(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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Bay:
If you listened to what Sen. Obama has said about education . He has said that he believes in accountability. Accountability from parents, teachers and students. As Roland said earlier. Stop being so snippy.
obama is america. a person who is mixed with two different races. if we can have chines and other races participate in the olyimpics wearing the u.s.a uniform then lets have a president that represent us as what we are as a country. a place where everyone is welcome and loved. obama is america.
Obama is definitely inspiring
McCain and Obama both act like if you're not working for the government your not doing anything.
Someone has to pay for all this stuff. Don't we get credit?
Bush has proved the reverse. Bill Gates gave millions of dollars to the school system. What did the he/republicans do: they cut funding for schools using the private donations as a reason to use the funds elsewhere(the war?). the education system needs and deserves BOTH
Obama should consider converting his Campaign for Change volunteer network into a community service organization, whether he is elected or not. He has built up a ground force of millions, and that is a powerful force indeed.
Is using Lofty language to inspire a bad thing? Do we need to be talked down to to feel that we are getting teh respect that we deserve? cause that sounds wrong to me
Obama is in favor of gay marriage. Do you realize the amount of money that will have to be paid by the govt for survivors benefits for spouses upon the death of a partner. Where does he intend this money to come from?
Obama's emphasis on energy here is very smart.
The idea of community service for the cause of energy is new and interesting.
That's something Americans are acutely aware touches not just economics but also national security.
This turn of the election is as scary as the turn of the economy. We are moving back to Rove-like politicking. If Palin is qualified to be President then we are in deep trouble – signaling the decline of this country and its potential. We reject thinking people. We reject intelligence. We are a people that is regressing to a level of People magazine. We engage in a culture war, while our country is disintegrating in front of our eyes. Palin has been outside of the US on one trip. She barely graduated from college (took six schools). Could she identify Georgia on a map? But Americans don't care. Moreover, Palin is not the problem; it is McCain who picked someone just to win. Someone who would appeal to the unthinking populace – even if it would hurt our country. That is how much he wants to win. He has lost his integrity. He has lost everything he built over all these years. He has lost his soul. Will this country follow him as we followed Bush?
Does McCain like his Medicare, his Government paid for Healthplan...his disability payments? Has he held a real job?
The government has taken care of him all his life!
No cone of silence for Obama, he just said he listened to McCain's presentation, hehehe
I am so thankful Sen. Obama is a teacher, therefore he gets it !
He knows how important having good skillful teachers are, so he has a great plan to hire more capable teachers and pay them more and give them more support to teacher our children so that they will be fully competitive in this world. He will fund early education and improve...reform the educational system.
While listening to Sen. Obama, I can't help but believe that it "is" possible to pull our country together. Without all of the negative and untrue attacks being wielded his way, if given that chance, I know he could overcome the uncertainties that people have.....
The ability to motivate people and get them involved goes a long way to getting things done. Reagan and Kennedy had these qualities.
Good point Roland, If Palin has the birth in her home she can expense it and get paid back by the Alaskan people in the process. She already expenses her stays at her own home anyway. Wow... she really is a maverick who fights earmarking and corruption.
Only way to get more people to join the military is to give them more benifits.
Roland,
Are you sure Bristol's not on her fathers union medical plan?
If OBama gets elected, Im leaving the country.
My husband is a retired teacher. He was a great teacher. It's not bias. having seen both great and bad, I always wondered Bay, why it is so difficult to get rid of bad teachers. Why do unions fight to hold on to these educators. I'm not saying unions aren't great, I just don't understand this difficulty.
Does anyone/everyone realize that many, many of these "faith-based" organizations get their funds from "government grants." How then is the government NOT involved?
Bay- Obama has plans for starting improving education BEFORE they start Kindergarden – McCain would like to elimate the preschool program according to his own education plan.
I really love Obama's idea's on education, I love that he wants people to be inspire people to get involved in the political process, and I like that he was firm that we still need a government.
I have to say, this is the second time in my life I wish I could vote. The first being in te 2000 Presidential election. Back then I was angered with the loss of Al Gore to George W. Bush. Despite the common belief that he cheated, Al Gore wan the popular vote yet he lost because of the Electoral college. The delegates voted for Bush. Again, in this election, Hilary Clinton won the popular vote for the Democratic ticket, but the delegates chose Barak Obama. Which, I have nothing against him.
I feel like the Electoral college is an insult to American intelligence and self-government. I understand in the begining of our history, most of Americans were uneducated and could not make a truly informed vote for the leader of our country. But today, I believe that the American people at large are educated and well informed enough to truly pick their leader without this middle man.
I feel sad that my mother, who can vote, does not care, because history has proven that the popular vote, our true vote, does not count torwards the election of the President of the United States.
I declare the Electoral college is no longer needed. If I am missing something as to how the process works, then please inform me.
I think he hit the nail on the head with that comment. I know so many young people who feel very inspired by Obama to do better for themselves and for others... I think many would feel a real sense of pride with him as our leader.