith to explain their support for embryonic stem-cell research.
The candidates’ divergent approaches were also highlighted when Warren asked them both if evil does exist. McCain’s response was an immediate “yes.” He added as president “If I have to follow him to the gates of Hell, I will get Usama bin Laden.”
Obama said Americans must have humility when confronting evil. “A lot of evil’s been perpetuated based on the claim that we were fighting evil.”
Obama used faith to answer questions ranging from his personal weaknesses to welfare reform. McCain mentioned his religious beliefs rarely, focusing instead on concrete policies and issues.
Asked to name three wise people they would listen to, Obama named his wife, Michelle; his maternal grandmother, who lives in Hawaii; and, not limiting himself to only a third, named several Democratic and Republican lawmakers.
McCain named Gen. David Petreaus, head of U.S. troops in Iraq; U.S. Rep. and veteran civil rights leader John Lewis, D-Ga.; and former eBay CEO Meg Whitman, a top adviser to his campaign.
Warren, author of the best-selling book “The Purpose-Driven Life,” is known as a preacher whose priorities extend beyond such evangelical litmus-test issues as abortion and gay marriage.
“We believe in the separation of church and state, but we do not believe in the separation of faith and politics because everyone has a world view,” Warren said to cheers of the crowd from the pews of his church in Lake Forest, Calif., at the start of the forum.
He doesn’t endorse presidential candidates and said Friday before the forum kicked off that he was trying to “stake out what I call the common ground for the common good.” That he is the first figure to bring both presumptive nominees together for such an event was a testament to his perceived influence among evangelical voters.
With national polls consistently showing McCain within a few points of Obama’s lead, the Illinois senator could make the difference by siphoning off some of the religious conservatives who would otherwise support the Republican candidate.
Evangelical voters traditionally go for the Republican presidential candidate in large numbers, but Obama has been actively courting religious Americans. Conservative Christians form about one quarter of the American electorate.
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Hussein is looking sicker and sicker, while McCain is looking sprier and sprier (is that a word?)
Go McCain!
August 16th, 2008 at 9:13 pmWhy in God’s name would a true Conservative/Evangelical vote for a guy who believes in abortion and infanticide? Killing those who survive an abortion?? What a “Christian”. Makes me sick for those who holler about core values and can’t vote for McCain but would vote for Obuma. Stupid whining hypocrites.
August 16th, 2008 at 9:23 pmDid FOX see the same ’show’ that I saw.
Obama never looked comfortable and even worse than usual without his teleprompters.
And WTF is with Obama and the question of when life begins as “above my pay grade”?
And… “A lot of evil’s been perpetuated based on the claim that we were fighting evil.”
WTF Bambi?? When??
August 16th, 2008 at 9:24 pmOh yeah and…. GO MAC!!
Ya think if Bambi loses in Nov. that he’ll bitterly cling to tune up manuals and tire gauges??
August 16th, 2008 at 9:27 pmor they are going to stay at home and not vote, giving a defacto vote for obama
August 16th, 2008 at 9:44 pmMcCain’s most impressive moments were when he answered the questions without any hem and hawing like bam bam did.
He showed strength when he was talking about the torture he endured during captivity.
Most important were the details. Bam answered almost every question vicariously with Govt being the solution thru taxation.
Message loud and clear.
Bam wants to give everthing away and tax the shit out of us, McCain wants us to promote business and entrpeneurs, not a bigger govt, his accessment of foolish spending was best summed up in that “bear” story. What we spent 3 million of taxpayer dollars to determine the bears dna for what…a paternity suit?
Billy
August 16th, 2008 at 9:46 pmBoth could gag a maggott.
Jeez it should have been Romney vs Clinton. That is a better more traditional race
Any reason why the evangelical cult got the first shot at these two together
Strange days indeed mostly peculiar
August 16th, 2008 at 11:44 pmI think the polls will reflect the fact that McCain kicked Hussiens ass.Hussein can’t answer a question directly because he has no core beliefs. He will go anyway the wind blows if he thinks it will get him a vote.
August 17th, 2008 at 3:14 am===============================================================
Well, theres your first and last mistake Bambi….
August 17th, 2008 at 4:15 amObama also named Ted Kennedy as a wise person . . . I guess it was wise to leave that poor woman dead in the water - WTF.
August 17th, 2008 at 8:16 amJesus said, “A tree is known by its fruit.” Not by its leaves, nor its boughs, nor its outward appearance. It’s known by its fruit; what it produces.
What, therefore, is Obambi’s fruit?
1) He backhands his grandmother who raised him as a “typical white person.”
2) He backhands that part of the country between L.A. and NYC as “embittered” who “cling to God and their guns.”
3) He backhands the entire USA at Tiergarten, as well as to a 7-yro girl.
4) He cannot be bothered to visit wounded veterans in Germany if he cannot turn it into a photo-op.
5) He spent 20 years listening to a rabid, hate-filled racist pastor spew his venom against America and white people.
6) He voted “present” instead of “yes/no” over 130 times in the Illinois state legislature.
7) He cannot utter a cogent response if it’s not on a teleprompter.
9) He wants to expand LBJ’s failed “Great Society” to include the entire world.
10) He wants to squash dissent by bringing back the so-called “Fairness Doctrine.”
11) He earliest mentor was a Communist.
12) His associates include uber-Leftists/terrorists like Ayrs, Dohrnan, and Wright.
13) He is 100% pro-abort regardless of circumstance.
14) There is evidence suggesting he’s in favor of reparations for slavery.
15) He wants to foment a genocide in Iraq worse than the Dems achieved in Vietnam and Cambodia, apparently to shame and belittle America and to turn Iraq into an Iranian satellite.
16) He wants to spit on and nullify the sacrifices our military has made, and the treasure the USA has spent, in bringing freedom to the people of Iraq.
I’m certain that other posters could add to the list, and welcome them to do so. All taken together, if this be Obama’s fruit, what sort of tree is he?
August 17th, 2008 at 11:02 amGood listing, German Dragon.
August 17th, 2008 at 12:20 pmI add: Hussein Obalmy would let babies, who survived abortions, die unattended with the dirty linen.
Savage.
Listen to the nurse here:
http://tw.youtube.com/watch?v=VIdbYjmbFzo
Obama’s core values have to be hidden in the dirty linen room because he can not bring then out for all to see. The truth of Obama is becoming clearer and clearer by the day.
This is no decent human being.
August 17th, 2008 at 2:43 pm