(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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Of course, war mongering Americans will place military service above all else. Let's see the military help you with your economic problems.
Anybody notice the headline "Palin says she didn't hesitate to take VP slot"...does anybody else notice that she doesn't hesitate about anything because she knows nothing of how the US is supposed to and expected to react in any given particular situation? Two strikes against her, she is only a 2yr seniored gov. and two, she is a governer from AK.....could you be anymore isolated and out of touch with the rest of the US?
Service is not red or blue, however community organizing is also service and the republicans especially Guiliani ridiculed that service. And it was that community service and organizing that brought Americans together after 911
Was that a note card that McSame just pulled out of his coat pocket?
M C C A I N--G AI N I N G-–A N D---O V E R T AK I N G--
O B A M A-–W I T H--C E N T RI S T S
The McCain Camp needs to higher better advisors to brief Palin, because apparently Palin and McCain aren’t on the same page. Go figure!
I just heard Lou Dobbs talk about the "vitriolic" response of the Democrats to Sarah Palin. Why is he characterizing the response in those terms? I cannot see the response that way...it just seems like the usual back and forth.
I've got something that's a little bit off the path of the campaign trail.
What ever happened to George Bush's promise that there would be peace in the Middle East before the end of his term. It's quiet in the West Bank, in the media world anyway. When he made this promise did he take into consideration that Iraq is included in the Middle East? It most certainly is not peaceful there.
Sorry for jumping way off the topic at hand, but this has been eating at me for a while.
I adore the lady for running but every time she is attack it becomes a feminist issue. If she wants to play with the big dogs then she has to be able to take the heat. People should try not to protect her.
Stengel said in his opening comments that Sen. John McCain made possibly the ultimate sacrifice by serving in the military for 26 years.
And then he said that after college Obama worked on the streets of Chicago. He didn't utter the phrase "community organizer."
I can say this: considering I live in Chicago and see the high murder rate, especially among the young in the city, working on those streets is akin to a war zone. Is it the same? Not at all. But the violence is no joke and many people feel as if they are held hostage in those places, especially with the rampant gang violence.
I am bothered by the same Veterans issues. McCain got a much lower score card for the Vets. The problem is the media market only feeds on Sarah Palin type news. You would think with the GOP making fun of community organizing, that the people in this country would be enraged. And where is Hillary? She has fought hard for woman's rights, and now somebody as polar opposite as Palin comes along to set women back 300 years. Is she letting Obama fight this alone, with the intention of his loosing opening up 2012 for her. This country cannot afford two more minutes of Bush McCain economics, let alone another four years. Obama voters need to get out and spread the word. They also need to turn the dogs loose on this bimbo, and expose her for what she is!
Are you serious about McCain? Watching him on tv now, is making me sick. The man can't be trusted, I don't want or need him in the white house!
I must admit that McCain is not as dumb as he looks. When will someone demand that McCain releases his complete medical record and not what he wants the public to know!....
It will be interesting to see how McCain responds in this forum since he hasn't had the opportunity to hear the questions and rehearse his responses.
McCain is in his element with tonight's forum. Public service has long been a theme of his campaign.
I think that right now Obama with out a doubt is going to win this year. McCain wants to stay in way in Iraq then Palin wants to go to war with Russia if need be. That's just not right we are in a War right now that i agree with Obama is a stupid war in Iraq.
Note to McCain – there is no department of Offense. His vast support for expanding the military and unilateral support for its funding is unacceptable for a peaceful future of the USA or the world.
I am really, really scared of Mccain. He is calling on more people to serve in the military in the opening two questions! He is getting ready for something really big ya'll. WAKE UP!!
John McCain on his country by making a very big sacrifice, new thinking Is for five years so I think that he is a team with American hero. The service is not just limited to the military, Obama served as a community organizer I believe that is also where audible thinks that. It will be interesting to see if John McCain will talk about domestic programs that give young people the opportunity to serve a country.
I don't understand why 'Creationism' should be taught in public schools. That's what private religious schools are for. Public schools are for the "public" . They are schools that serve many children of differing beliefs, many of whom, do not believe in 'creationism'. How does pushing this into the public schools support "Freedom"? Especially, Freedom of Religion?
Wow his first response on what to do about service after 9/11 was for the community to organize.
The republicans said that Tim Kaine was not qualified, how can Sarah P be more qualified all of a sudden? Is that hypocrisy, and the media is not pressing the McCain campaign on that.
Regardless of the the November outcome, things will get drastically better in this nation. You can thank Obama for that. He changed the national dialogue and has done the millions who supported him great. If McCain is elected he will continue the same policies as Bush: killing us with trade, tax breaks for the corporations, 66% have paid no taxes since 2000, tax breaks for richest 1 %. McCain will be policy friendly with the oil drillers and special interests. If Obama does not win this time, I know he will win in 2012. People will get to know him better. He will be the most influential Senator in history of our great country. With everything he does in the public eye, he will win the hearts of all Americans.
Mrs. Palins diplomacy is exactly what the world does not need after Bush.
I am so sick of the GOP with war, war war,,, we are fighting two wars and nothing has come out of either one... move our troops to Afghanistan... do the job there ....
The GOP has already coached Sarah into thinking war... you can tell her answers were will thought out... he should have asked her something tougher.... like .. does she want to over turn Roe vs Wade... thats what I want to know..
I do have anything against Sarah... but I refuse to let anyone..especially a woman... send me a step further back in history.... I do not see REFORM... with her and McCain... I see dominance, reluctancce, greed and corruption