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If you missed the Saddleback Civil Forum on the Presidency last night, you can:
- read the transcripts here: Broadcast Transcript Service: Saddleback Civil Forum on the Presidency; or
- view the videos here: Saddleback Forum Video
Thanks, Ray. I came in to the Forum halfway through Barak Obama’s answers and you enabled me to hear his thoughts on the first and second series of questions. I think this was a GREAT way to hear the candidates address the issues that are pressing and important to me and many others. They had time to answer thoughtfully and there wasn’t the pressure of the debate times nor the discourtesy that often accompanies them as people try to outsmart each other and make the other look foolish.
I wanted to watch this but the TV was commandeered by Olympics enthusiasts. Later I found out I could have watched online.
Anyway, I’ve read a number of op-eds on the Forum and the winner sounds like it was… Rick Warren! Many secular and Christian commentators were impressed with his fair and respectful questioning. It seems that the focus was on asking serious questions, important to all Americans, not just evangelicals, and not on the “gotcha” “soundbite” debates we often see in the secular media.
And, as Sharon notes, each candidate was allowed to speak without grimaces/interruptions from the other candidate which I always feels mars the main stream media debates.
A powerful witness, when the world was watching.