(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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I want to know if McCain will keep the Comission Corps if he wins?
Wow, did McCain just state that there is more to life than Military service?
If Sarah is not going to promote or at least introduce concevatives (She said I will not impose my belief) agenda such as on abortion and capital punishment as vice president, How come she is trying to convince the concervatives to get her the Job. The librals do not hesitate to support or promote what they believe. To me, it seems (as it has been) all the concervative candidates want is the vote and not to make a change to the issues that concern the concervatives community.
Dear Bill, he can't explain any further than he has because it is not part of the talking points
I would like to know why McCain brought up campaign finances when he was given a multi million dollar contribution from Baer Sterns after Bush bailed them out with tax payers dollars. Also Lehman Bros. is a large contributor to his campaign. It seems as though BS gave McCain taxpayers money without our consent. I do not consent and I want my money back !!!!
Serving a cause greater than yourself– it's a great ideal. I want to hear more specifics, please!
It's sad that people don't and/or can't already see that Obama has won. Go to any college, whether it would be a community college or a 4-year university. Go to the Financial Aid office and ask about the Teaching Grant that has already been installed. Guess what? Teachers are getting a pretty decent education, especially in Pennsylvania. There are lazy teachers and there are actual, hardworking teachers. Lazy teachers often times are protected because of seniority issues but students already know who those "horrible" teachers are. There is no doubt that an educational reform needs to be done in schools. Should schools be responsible for what is being taught? Yes. Does it have to boost test scores? Yes. Should the teachers be responsible solely for the progression of any child's education? No. If I remember correctly, there are 7-8 hours in a day that a child is in school. There are 24 hours in a day. There are often times 6-9 hours of sleep. What about the rest of the time? Why aren't parents challenging their children?
I personally feel that it is very sad for teachers to be solely blamed for the way our values and morals have completely disappeared to video games and computers and cell phones. When will America see that the blame should be placed on the parents and the surrounding environments and not the school teachers?!?
This race refuses to get into 'the ideas". Why do the Republicans want to make it style over substance, and the Democrats want to make it nebulous generalities over substance? Is it because the vast majority of the electorate has the interest and attention span of a hyperactive 3-year old? Palin gets softball questions, the GOP surrogates send out poisonous missives, and the Obama campaign has its knickers in a twist. I fail to see how the modern campaign process results in someone who is better suited to be President.
I wish he'd get his teeth cleaned. Ick.
You had 26 years to change things.
If you know how to make changes, why didn't you.
What's different now.
McCain just mentioned the approval rating of congress being low. What about the approval rating of Bush?
Yeah I wondered that too.
Where did Judy Woodruff get her data of 30% of current enlistees are not high school graduates? I would recommend she correct this information.
Bill it seems like a lot of what has being heard by the public from John McCain is in the form of press releases and stump speeches. What happened to the forums and the "Straight Talk Express"?
Would you ASK him can he explain why he VOTED over 90% of time with Bush if he think that Washington has been going in the WRONG direction.
He's a disgrace. He stole "change" from Obama and sits there holier-than-thou while he runs a campaign that spews lies! He's two faced! How can anyone take him seriously. I don't trust him or his nut job vp choice.
How about giving food or gas credits to people who volunteer? Sure, it's great for students to get school paid for, but I'm not a student.
What a waste of time ... This forum is just feeding the American public crap ... There absolutely no substance. The American Media has become so pathetic. How disappointing!!!
You're absolutely right Rolen, they should ask him about gays and lesbians serving in the military openly. He complains about how small the military is, there you go.
John McSame is proving that there is really no difference between the 2 major candidates.
Both believe in corporate bailouts. Both are unwilling to address the unconstitutional Federal Reserve. Therefore, both support tax increases. Both support an unconstitutional federal income tax. Both support imperialism. Both believe in preemptive warfare. Both prefer a mixed economy over a free market economy. Both support Roe v. Wade. Both support an increase in the size and scope of the nanny state.
They argue details of the same broken policy. What exactly is John McCain going to do differently?
I concur with McCain. Service is not about the government.
Heck, nearly all have nothing to do with government.
Are you sure she's from Alaska?
Joanna Eberhart has come to the quaint little town of Stepford, Connecticut with her family, but soon discovers there lies a sinister truth in the all too perfect behavior of the female residents.
bill are u sure that was him ?
Why so much coverage on lipstick when Texas is under the gun? Very dissapointed in National News Orgs...
After Palin and the Republican party attacked the media at the convention I feel as if the media has somehow backed off and taken her side...kinda like what happened when Hillary Clinton pulled that stunt and when she started crying saying how she always has to go first...The difference is Palin is no Hillary, and she has no credentials. John McCain is very old and has had several run-ins with cancer, if the rep. ticket is nominated, (which i seriously doubt given the mess reps. have created with the infrastructure of the country and McCain wants to continue with this horrible war and same economic policies) and this guy kicks the bucket, DO WE REALLY WANT PALIN RUNNING THE COUNTRY AS LEADER OF THE FREE WORLD!!!!! I CANT BEAR TO EVEN THINK ABOUT IT!!!!
its typical political balony going on. With all the issues that need attention, mccain can only talk crap...no substance to him. I thought a lot of him in 2000, a big disappointment. straight talk balony.