(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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Rand,
Give me an example of what was so specific about McCain. I guess you guys just don't speak "elitism".
McCain stammered and muddle his way through the interview.
How can a past military man not know that service to his country
is paramount to being a patriot? And then have a party member
mock that service; ie attempting to become president on the merits of tragedy. These republicans are out of touch. Atleast the real " good ole boys" knew respect and honor. Well, is one out of 3 still good?
I agree with Christian in Tampa... McCain blaming Obama ("the disintegration of negotiations over the series of town-hall meetings") for the negative tone of the campaign was a stupid blunder. What a foolish remark!
.
I APPLAUD SENATOR MCCAIN FOR COMING INTO ENEMY TERRITORY TONIGHT. HE DID A GREAT JOB AND I WAS REALLY IMPRESSED WITH THE WAY HE WANTS TO KEEP GOVENMENT OUT OF EVERYTHING WE DO. THAT IS ONE OF THE MAIN THINGS THAT THE PEOPLE WANT.
BIG GOVERNMENT IS NOT FOR ME AND NEITHER IS SOLICALISM.
Laura, Boston, you need to do your research and get your facts before posting any thing comment.
Okay...Judy...now your being bias!
You didn't ask McCain for specific examples as to how he would promote service.
Hiedi,
To mention ignorance and Obama in the same sentence is definitely a contridiction!
Barack is playing a home game tonight, he's confident and right to the point. The talk with Bill Clinton at half time was a great motivation
I can understand the need to be giving and helping other countries, however, for most of America the need for help is here! War; for the most part is a political endevor that places our hard charging troops in danger, not for the fact of war, but a situation that in all honestly should be a situation that we move in, handle business, and get out!
Now with the Palin issue, I'm am unsure what her true values are and at what point she will, basically hold true to her past issues. I understand as Govoner, she wants to do what she believes is best for Alaska, however, if you make a stand then hold true to that stand. It's like being a hipocrit and changing just to feed the belief of others.
Now I am not saying I am leaning toward any specific side because frankly, I am not sure who is acting in our best interest.
Bill, you are clearly biased against Obama. Why don't you just eat your words and waddle on home? Is it the age thing? You just identify with McCain more? Because he's white and old, just like you?
What are corporations obligations to public service especially those who make millions on government contracts, and oil and health or drug companies/
To our republican strategist. Lofty is incorrect – intelligent anf thought through are correct rather then practiced answers by the Republicans
Bill,
we know who says it genuinely. Obama! McCain seemed tired compared to Obama.
Obama doesn't play to the crowd. He speaks to the people. Regardless of who asks the questions the voters are who matters. He isn't trying to win over the two people with him on stage. He is trying to communicate with us all.
Roland, excellent idea. And luckily today we have efficient tools like Facebook to do such a petition. I'll get to work on that.
Bay, that means that he is a great thinkers and not a lip locking war monger!
Someone tell Bay that the answers to these questions sometimes require long, well-crafted responses that actually provide the people watching with a more comprehensive understanding of what he wants to accomplish if given the opportunity to serve as President. This isn't a soundbite festival that you'd probably want it to turn into, this should be a serious debate. Serious debates require serious answers and serious answers shouldn't be wrapped up in a few sentences.
Bay, are you calling Obama "uppity?"
Looks like John McCain is pretty dull without Caribou Barbie. I can't believe he could sit there and say he wants this election to be about issues!
But Bill, you have to admit if the topic was war McCain would be in his element but community- service is Obama.And being specific means he's a thinker and thats a good thing ,a brain and a heart shows balance.
WHY IN THE WORLD DOESN'T SOMEONE STEP UP AND PUT OUT FRONT PAGE ADS IN ALL THE NEWSPAPERS AND MAGAZINES THAT IT WAS THE TALIBAN IN AFGANISTAN AND NOT IRAQ THAT WAS THE CAUSE OF 911.
THEN MAYBE SOME OF THE KNUCKLEHEADS THAT STILL BELIEVE IT WHEN MCCAIN SUPPORTS THE WAR WOULD GET IT.
HE WILL HAVE US IN ANOTHER WAR WITHIN A YEAR OF BEING PRESIDENT IF ELECTED.
Obama is one smart fellow. The question about how is he going to create opportunites for people to serve. The one about have the students to go out and serve for affordable college was hit out of the ball park. he scared me at first...he was taking to long to answer the question.
We stilll have not learned 9/11.
What this has done is drive us farther to the right, it caused two wars of agression, and that same year five thousand people died from food poisoning, and twenty thousand people died from having no health insurance, did we wage a war on the food and drug administration, or greedy insurance executives? It helped to drive those who dared to speak truth to power out of office.
Obama is sounding very good, is someone going to tell him to answer the question versus telling us what we SHOULDN'T be doing. Specifics please. John McCain doesn't need to do that because everyone in the country especially in washington know his positions. Palin, by far has the most executive experience then anyway. Since the president/VP are the head of the EXECUTIVE BRANCH of our government, then seems to me that she is going to be the most comfortable there. But the reiterate, would love Obama to get to the point instead of beating around the bush
What is the problem?
Didn’t Al Capone start out as one of Chicago’s first community organizers?
Hey youse guys.... Show some respect !