Rick Warren cnn debate
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- lambsy0
How did the Saddleback Civil Forum on the Presidency come about?
On July 2nd, after efforts by another organization failed to get the two candidates together, Dr. Rick Warren personally contacted the candidates out of his relationship with both men, and invited them to Saddleback's Civil Forum for August. Both agreed to participate on two conditions: 1) that Dr. Warren ask all the questions -- instead of a panel, or from the audience -- and 2) that it be open for all national media to cover as news or carry via live video feed from Saddleback, as opposed to co-sponsorship by any one network or outlet, as was done during the primary campaigns.After so many debates among candidates throughout the primaries, what makes this event unique?
This will be the first joint appearance of the two presumptive nominees of both parties for President, and one of only four joint appearances of the campaigns, including three debates planned for later this fall. It is also the final general appearance by either candidate before they go into hiatus prior to their respective conventions. And, as far as we know, it is the first time that a church pastor has ever moderated an event, in a local church, featuring the two major candidates for President.What will be the format of the Forum on the Presidency?
The two-hour format will be held in a non-debate format, from 5 pm to 7 pm PDT. Dr. Warren will have a separate long-form conversation with each candidate for about 50 minutes.To avoid bias, and give America a true and fair comparison the questions to both candidates will be identical to provide a fair comparison, although the follow-up questions may differ, based on their response.
Sen. Barack Obama will be interviewed first, as determined by a flip of a coin. To insure fairness, Sen. McCain will not hear the questions during the first hour. Between the two interviews, the candidates will appear together on stage for photographs.
What kind of questions will Dr. Warren ask?
Dr. Warren has been soliciting and considering questions from leaders representing all sectors and sides for over a month. First, he invited the 250,000 American pastors and church leaders who subscribe to his weekly newsletter to email their "heartland" questions. Next, he put together a team of experts in various areas to help him shape the questions on their area of expertise (i.e. religious persecution, AIDS, hiring freedom, abortion, etc.)Questions from debates and town hall meetings typically deal with hot political topics like the war, the border, the price of oil and reaction to campaign statements. While important questions to ask, these tend to be short-term issues on which the candidates have repeatedly stated their positions.
The Saddleback Civil Forum will focus on the core convictions of each candidate that would shape how each one would lead and their views on America's role, direction, and culture. Each interview will be segmented into four themes:
STEWARDSHIP: Questions on the constitution, the role of government, security, education, and energy.
LEADERSHIP: Questions on personal character, competence, convictions, and experience to be president.
WORLDVIEW: Questions on life, family, evil, freedom, Christianity, and Islam.
AMERICA'S ROLE IN THE WORLD: Questions on going to war, on America's responsibility to bless other nations, poverty and disease, human rights, religious liberty, corruption, and their vision for America.
Is this event a violation of church and state?
When asked this question in media interviews, Dr. Warren has given this response: "Of course not -- it has no government sponsorship. I believe in the separation of church and state, but I do not believe in the separation of faith and politics, because faith is simply a worldview and everyone has some type of worldview. Whether you are an atheist, secularist, Buddhist, communist, Christian or any other faith, you have a worldview. Your worldview is your personal database that you reference to make every decision. Any leader who claims that he will "not allow his faith to influence his decisions" is either ignorant or dishonest, as that is impossible to do. Leaders make decisions based on their values, or worldview, so it is entirely appropriate for voters to want to know what a candidate's worldview is."Does Dr. Warren intend to endorse either candidate?
No. First, the law prohibits non-profit 501(c)3 organizations such as churches from making official endorsements. Second, Dr. Warren believes it is inappropriate for pastors to make personal endorsements of political candidates, since pastors must shepherd all the flock, regardless of their political persuasion.Sens. John McCain and Barack Obama have both been friends of Dr. Warren before they began their run for President. He knows many leaders from both parties, including six of the candidates who ran for the Presidency, but he has never endorsed any candidate.
At the 2006 Saddleback Global Summit on AIDS and the Church, Barack Obama participated as one of 60 speakers. At that annual event the following year, Hillary Clinton appeared in person. John McCain, Mitt Romney, Mike Huckabee, Barack Obama and John Edwards joined via video to share their plans for addressing HIV/AIDS if elected to national office.
Why did Dr. Warren invite the candidates to the Saddleback Civil Forum?
Dr. Warren wanted to provide a different context and climate for the candidates to let the faith community and the entire electorate know who they are and how they will lead – sharing not just what is in their heads, but also in their hearts. He is not a political pundit, but a pastor who deals with the real life, daily life concerns of average Americans, and he wants to ask objective, but tough questions about those issues. Dr. Warren intended for a panel to interview the candidates, but both presumptive nominees asked that he alone ask the questions, expressing their trust in him to provide a fair and civil format.