Saddleback Civil Forum on the Presidency (FULL TRANSCRIPT of Obama and McCain interviews)

Rick Warren News ^ | Aug. 17, 2008 | Rick Warren, Barack Obama, John McCain

[FocusNexus]

The two-hour event, attended by nearly 5,000 church members in the main auditorium and remote overflow venues, began with Warren posing questions first to Sen. Obama, as determined by a coin toss, after which the two candidates met on stage and embraced in one of their last appearances prior to their respective conventions. The second half of the program featured the same questions directed to Sen. McCain by Warren, who stressed that the candidate had been placed "under a cone of silence" prior to his turn on stage.

Warren organized his thoughtful, yet hard-hitting line of inquiry into four categories, including Stewardship, Leadership, Worldview and America's Role in the World. The questions covered a wide range of topics, ranging from the candidates' values, vision and virtues as applied to many of the critical issues of interest to the faith community and general public, including a discussion on abortion, traditional marriage, stem cell research, education, religious persecution, world orphans, the theory of evil in the world, and their vision for the future of America - at home and abroad.

6 parts -- in MSWord or Text format (at the link above)

[ken21]

“nuanced”

no less!

unbelievable.

[Jo Nuvark]

Last night Rick Warren gave us a gift beyond
measure. “We the people” were given artillery
for a full on MSM assault. They can’t lie about
nor can they distort what McCain and NObama said.

We heard hit.

We saw it.

We experienced it.

It belongs to us.

Do you understand the power we have as eyewitnesses?
Some brainwashed college kid who thinks they know
whassup, doesn’t stand a chance. We are the source
of knowledge. Knowledge is power. Power in the
hands of the people is frightening to Marxist infidels.

Now let’s use the gift we were given last night to
set this record straight and to get a true American
hero elected. President John McCain sounds awfully
good to me.

[FocusNexus]

“Last night Rick Warren gave us a gift beyond
measure. “We the people” were given artillery
for a full on MSM assault. They can’t lie about
nor can they distort what McCain and NObama said.”

An excellent point!

[sionnsar]

I didn’t see it, my connection is choked down below dialup for what looks like a day or two, and the transcript was unreadable. Is there a really brief summary somewhere?

[FocusNexus]

And more good news, posted by lt.america

McCain Surging

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2063476/posts

Barack Obama 275 John McCain 263

New numbers in the electoral map since Ohio just went to McCain. Folks, last week these numbers were Obama 300+ electoral votes against McCains 137 and this does not even capture the potential surge McCain may get following last night’s forum. Keep attacking!

1 posted on Sunday, August 17, 2008 4:05:03 PM by lt.america

[Jo Nuvark]

CSPAN VIDEO
rtsp://video1.c-span.org/archive/c08/c08_081608_obama.rm
rtsp://video1.c-span.org/archive/c08/c08_081608_mccain.rm

BRIEF SUMMARY
http://www.rickwarrennews.com/transcript/

[Presbyterian Reporter]

I sent an email to over 50 friends encouraging them to watch the video if they did not see it last night.

In my opinion if we can get people to watch this two hour video, they can shutdown their TV news channels for the next 80 days and be totally prepared to vote for the right candidate in November.

The contrast between the two candidates last night was compelling. Nothing they say or do in the next 80 days will change the manner on how they will run the country as President.

[FocusNexus]

Did you try clicking on the “text” link?

They offer it in both MSWord and Text only format

http://www.rickwarrennews.com/transcript/

I tried the text format and it comes up as a webpage, you may be able to view that. Part 4 is where the McCain interview starts. The text only should work even over a slow internet connection.

Here are the direct links to the 3 parts of the McCain interview:

http://www.rickwarrennews.com/transcript/civil_forum_transcript-04.txt

http://www.rickwarrennews.com/transcript/civil_forum_transcript-05.txt

http://www.rickwarrennews.com/transcript/civil_forum_transcript-06.txt

[sionnsar]

Thank you!!! I read the first transcript and just wasn't willing to wade my way through it all. (Why all the caps?)

