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Barack Obama fails to shine alongside John McCain
The Telegraph ^ | August 17, 2008 | Alex Spillius

Posted on 08/17/2008 11:38:55 AM PDT by Schnucki

Casting aside the hostilities that have marked their contest recently, the two senators endeavoured to woo evangelical voters, a crucial voting bloc that was instrumental in electing George W Bush twice.

They were brought together by prominent evangelical Rick Warren, pastor at the huge Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, California. He quizzed each of the candidates separately for an hour on election issues and moral concerns, and brought them together briefly in the middle of the meeting.

As a regular church-goer comfortable talking about his faith, Mr Obama is ostensibly better placed than most recent Democratic candidates to win over evangelicals.

But his support of abortion, a non-negotiable issue for many conservative Christians, remains a considerable obstacle, and he drew disapproving noises from the 2,800 audience at Saddleback in Lake Forest, California when he gave an evasive response to the question of when human rights begin for a baby.

"Whether you are looking at it from a theological perspective or a scientific perspective, answering that question with specificity, you know, is above my pay grade," said Mr Obama.

Mr McCain, who has always been against abortion, in contrast gave a swift response: "At the moment of conception", drawing a loud round of applause.

The Democrat recovered somewhat when he said that though he supported gay civil unions, marriage was a "sacred union" between a man and a woman.

He was also far more at ease discussing his moral failings and made easy references to the Bible.

Mr Obama said he had been guilty of "fundamental selfishness" at times, mentioning his experimental use of drugs in his youth.

"Americans' greatest moral failure in my lifetime has been that we still don't abide by that basic precept in Matthew that whatever you do for the least of my brothers, you do for

(Excerpt) Read more at telegraph.co.uk ...


TOPICS: Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: ca2008; christianvote; mccain; obama; saddleback
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1 posted on 08/17/2008 11:38:56 AM PDT by Schnucki
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To: Schnucki

That’s the last time Obama will participate in a ‘forum’ like this again. He most certainly DOES learn from his mistakes.


2 posted on 08/17/2008 11:43:08 AM PDT by stockstrader (CHANGE--a euphemism for further dividing our country along racial, social and economic lines)
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To: Schnucki

Where are all the poll numbers, and all the focus groups, and all the news stories discussing who won the debate?????? The few articles in the MSM discuss a few of the answers and the protests going on outside. Very little commentary on what was the biggest election event so far.


3 posted on 08/17/2008 11:44:09 AM PDT by Always Right (Obama: more arrogant than Bill Clinton, more naive than Jimmy Carter, and more liberal than LBJ.)
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To: stockstrader

You’re absolutely right about that, and, if McCain is smart, he will beat Obama senseless for not agreeing to meet him nose to nose on the field of battle.


4 posted on 08/17/2008 11:44:26 AM PDT by nesnah (Expression with an attitude - http://www.polistic.com)
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To: Schnucki
As a regular church-goer comfortable talking about his faith, Mr Obama is ostensibly better placed than most recent Democratic candidates...

Yeah, we know. We've heard the audio and seen the tape.

5 posted on 08/17/2008 11:45:09 AM PDT by FlingWingFlyer (A History and Science Minute.- "Climate change" has been going on for millions of years!)
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To: stockstrader

I wished I had seen this. It sounds like The One is turning into The None.


6 posted on 08/17/2008 11:45:15 AM PDT by Dutch Boy
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To: Schnucki

Senor Osama Obama HUSSEIN, Spande Merde!


7 posted on 08/17/2008 11:45:30 AM PDT by NOBAMA in 08 (An Empty Suited Opportunist with No Redeeming Value!)
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To: FlingWingFlyer

Clinton was a regular church goer as well.


8 posted on 08/17/2008 11:46:17 AM PDT by rexgrossmansonlyfan (Too bad for the Bears Tony Dungy isn't a liberal. He would have quit when falling behind in 41 SB)
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To: FlingWingFlyer

You mean the convenient christian who didn’t see the inside of a church until he met Michelle?


