(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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If I were a McCain fan and could look beyond his lack of content and substance, I'd have to say he did a really good job.
Bay,
Please let Obama get something out before you trash it.
Thanks!
McCain is all about patriotism, the american way...no real substance there at all. I am willing to bet Obama gets into details and real issues
This forum isn't particularly illuminating. We aren't learning anything new about the candidates.
But I continue to be impressed with how McCain keeps running against the status-quo even though his party has held the presidency for the last 8 years!
I hope Obama wins this forum. I am not as confident as Bill Clinton. He needs a win to cut the Palin-McCain tide.
And being a community organizer is not service?
What a warm reception for Obama !. Let's see how he does now.....
It seems pretty clear the GOP is going to throw out every lie they can come up with, and hope something sticks. The press needs to demand lies be retracted when they are caught. McCain should be asked about his hypocrisy over the "pig" dustup, when he used it first! Palin cannot claim stopping the bridge to nowhere when she still pocketed the money. Palin has to be forced by the press to put on national television that rape/incest victims should not, in her view, be allowed abortions.
Maverick says to me 'old guy'. I think of Gunsmoke and other westerns. Old guys are stuck in their thoughts and ways. I don't want a maverick leading me. A maverick acts on impulse. Think Palin.
I agree! Political ads should be monitored as corporations are. Companies cannot make false claims about their product OR their competitors' products... Political ads/remarks should be the same!
wow......the welcome for Obama was a 1000's times better than it was for McCain by the audience. Guess most young folks are for Obama.
"Bowling Alone" is perhaps the greatest metaphor for the decline of civic participation in America. I think McCain is absolutely right. Government should show the way, but they don't need to lead the way. People shouldn't be compelled or shamed into volunteering, they should want to. When people see their neighbors volunteering, there that more likely to want to do it themselves.
Thank you Roland! The media needs to get their game up up up.
Did anyone else catch McCain relishing "it's nice to be in Washington where you can divorce yourself from everyday life." Is that counter to his maverick message?
Eleanor- do you really think that people who go into debt over their eyes buying stuff they can't afford, emptying retirement accounts to put down payments on a brand new SUv should be expected to take complete responsibility for themselves? The fact is, the responsible will be responsible and the government already takes care of the irresponsibe....the only difference would be that in a Democratic sytem there would be a little more equity towards the responsible rather than a Republican plan which would end up punishing those of us who are responsible with the liabilities of the others.
roland,
they spared us from having him avoid talking about sarah's group, 'pray the gay away' ........
CNN, I don't know if you run this blog for all the big events, but this live blog is outstanding. You should consider this more in the future, if you aren't already running this on a regular basis.
Roland, McCain has to make sure he appeals to his base if he started talking about gays in the military he would have lost support and that would not have been a good thing. But I think he did a good job, it is clear that he is very comfortable in this setting lets see if Barack can do as well.
I think media should undertand their responsibility to bring the truth in front of American people. I don't think people are getting true picture of polls. See change is coming on Nov 4th.
As akward as watching them this morning to meet the families of 911 victims. That must have been the longest stroll ever.
Community service is important but not everyone can do it. How about brining back program like welfare to work programs, or have people who are living off the system do some "community service". The welfare roles in PA are back on the rise. What are these candidates planning to do about this problem? I like what Obama said about aking esponsibility for your children and family.
And now the confused interpretations of JFK...
Ask what your country can do for you! Ask what you can be forced to do for your country! Service or Servitude? 'Barack won't allow you to be disengaged.'
If someone put a gun to my head and require me to re-state one answer or positon that McCain gave tonight, I would have to reply with the color of my burial dress–he was boring and gave no specifis or insightful answers.
Here comes the next president of the United States of America...Barack Obama...I mean come on people all J.McCain has done is carbon copy Barack's message of change, make a terrible VP pick to court women, and beat out all of the other overly conservative republican nominees. America is ready for real change.
Does McCain forget that he's running for President? Not everything can be in the private sector.
Barack is coming up now. Great reception!