Evaluation of Rick Warren's Campaign Forum interview of Barak Obama and John McCain

Did you watch the campaign forum hosted by Pastor Rick Warren at Saddleback Church last Saturday? He asked Barak Obama and John McCain identicle questions in separate back-to-back interviews so we could see who they are, how they think and how they would lead our country.

I was very pleased with the civility under which the event was held. Barak Obama won the toss and got to be interviewed first while John McCain was contained in a "silent" room. After one hour, the two traded places and John McCain was asked the same questions. By doing this, they were not talking over each other, accusing each other or trying to tear one another down. They simply answered the questions aske them by Pastor Rick.

In watching the event, I felt that Barak danced around in answering a lot of the questions. Although he came out strongly for his faith in Jesus Christ, he skirted around issues that are of extreme importance to Christian voters. He tried to pretend he was pro-life, yet he confirmed his support for abortions. Other questions, he would qualify his answers. This isn't necessarily wrong, except that it appeared to me that he was trying to play both sides of the issue and not really take a stand for anything.

John's answers to the same questions were quick, sometimes only one or two words. He was strong in what he said and the only question he didn't give a direct and definitive answer to was the one which defined who was "rich".

Overall, those who watched got to see the different mind sets and personalities of the candidates. I'll leave it to the pollsters and the general election in November to determine the winner. However, I would much rather see this kind of campaigning than the "debates" or attack ads and negative campaigning that goes on the rest of the time.

May God bless our nation and give us a leader that understands right from wrong, respects God as the ultimate governing leader and will carry out Biblical principles in the governing of this nation!