Last night’s Saddleback Forum in which Pastor Rick Warren interviewed both Barack Obama and John McCain - separately but with the same questions - was informative. First, I’d never heard the expression “above my pay grade” before. After researching it, I found that it is comparable to saying “That’s out of my league,” or “I’m of too low a rank to know the answer to that.”
Overall, Obama appeared to me to skirt issues or cloak them in so much back and forth rhetoric that I breathed a sigh of relief when he was finally finished with his tedious reply. I guess he could be described as “thoughtful.” However, it seems to me that he was shallow and indecisive.
McCain, on the other hand, demonstrated a clear understanding of his position on the issues and had the ability to reply succinctly and, I might add, humbly at times. I thought his reply about his greatest personal moral failing was amazing. He faced the #1 moral failing that the dems blast him on (something that happened over 25 years ago) and admitted that yes, it WAS a moral failing, and yes, he is an imperfect person. He didn’t try to explain it away or cloud the issue.
And Obama’s answer to the personal moral failing? He never mentioned taking his family for twenty years to a race-baiting and hate-supporting church. No, he said it was “selfishness.” Yawn! Give me a break! Instead of facing his demons, he completely ignored them.
The abortion question was perhaps the most telling. McCain knew his position on this issue that is front and center of the American political landscape. He gave an immediate and clear reply. Agree or disagree, you know how he feels on the issue. Obama didn’t give a clear answer because he said it was “above his pay grade.”
I’m not surprised at his reply - except that as a supposedly “thoughtful” person, he should have been able to answer the questions without so much hemming and hawing.
Obama came across as tedious and indecisive. McCain came across as real and confident.
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August 17th, 2008 at 11:50 am
I agree Carol. John McClain came across as a highly intelligent man and oen who is aware of our country’s history, failings and needs. I had been very unsure of the wisdom of having him running. Oboma is a hightly intelligent man and clever. He probaly will make a good president 8 or 12 years from now…but not now!
August 18th, 2008 at 8:30 am
Please.
John McCain’s answer was short on facts and short on self-revelation. He said the failure of his first marriage was a “moral failing”, but didn’t say anything about the behavior that cause the marriage to fail. If I could’ve gotten away with that general a confession as a kid, Catholic school wouldn’t have been all that bad!
Why is it we know every detail of John Edwards’ failings, but nothing about John McCain’s? Why have we read mountains of copy on Bill Clinton’s moral lapses, but nothing about Newt Gingrich’s? As long as rich, white guys say “there but for the grace of God go I”, Republicans will always get a free pass on this topic.
August 18th, 2008 at 11:21 am
Obama’s refusal to directly answer the question about abortion is telling. To let a innocent baby die outside the womb because of a botched abortion, first is murder and second is down right evil! There is NO justification to let a baby die once it is outside the womb, the doctor oath is to save life not kill it!
Once again Obama really doesn’t want us to know who is he and this is precisely why he has no business being our nations leader! He will fail miserably if we elect him and sadly it will be our fault for putting a empty suit in the White House.
August 18th, 2008 at 2:24 pm
TMS: To answer your questions/points: John Edwards’ failing occurred this year - WHILE he was running for POTUS while his wife is TERMINALLY ill. McCain’s failing occurred over 20 years ago and happened not long after he returned from serving years in a POW camp. There are many reasons for a failed marriage, and McCain has taken the honorable route of accepting full blame for his. His ex-wife, by the way, still is on good terms with him - and McCain adopted and supported her two children by her previous marriage. The man man mistakes, but he has handled his “moral failings” with honor. The details are all over the news. It would have been silly for him to get into the personal details in the forum at Saddleback. As far as “rich white guys” go, I would imagine John Edwards has both McCain and Gingrich beat. As far as I know, Gingrich hasn’t run for POTUS anytime in this election cycle.
August 22nd, 2008 at 9:32 pm
[...] Whether reading news stories or blogs, the word “nuanced” was used repeatedly this last week. Writers were falling all over themselves to talk about Obama’s nuanced thinking and nuanced replies at the Saddleback Forum last weekend. Apparently, nuance now means “indecisive and rambling avoidance of giving a direct answer.” [...]