Success at Saddleback

I was impressed with the question and answer forum produced by Pastor Rick Warren at Saddleback Mountain Church. It was monumental. No secular organization could have pulled it off without agenda driven newsmen commandeering the process. Even the League of Women Voters get manipulated by the “impartial” news anchormen they choose to moderate their debates. Warren proved himself to be totally trustworthy by both sides without pandering to either.

The event was a huge landmark in that its unique format was exquisite. It reworked the definition of debate. Or rather it asked the question of why we even have debates. After all, we don’t really care how a potential President can do in a debate format. Is that the skill-set that is most important for our leader? Or is the process of an election the one where we really get to hear what the opponents think about an issue? Isn’t it even better when we can hear each man reflect on the same question without worrying about countering the other’s position?

I don’t care how McCain feels about Obama’s point of view. I can make up my own mind about how I feel about each man’s position. Isn’t that what is really wrong with the process today? The goal is for us to listen to both sides and for us to decide which one makes the most sense. Yet hundreds of millions of dollars are spent each election cycle on candidates telling us how we should feel about their opponent’s views.

I hope this format will be used again. Having said that, I know it probably will not be agreed upon by Obama’s side. It’s a loser for him. He is good at slipping issues and winding his way through meaningless rhetoric. That has worked for him to this point. But 30 minutes later, when his opponent is asked the identical question and gives a straightforward knowledgeable answer, the difference is there for the world to see. On questions of sacrifice, Obama waxed eloquent. But McCain held up his own life as the standard. On the question of crossing the aisle to work with the other side for the good of the country, the outcome was the same. Obama tried to appear noble. McCain reflected on his life.

When Warren asked about all orphans in the world, Obama gushed his way through a “we should adopt more children” answer. McCain – “Cindy and I did just that, adopting a daughter from Bangladesh.”

So here is the bottom line. Will we elect a man who has never ever walked the walk but has a gift for talking it, posturing, and waving his hand to his adoring fans? Or will we elect a man who has personally withstood tests of war, tests of ethics, tests of allegiance, tests of faith, and tests of courage? And when he waves to the public, it looks awkward. After years of torture, after refusing to be released because his fellow prisoners had been imprisoned longer, his arms and shoulders just don’t move that direction anymore.