(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
© 2012 Cable News Network. Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
| Advertising practices | Advertise with us | About us | Work for us | Help
yes, Bill , you are right. that is because the private sector pays his bills. Mccain cannot win Bill..please go to the obama camp and help them out.
i disagree with the comment by the moderator that he did the altimate service,but every service is sevice and equally important
ROLAND, WILL YOU MARRY ME?
McCain face is swollen...whats going on...one side is much swollen than the other...
He is giving such vague answers. We need to fix econmy, etc.. HOW are you going to do this??
Nothing he just said had anything to do with people volunteering when they have to work.
Some "experts" , Republican advisors, say that it's McCain against Obama. We aren't supposed to think that its Palin against Biden. Well, sorry, you are wrong! I will think of it that way and in my common sense mind, Palin does not have a clue as to where Afganistan is!
both of you guys are a joke ! i will stay home on voteing day . thank you
Where is the reformer? Where is the maverick? As I observed Sen. McCain respond to the moderators, I hear tired 26 year old ideas.
Bev, i agree with you. He his avoiding questions.
To all the Analysts:
If McCain just stated that he supported "community organizing," why would he let his surrogates go on this "bashing" tour about this issue?? And blaming Obama for the negative ads?? I think these two issues will stick out from this segment. Now we need to see Obama....
Politics aside, why are they having this forum today? We should not be tuned into a forum in which we have alreaady seen a little mudslinging and spin. To me, this seems a little bit snide on the part of the organizers.
Sorry Bay, I disagree...he really lost his maverick standing when he bowed to the base to get their approval by picking Palin.
McCain: Palin was just being a defensive and snarky. Blame the community organizing put down on her. Nice John, real nice. You are a real swell guy.
It's not comimg across as "straight talk" ... it's more like "double talk".
Who will coordinate the activities of the volunteer organizations?????
An old man snoring... is that going to work for him (humour) or hurt him (reminding everyone he's 72).
I'm keen to see how Obama does...
Okay, when was the story of service in America. Are there more opportunities than volunteers? Are there people or areas being underserved? A comprehensive story would be helpful and may help inspire service.
Is McCain going to talk about the work of missionaries around the world?
Now that's some service!
McCains best days are behind him..he proves that with his daily flubs and blunders. Let do the American people a huge favor and show these on the cable shows....this is what should be brought up. He wants to take over the most powerful position in the world and he chooses a 1 plus term Gov. from a state with the population the size of USC and OHIO State combined. Not sound judgment at all!
In spite of campaign promises, even 9/11 was not safe from the TRASHY-FLASHER. And who might the TRASHY-FLASHERS be, you ask? They’re expendable, quasi-famous and otherwise un-noteworthy individuals who emerge on command and grab a headline with an interview, a speech, or possibly just by mooning someone.
Today’s TRASHY-FLASHER was Lincoln Chaffey. Now to the liberal-fascist power centers in New England, this is not an unknown name. In the rest of the country, he might be mistaken for presidential jock itch from the days of the Civil War. Today, however, this TRASHY-FLASHER burst on the scene for his few minutes of fame by addressing a socialist group about that “cocky whacko” from Alaska, Sarah Palin.
Now to a lot of folks, the fact that a former Republican – but not actually Democratic – ex-Senator could not even win his party’s nomination to run again, gives him the credibility of a 2006 ‘pop tart’. The key point being… Who gives a crap what Lincoln Chaffey thinks. Ah, but you miss the point. The “Media” will care, because it gives them another pseudo-celebrity to quote. Yesterday it was Matt Damon. Today it was ex-Senator Itchy.
Many of us had hoped that the campaigns and their surrogates could make it through at least ONE day without calling up the TRASHY-FLASHERS. Oh well. Glad you got your last moment of fame there, ‘Link’. At least for a week or two you’ll move up the Google search line past the guy in “The Mod Squad”. Next week; that’s a different story.
Now, go back to your “office” (whatever it is that you do there) and be overwhelmed by the flood of calls and emails. I guess you could call it that, what with two phone lines and a dial up connection. Thanks for remembering 9/11 with such reverence. As least we can be glad that you didn’t ‘moon’ anyone. Now THAT would have been ugly.
Bay, the operative word in your post is "HAD"... he had a maverick reputaion. He chose Palin simply for political reasons.
Man this blogging thing is exhausting. Ms. Buchanan, do you believe Gov. Palin can run the country or just win an election?
McCain said it was a shame that during Vietnam, richer families were able to keep their sons from getting drafted. A good example of that would be George W. Bush Jr. His father got him into the Air National guard. Is Palins son-in-law to be thinking about joining the military and VOLUNTEERING for duty in Iraq. Poorer or less educated people are joining the armed forces, why does America have so many poor or uneducated-just look at the goverment we´ve had for the last seven years and nine months.
I guess mccain is rocking
Why isn't anyone asking them about the raise in taxes Obama plans to pay for increase in service programs?