(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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mcain/palin08 BABY
Two major reasons that have influenced the diminished level of service in this country are
(1) Corporate America, through downsizing, reengineering, and outsourcing, have made the American worker less loyal to their employers who even demanded more hours of work and responsibilities of their employees.
(2) The lack of confidence in our leadership in the Whitehouse which seems to want to go to war for any and all reason. Young men and women just are not going to risk their lives when they have no sense of loyalty and leadership in the Whitehouse.
Senator Obama is the candidate who can inspire the nation back into service. Unfortunately, people like Gov. Palin and May Giulanni who mock community service do not help either.
Candy if there were more people like you, the world could be a better place.
I voulunteered for Katrina & it was the most rewarding experience ever. Taught me to keep my feet on the ground & think twice when complaining. When we go through bad moments that's when you understand how much we need each other. Democrats, republicans, rich, and poor. The reality is that we are only human beings.
Republican's don't care to please anyone but their base, that's not a way to rule
Obama's plan brining home the troops is great, but I hope he has a plan helping them find a job, if we are to send lets say 45,000 troops to afganistan and 100,000 come home thats another a lot of people coming home with out jobs I think Obama could use them to build a Green Army use their skills to help make this country go green it would be a nice transition as well as open more jobs. Right?
Very interesting threads. I will be very keen to watch what I can and/or find out more about the forum. I'm pleased to hear of detailed plans from Obama.
Is it possible that Palin doesn't know about the Bush Doctrine (see her ABC interview today)?
What matters in this election is not whether Sarah Palin intelligently answered Charlie Gibson's questions. What matters is how the uniformed voters, many of which couldn't answer or understand the questions any better than her, perceived she did.
Politics is all perception.
I dont know what to think why wont the hard questions be asked Im dissapointed again I took time out to watch another info commercial.
Listen 19 years ago my sister serving in the army brought her 6month old home for me to watch because she was on call to go to Irqa 19 years later my brother who served in the first and now the second gulf war is retiring and its still going on and now the child I took care of is now in the Mariens I want dam answers on What is going to be done so this doesnt happen again I want to know if im going to be able to afford to buy gas I want to know what is going to be done to make going green affordable I want to know a lot of things would someone in the media get some guts and find out please
Snoozi, I am no scorning your service. Quite the contrary I laud your service. But the President of the United States is not the President of the United Way. They have many, many more pressing issues to deal with.
Ron,
Why don't you be a bleeding heart Constitutionalist? Both parties will end up doing the same thing – big government. John Quincy Adams said that even if you're the only vote for an issue, if it is done by principle, then you will never lose that vote and you can cherish it. Stop voting for the lesser of two evils – vote for principles you can agree with – our Constitution.
Bill Schnieder- Thank you for the clarification, and I agree. I only think this will make people more conscience of the election.
john – maybe you're not listening. do you not understand him? maybe you need a dictionary!
Roland Martin, I am a Canadian white male who greatly admires and respects your opinions. I have one question. Do you think this rece will be so close or do you think Obama will win by a landslide?
I am an independent voter. I was going to vote for McCain before he picked Palin. With McCain age and health history his choice of VP is crucial. I do not undestand why he picked somebody with so little experience. There are other more qualified female republician choices he could have gone with. Almost everything Palin came out with in her speech have been shown to be half-truths. Examples of these are "bridge to nowhere" ,dealing with corruption in Alaska, and putting the plane on ebay. I also think her family is signicant issue giving the age of her children and her effectiveness in doing her job. I also think it says something that she is not giving any hard hitting interview yet. If she is not ready to be candiate then maybe she should drop out.
YES WE CAN!!! now i remember why i am an intern for his campaign!! for a min sara palin got me worried, i thought i should go into the lipstick buisness. BUT IM CONFIDENT I CHOSE THE RIGHT GUY. OBAMA 08
Hey! Snoozi..chill dude. Get some tough skin. We as Americans have the right to disagree and just because it's with McCain does not matter!
Also, why did they specifically ask McCain if he thinks we are better than other countries TWO TIMES? Then, when Obama says we are the best country in the world, they don't press him on it ???
palin did not even know what Charlie was talking about. She needs to stop.
What I would like to know is why people continue to miss the boat on the GOP considering itself the "Christian Right". We have McCain, who had multiple affairs on his first wife (including with his current wife) and, according to his daughter, dated a stripper. On the other hand, we have a VP candidate who was pregnant when she got married. They both hate liberals (exactly the opposite of Jesus's "love thy neighbor") and are against the environment (the opposite of God's command on the sixth day to take care of the plants and animals. We've also Rudy Giuliani and Newt Gingrich, a couple of other multiple-affair guys. Why do people keep believing that the GOP is the "Christian party"?
Snoozi perhaps now you know how community organizers felt when the riotous laughter broke out at the RNC after Guiliani and Palin's slams.
Feeling good about people is great, but having to support others is not my job! I work HARD for my money RON the proud liberal. You try having 40% come out of your check and speak the same then. That is what your party wants to maintain and increase! No thank you!
Both candidates did a wonderful job getting out their talking points. Eight years of lunacy from Bush with the prospect of another four from McCain don't sit well with me.
Hey, I didn't know Georgia and Ukraine were in NATO. What did I miss?
Why can't the media ask and press for real answers to their questions? Both candidates need to be held to a higher standard!
I still hear people saying that Obama needs to reach them or convince them to vote for him... how come I don't here people saying such things about Mccain. Its as if he needs to be perfect or people will just vote for Mccain. How can people say they just don't know Obama.. never before have we had this long of time in regards to debates- over 20 in all. People have had much shorter time to pick a president. The toll on this man should be taken underconsideration. He is still here after that of Clinton and we all know Mccain had months of time off and got the jump on campagning for president. In addition, are people forgetting who funded all the campaigns. Why is no one having issues with all the people that work for Mccain that serve special interest before that of ours. Those were not fans in the front rows... but that of lobbyiest... and what about that fact that Mccain uses Bushes speach writer. Just venting.. thanks
I want to know why all I've been hearing about for the past 48 hours is "lipstick on a pig"? Do you think perhaps the media can get back to the real issues most people care about?
Tonight after watching the Palin interview I'm convinced that the only reason she was chosen was to get women votes. Palin is not prepared to become President if McCain was unable to lead. McCain voted with Bush 90% of the time & Palin can't seem to effectively answer a question. I will vote for Obama he's qualified & ready to lead.