I've not like McCain for McCain-Feingold among other things but he hits some really great notes in this transcript. The killer was:

1 17 YEARS AGO CINDY WAS IN DHAKA, BANGLADESH.
2 SHE WENT TO MOTHER TERESA'S ORPHANAGE. THE NUNS
3 BROUGHT HER TWO LITTLE BABIES THAT WERE NOT GOING TO
4 LIVE. CINDY CAME HOME. I MET HER AT THE AIRPLANE.
5 SHE SHOWED ME THIS 5 WEEK OLD BABY AND SAID MEET YOUR
6 NEW DAUGHTER. SHE IS 17 AND OUR LIFE IS BLESSED ...

(But surely it wasn't that easy...)

[Islander7]

Last night Rick Warren gave us a gift beyond measure. “We the people” were given artillery for a full on MSM assault. They can’t lie about nor can they distort what McCain and NObama said.

We heard hit.

We saw it.

We experienced it.

It belongs to us.

Do you understand the power we have as eyewitnesses? Some brainwashed college kid who thinks they know whassup, doesn’t stand a chance. We are the source of knowledge. Knowledge is power. Power in the hands of the people is frightening to Marxist infidels.

Now let’s use the gift we were given last night to set this record straight and to get a true American hero elected. President John McCain sounds awfully good to me.

You, sir, have nailed it!

[Jo Nuvark]

That would be Ma’am.
No offense taken.

Love your graphic!

[FocusNexus]

You should read the rest — it gets better and has a great finish “I want to be president of all Americans and will always put my country first” (this is from memory, so it’s approximate)! But there are other terrific straight forward answers by McCain.

I think they had the text in all caps, so they don’t have to add the format thing — if someone wants to see it nicely formatted, they can download the MSWord versions, but if someone like you has a download problem and/or doesn’t have MSWord, they made it easy to get the text, without the additional burden of attaching the formatting.

[Salvation]

Ping!

[listenhillary]

Transcript. Let your email circle of friends be the judge.

http://www.clipsandcomment.com/2008/08/17/full-transcript-saddleback-presidential-forum-sen-barack-obama-john-mccain-moderated-by-rick-warren/

[Birmingham Rain]

Jo,

I watched it last night. Thought I would get bored and began to run bath water for my pup.

Obama was ... was ... well heck, I’m human — I felt sorry for the thing.

McCain was more powerful than I suspected he could be and, although he already had my vote, he got my heart when he didn’t have to struggle with the question of when life begins / right to life. His response to the question regarding evil was sincerely heartfelt, I believe, because that man has looked it in the eye whilst standing face-to-face with it.

I told my Mom today that there should be a video with the Towers going down by the hands of the terrorists with Obama’s pathetic response of how to deal with evil being played when the planes hit and killed our innocent people.

“Humility.”

Pathetic.

Pathetic.

PA-thetic!

[Jo Nuvark]

[... McCain was more powerful than I suspected he could
be and, although he already had my vote, he got my heart...]

That’s it!

I was having the worst time dealing with having to
vote McCain because he is the lesser of two evils.
Now... I KNOW that McCain is the man to lead our
nation.

With a sincere hope, I can vote with my whole heart,
soul, mind and spirit ... FOR McCain !

[GOPJ]

Funniest line: B.O. accuses Justice Clarence Thomas of being inexperienced.

Talk about the pot calling the kettle black...

[listenhillary]

OBAMA: I believe the Supreme Court is to guard against the encroachment of the executive branch on the other, the power of the other branches.

WARREN: OK.

OBAMA: And I think that he has been a little bit too willing and eager to give an administration, whether it’s mine or George Bush’s, more power than I think the Constitution originally intended.

----------------------

Barack's administration? Obama - The presumptuous presidential candidate.

[Spunky]

Thanks for the links.

Ping to me for later watching

[Sans-Culotte]

Bump