9 posted on 08/17/2008 11:47:08 AM PDT by rexgrossmansonlyfan (Too bad for the Bears Tony Dungy isn't a liberal. He would have quit when falling behind in 41 SB)
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To: FlingWingFlyer
As a regular church-goer

Right. The Church Of GD America.

10 posted on 08/17/2008 11:47:55 AM PDT by mc5cents (Show me just what Mohammd brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman)
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To: Dutch Boy

Video of the event is at http://www.c-span.org


11 posted on 08/17/2008 11:48:38 AM PDT by flyfree
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To: Schnucki
"Americans' greatest moral failure in my lifetime has been that we still don't abide by that basic precept in Matthew that whatever you do for the least of my brothers, you do for me," he added.

From the mouth of the huckster who barely donated anything to charity until he began running for President.

12 posted on 08/17/2008 11:49:23 AM PDT by A message
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To: FlingWingFlyer
Err...FlingWingFlyer I believe BO’s Chickens are Coming Home to Roost.
13 posted on 08/17/2008 11:50:02 AM PDT by OKIEDOC (OBAMA aka Post Turtle the Forest Gump of American Politics ABORTION -Liberal Child Abuse.)
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To: rexgrossmansonlyfan
"You mean the convenient christian who didn’t see the inside of a church until he met Michelle?"

And who attends a "Christian" church full of Nation of Islam adherants?

14 posted on 08/17/2008 11:51:54 AM PDT by editor-surveyor (Jimmy Carter is the skidmark in the panties of American History)
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To: Schnucki

I was expecting Obama to do very well, and I was expecting McCain to do very badly. This seemed like a forum designed to let Obama shine.

It goes to show, you should go into every battle with courage. Sometimes the battle you’re sure you’re going to lose, you show up and the victory is yours.

I don’t like McCain, and early on I was convinced he would have no chance against the younger, more articulate, more photogenic Obama especially given all the media bias. I need to get my prognosticator into the shop and get it re-calibrated. Its clearly in need of some adjustment.

Go, team!


15 posted on 08/17/2008 11:52:03 AM PDT by marron
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To: Always Right
Very little commentary on what was the biggest election event so far.

Exactly.

Give them some time, though. Till, say, midmorning tomorrow. The brains behind Hussein will get together by phone conference and hash out the media's position on the debate. Then it'll be passed to DNC headquarters and faxed to the punditry. It'll be all over the MSM by tomorrow afternoon, whatever it is. Some combination of "McCain was given the questions in advance" and "Obama's answers were good, they were just too brainy for the average shmoe to understand" and "this was not the best kind of forum for Obama" and "the moderator was a Republican."

16 posted on 08/17/2008 11:52:48 AM PDT by Steely Tom (Without the second, the rest are just politicians' BS.)
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To: Schnucki

“Fails to shine”?

That is the understatement of the year!

BHO not only did not intellectually shine, he looked pitiful, trying desperately to grasp at straws of arguments for his Marxist views.

DNC officials are going over the polling after this debacle and Clinton, INC. is preparing right now for a “Night Of The Long Knives” for the convention.


17 posted on 08/17/2008 11:53:40 AM PDT by Mr. Jazzy (The United States Marines. The finest and most feared fighting force in the history of mankind.)
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To: rexgrossmansonlyfan

And Jimmy Carter taught Sunday School.


18 posted on 08/17/2008 11:55:19 AM PDT by donna (The United States Constitution and the Koran are mutually exclusive.)
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To: Schnucki
The Democrat recovered somewhat when he said that though he supported gay civil unions, marriage was a "sacred union" between a man and a woman.

Yeah, nice work.

19 posted on 08/17/2008 11:57:56 AM PDT by USNBandit (sarcasm engaged at all times)
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To: rexgrossmansonlyfan

“Clinton was a regular church goer as well.”

Yep. I remember the picture of him walking into church with a big bible on Easter. The same day according to testimony, he was also with Monica Lewinsky “under the desk”.


20 posted on 08/17/2008 11:58:17 AM PDT by I still care ("Remember... for it is the doom of men that they forget" - Merlin, from Excalibur)
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