A Saddleback Mea Culpa

I was quite critical of the whole concept of the Saddleback Civil Forum, figuring at best it would be a snoozefest of issues that most political pundits don't care about, and that the lack of a real debate between the candidates was a wasted opportunity.

I stand corrected.

As it turns out, the format created by Pastor Rick Warren ended up being much more informative for voters than any of the debates that occurred in the earlier part of the primary season. It gave voters a chance to see how each man comes to his decisions (meandering, noncommittal, professorial answers from Obama, and direct, crisp and clear answers from McCain), and revealed just how much more of a life McCain has lived. Yes, he's lived much longer, but his experiences in military and government have given him life experiences that Obama can't possibly match. There's a bit of a difference between being a community organizer in Chicago and a P.O.W. in Hanoi.

Having each candidate answer the same questions, without benefit of hearing the other guy's response (no, McCain didn't cheat), drew very stark lines between the candidates on major issues. It also showed how the candidates respond when working without the safety of a teleprompter. No wonder Obama doesn't want to face McCain in town hall meetings.

My skepticism was unfounded. Good job, Pastor Rick!