My Editorial--Just my personal view on the political forum conducted at Saddleback Church in California, and broadcast Saturday evening, August 16, 2008. I'd like to point out that I sat down to watch this conversational discussion between each candidate and Pastor Rick Warren with the idea of listening intently and objectively. I still came out the other side of the evening with a bad impression of McCain and a greater respect for Obama. Again, I'm neither a Democrat, nor a Republican. I simply respond to all people in the same way, I either like you because you gave a good impression, or I don't. I always give second chances too. However, a second, and even a third chance has not improved my opinion of John McCain. Anyway, here is my editorial on tonight's event.....

Well, I watched the forum conducted this evening at Saddleback Church in California. Pastor Rick Warren sat each candidate down, separately, and asked each pretty much the same questions. While one candidate was being questioned, the other was backstage in another room unable to hear what was going on. By doing it this way, neither had an advantage over the other by knowing beforehand what answers were given or what questions were asked. I kinda liked that. It kept the squabbling down to zilch, a nice change, and made sure each of the two's answers were spontaneous.

With all that said, here is my perception of the event. First, I stand by my previously stated opinion that John McCain is reactionary and Barack Obama is a thinker. Tonight did nothing to change that opinion.

To each question asked, Obama thought about what he said and treated the forum as what it was intended to be; a sit-down discussion (televised) with Pastor Warren. Although Rick Warren was the one asking the questions, the ambience felt very much like witnessing a conversation between two friends. It didn't seem political so much as it felt friendly and sociable. Obama answered with sincerity, honesty and eloquence. He didn't come off as a preacher. He didn't apologize for his views or opinions, but he did stress that no matter what the issue, he would listen to all sides.

His answer to what he considered his biggest moral failure was that he regretted, when in his teen years, that he let his self-absorbtion over his lack of having a father present in his growing years turn into a time of drug experimentation and drinking. He recognized later, as most of us do if we mature, that despite his personal pain, life is not always about him and that there is so much else going on in the world around him. This seems quite a "typical teenager grows up and reflects" kind of answer. Makes sense, and we have all been through something similar. Obama thinks out loud in great detail. He's not afraid to let people in. He's the guy that, when you choose a friend, you choose him because he'll listen to you without judging. I consider this a good thing. It makes for a fine diplomat, and this is something we really need right now.

When asked to give a number that defines what he considers to be "rich" when talking taxation, he gave a number of $250,000 accumulated as a family saying that is where he thinks a modest increase of taxes should begin to occur. At the same time, he denotes that any family under that amount should see a tax break. Especially those who live on under $50,000 a year (sounds like me!). Heck, I WISH I made that much,

Flipping to the other candidate, McCain, on the same question, didn't want to give any number because he said "I want to give EVERYONE a tax break"! Interpretation--he doesn't want himself or his rich friends to have to pay more taxes just because they happen to be able to afford paying more. God knows if he supported a tax increase for those with extremely high incomes, he'd lose the votes of all his friends and special interest groups! We can't have THAT happening, now can we! (sarcasm--sorry, couldn't help myself). And haven't those same rich people and businesses already been receiving the benefits of a tax break, while the rest of us struggle to get by? What's up with that?

On this same candidate, for every question asked, McCain had a "story" to tell which usually had something to do with his capture during the war. Big surprise there! He's not trying to capitalize on that one moment in his life or anything, now is he? What I want to know is what has he done since then? Well, he couldn't give quite a straight answer. And he made a very bad habit of answering the questions, rudely, before Warren could finish asking them! Instead of having a conversation with Pastor Warren, he turned and addressed the crowd instead, (Campaigning like a true politician--that was NOT a compliment). He started each one of his little stories with "My friends..."....(this is something you'd expect a car salesman to say! Car salesman, like the reference to a shoe salesman in my previous blog is just my saying "someone trying to sell you something you probably don't actually want or need) trying to ingragiate himself with the audience while relaying some very rehearsed, and often already heard, story. He came off as "just another politician" to me, practiced and insincere.

I can't say that it didn't give me any insight into who he is, though. It did. And I'm not impressed by who he is any more now than I was before tonight. He's closed off, self-interested, self-absorbed, and ridiculous! I still hold that he is a bumbling, reactionary moron who would make a crappy Commander in Chief, and who would lead us further down the wrong path for which he almost certainly, (by his answer about placing troops in Georgia to help protect them from Russia), would lead into a war to end all wars. Without a doubt, if we, alone, antagonized the Soviet Union, it would be on! The tense situations with other countries who do not like us (and after Iraq, should we be surprised?) require someone who can defuse the tension, not further escalate it with shows of force! We definitely need to be strong, but not aggressive at this point in time.

I'll leave you with McCain's answer to the question on what he considers his biggest moral failing and you can judge for yourself whether or not the man likes the taste of his own crusty foot. With his wife, Cindy, sitting in the audience, he answered that his biggest moral failing was ..........THE FAILURE OF HIS FIRST MARRIAGE! Poor Cindy.....after standing by his old, crusty butt for all these years, she's just the door prize (chopped liver, if you will) in John McCain's life!

All I can muster for that response is to look away and shake my head in wonder....