Last night was the much anticipated Saddleback Civil forum review, in which we saw Senator Obama and Senator McCain questioned by Pastor Rick Warren. Coming into Last Night the lastest gallup poll showed Obama and McCain in a stalemate for the popular vote. Both candidates were asked the same questions, in the same atmosphere. Following the program, Anne Lewis, former Clinton Advisor, stated on the “Strategy Room” that the race had officially begun. Other panelists commented on how this will be a tough race that will come right down to the wire (what else is new).
The presidntal hopefuls both had very strong showings in their own respect. Obama was articulate, concise, and confident as always, even though this was more of a town hall type meeting, which Obama has tended to shy away from. The biggest surprise from Obama was his praise for Bush about his work to contain aids in Africa. Although, it is hard pressed to find someone who would bash the intent to help ailing aids victims. It is unlike any liberal to ever give any praise to a conservative, even if it is Obama, who has always been a avid supporter of African concerns. Obama had a couple of slip ups that will cost him though. First, instead of commiting himself to three people he would chose to help run his administration. Obama said the wisest people he knows are his grandmother and his wife. Well, I’m not in any position to argue with him about this. But, I’d like to point out a couple of naive comments his wife has made. For one she said that blacks have an inferiority complex and that is why Obama initially didn’t lead in the black vote in early fall, when in reality Bill Clinton was very popular among African Americans and was even nick-named the First Black President so it is not unusual that they would support his wife. Obama only really gained the black vote in the 93 to 7 % difference that he had in Pennsylvania after the media spinned comments that Bill Clinton had into carrying some sort of racial comments. Second, was her comment about “This [being] the first time in [her] adult life that [she was] proud of America,” when her husband started gaining momentum. This was rightfully played by conservatives as a radical comment, as it is. Was it a slip up or something more? I’d like to point out that Obama also called his grandmother a “typical white person” who if she sees someone that she doesn’t know on the streets (in other words a strange black man) that she would be uncomfortable.He later describes in his book, The Audacity of Hope, he describes scene in which his grandmother is shaken because a black beggar is “very aggressive” when asking for money. I take offense to the Typical white person comment. My parents generation is only uncomfortable if the “gangsta or wannabe rapper” type walks into a convenient store they are in at night, wearing baggy pants and hoddie sweat shirts in July. The same is true if that person is white and the scared one is a blue collar African American, or if both are white or both black. In other words, typical white people are not afraid of typical black people. But I digress. Obama had a lost oppurtunity when asked about an example of crossing party lines, by saying ethics and finance reform (blah), considering that no one really cares about this and McCain also was on boat for this, giving him no leverage against McCain. He later rope a doped the question of when human life started by saying it was “beyond his paycheck”. Obama slipped up again, by saying that the abortion rate has not gone down due to Bush’s reforms, which is untrue. Abortion rates are at their lowest since 1974. Obama also missed a chance to gain some respect on some of his flip flops, during the question regarding a change of mind for the better. He said it was welfare reform. This won’t help him win the independents, who will decide the election. Energy, the war, public financing, all black eyes for Obama and he chose welfare reform. Obama had a good night but McCain was much better.
John McCain was clear, concise, articulate, inspirational, every question seemed to be in his wheelhouse. He was strong on social issues, economic issues, military issues, and very reassuring to me that he was the right man for the job. Mike Huckabee recounted after that ” there were times where McCain answered the question before Pastor Warren could finish.” McCain responded quickly to the question about when life started. “At conception,” he exclaimed to a multitude of applause. He said, when asked of education, that everyone should have the oppurtunity to send their kids to a charter school, and asked ” What good comes from sending a child to a failing school?” It amazed me that McCain seemed to capitalize on every Obama miscue. Naming General Petreaus( in McCain’s words ” the man who brought us victory in Iraq”), John Lewis ( McCain said that Lewis had his skull fractured and still serves. A man of great courage and optimism.) and Meg Whitman CEO- of Ebay, who brought it from 5 members to the now 1.5 million people that make a living off of Ebay and praised her for doing this in a time of economic challenges. He said that the wisdom of someone like that to help lead. These were very strong and well thought out answers. He capitalized on the flip flop question by saying it was offshore drilling, an issue that hits home with many American voters. He stressed that how we send 700 billion dollars a year over the Atlantic to enemies like Russia, Saudi Arabia, Iran, and others for oil and that some of this money goes to funding terrorist organizations. He then went into a speech about how we should use all sources of energy to become energy independent. McCain filled his time with anecdotes about his time in the POW camp, saying that not choosing early release was the most gut-wrenching decision he had ever made. By listening it showed how much that terrible experience has shaped his life.
If you ask me, McCain won this round. I’m sure some will disagree, and that is their right.
See you soon,
Bill
