(CNN) –On the anniversary of the September 11 attacks, presidential candidates John McCain and Barack Obama each take the stage to discuss service and civic engagement in a forum at Columbia University.
What do you think of their ideas? How does the role of service determine what kind of nation we live in? What does national service mean to you?
Along with CNN Senior Political Correspondent Candy Crowley, CNN Senior Political Analyst Bill Schneider, CNN Political Analyst Roland Martin, and Republican strategist Bay Buchanan, thousands of you weighed in.
Click "comments" below for a look at the entire conversation.
From CNN Politics
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Once again Obama does not have the courage to call out memebers of his own party who are out of line...Rep Cohen. It shows the continued ignorance of our politicians. I will not call them leaders because few of them lead...they only fall in line and try to talk a good game. Please stop talking and have the back bone.
Bill, you summed it up perfectly. Liberals will like what Obama said, conservatives will side with McCain. It was basically one long commercial for each.
I appreciate supporting community service, however, all the good intentions in the world are not going to change anything until people want to change things for themselves. And most people do not want to do that; they want someone else to fix it for them.
I'm afraid Obama may get lost in the details at times...does anyone else notice this? He is articulate, but the details are not his prospective job.
Strategy, big-picture, good listener, personal confidence, decisiveness, delegation, etc.
These are qualities I think I'm hearing in McCain more. His understanding of leadership seems more practically learned than Obama's. Obama seems to well-versed in the principles of leadership...but the practical application...I'm just not comfortable.
Kristina,
Michigan
Oh, one more thing ... if McCain knows how to change Washington, why hasn't he done it yet?
My biggest complaint with this forum? The moderators didn't ask follow-up questions. There were so many opportunities, but they just let 'em slide right by. Nor did they press either candidate to actually answer the question posted. (For example, when queried about the RNC and Palin's shocking attitudes towards Obama's community service, not once did he condemn those behaviors, but he never answered the actual question, and nobody pressed him to. C'mon, Judy, you know what to do; DO it.)
Ya, with a 50% dropout rate in schools, and a large percentage of graduates functionally illiterate, they really should be forced to pick up litter as a graduation requirement.
yeesh
One thing people should recognize is that the military is not the only way people can serve the country even though it might be the most important
maverik someone who says one thing and does something totally different
McCain basically said that we are slaves to the country that we live in, I know one thing I am not a slave to any country, and if that means that we have to fight and die to prove to McCain that the America people are not slave to this country called America!
We are free McCain not Slaves to America this country does not own us!
The world is waiting to love America again but not with MCsame. China is waiting to lead the world but with Mcsame it will come earlier then we thought because with McCain and Palin we go back to the fifty's.
Is the media going to pickup on the fairness of having Obama listen in on McCain's part or is that part of the media bias that will get overlooked?
Guess by not moderating this query is the answer
i think that the next president is going to win by the votes in the peninsula of banana
Candidates have mentioned service – why can't we get out welfare recepients (those that are able), to previde some form of service in exchange for their welfare? In addition to their contribution, it may also provide them with training and connections for gainful employment
Great thought but do you really think those that could would actually do something for the FREE Goverment check! Don't hold your breath waiting for that to happen. They will just cry discrinmination and slave laboe, and that applies to all races so don't call my comment racist because it is not just the truth.
why? because you say so bill? who appointed you and your collegues the arbiters of what will make a difference on the dynamics of the campaign. You folks have been wrong so far.
RE: Candy Crowley "why do they stay in the senate"
good benefits?
CNN commentators – thanks for your wise words and comments. I appreciate your efforts!
Obama did a good job. He remains true to his principals. He is a proud democrat. He believe goverment is not the solution but it is necessary to open opportunities for the people...Unfortunately..Americans are too racist.....to see that
RON??????? GO TO CHURCH.
Having listened carefully to both McCain tonight and Palin's interview, I'd feel secure with either being on the receiving end of the dreaded 3AM call.
McCain's thoughts about nongovernment service organizations is currently what happens regularly. Situations occur in people's lives where they don't get up from the governmental groups and start their own search and research what they need to do about an illness, a disaster, etc., and if it weren't for those organizations and outreach to the community to help other Americans, there would be no improvement in New Orleans, Mississippi. They have yet to solve those problems and they the government failed them. Obama did community service without the aid of government so why would we need to downplay either of their positions on community service?
Too bad nobody asked McCain how he plans to wage a war on Russia, but I guess he would have to be out of the picture for the cocky wacko from Wasilla to lauch this war. There's the McCain foreign policy model war first collect the facts later.
I dont know what the media says but Obama is surely going to be a bright president with new and fresh ideas, that will inspire millions of young people to be better and will take our country where it never has been before.
Obama expressed a view that the American people have the need, desire and willingness to take on the responsibility of public service. Service to our Nation needs to be cultivated but first they must be asked and I believe they will respond. This is the right view at the right time in our Nation
I eagerly await the debated – Presidential and VP. Americans need more substance from both candidates. These "sound bite" sessions aren't providing the needed information for most to make a decision.
John what are you smoking over there? You are delusional. Okay Obama never answers questions? Get it together and turn around and tell McCain that he did poorly in comparison to Obama. you have to be on the inside to say that.