(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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ROTC is very unpopular at a lot of elite universities.
I think Obama scored some points with saying Columbia, his alma mater, should invite them back.
Obama is not talking about his specific plans!!
All he keeps talking about is himself, his school, his traveling. What are you gonna do about it?? What are his plans? How is he going to do it?
Inspiration is not gonna cut it
Obama is right. If more people don't get involved, how are things going to be better as a community and as a country, without people coming together and working together to get things done.
This could also release a lot of 'business' stress, if more volunteers (students) get out and help the community.
i guess when 9/11 brought our country together and we were proud of our country and it;s effort, how come Mrs. Ohbama wasn't proud of our country's effort.
The idea of national SERVICE rests on a desire to sacrifice self for nation/country/community (on some level, right).
Sacrifice, in turn, requires connections of mutual care/love for one's countrymen (and women). I think Aristotle might have a thing or two to teach us, here. The clear lack of such connections in our American cultue is not as a result of 'big government' or even corruption in government. Love for one's country (and one's countrymen, and country women) requires connections (very much akin to familial connections) that are difficult, if not outright impossible to foster in a country as geographically huge, and culturally diverse as the US...can happen in Denmark, maybe?
Having said that, only crises can give us these genuine connections, which, I guess, is at least one advantage of the Bush Administration's mantra of fear...
Roland: (please answer this)
Do you know when Gov. Palin's daughter is getting married?. Maybe she will not be on her mother's healthplan but that of her husbands work insurance.
Laura
Oh yes, Obama is giving a lot of specifics and all of them have to do with spending, spending, spending. I have one question for all americans that are voting for obama. Ask him where he plans on getting all this money. One answer, taxes, taxes, taxes. That comes out of your pocketbook. If every american actually had to write a check each week for the taxes that are automatically taken out of their paycheck there would be and uprising in this country.
It is always a good idea if you're running for any federal office to support the military even have some people don't agree with you.
The problem with Obama's comment "lipstick on a pig" is that the crowd believed he was talking about Palin-hear them roar. Same as in the primary when his finger motions got him the same reaction from his crowd. "Lipstick on a pig" may be a common expression but I do not believe Obama used the term as it is usually used. He wanted the crowd's reaction and for his young followers to see his as "cool". I believe these comments and brushing his shoulders shows how arrogant he is. "W's" main problem is his arrogance. He is so arrogant he didn't care about the truth or the consequences (everything will turn out just the way he wants it to, just because he wants it to). It seems to me that is Obama in a nutshell. This country does not need four more years of that kind of arrogance, not to mention the inexperience. That said, I don't believe I can vote for McCain either. Palin is just as inexperienced as Obama and I just plain don't like her. I am glad my state is predetermined and my vote will not count because I cannot vote for either of these candidates.
Geogre soros just shoot his TV about militay at colleges.
McCain was forthright and said it up front. He did not use it as a forum to say me,me, me…..I will do this, I will do that…..Obama is saying me,me,me,me,…….I am the best, I have the best plan….I,I,I, and on and on about himself!
The demo’s are imploding and can’t even see it. CNN is biased and unfair and we as American's can see that they are. Unfair biased journalism at it's lowest.
Obama, on and on I.I.I....me,me,me.
All hail the king....News flash we are not falling for your lies, your friends, your attitude.
Ask the candidates why their campaign messages focus on demeaning their opponent rather than what the candidate has to offer; i'll vote for the candidate with the least sleeze
John Mccain continues his believe how us AMERICANS should share our values with rest of the world. Now that is fine, but how about JOHN MCCAIN actualy stating something such as taking care of Americans, and taking care of this nightmare of our economy, taking care of our job losses, our mortgage meltdowns, how about instead of bailing out F and F , how about implementing programs to help Americans become debt free? 40 year mortgage regardless of credit and regardless of value of home. To be able to include all your debt in that mortgage and block same person from any new debt untill half of the mortgage is paid off ? How about that for starters ? How about stopping the robbery of us the American People ?
Palin may be a mom, and be a hockey mom. She is smart, she is a good person. Even though all those things are true, she just hasn't had enough expierence to be president. If she was governor for 8 years I would have no problem. It is terrifieng that she could be in the whitehouse, currently. Give her a couple years and then we'll talk.
Great comment Roland!
Wasn't Obama just asked how he was going to get young people to serve. He didn't even answer the question.
I agree Roland helping a child is no less noble than fighting in the military. Both activities can save someones life
No grease stains on Obama's shirt Roland...I guess he wasn't at Hooters while McCain spoke as you joked about.
Girlpower@9:09 p.m.
In Obama's defense, don't forget that McCain chose someone with very limited experience – someone unknown to most Americans just a couple of weeks ago – to be a heartbeat away from the presidency. And we just won't have enough time to get to know her before election day to make an informed decision.
Unfortunately, that doesn't say much for his judgment.
Sen. Obama seems to me wayyyy more intellegent than Sen. McCain. He sounds so inspirational when i listen to him it baffles me how people could be so cruel to him... this country doesn't want to accept that we have another JFK infront of us.. and sara pallin wants to shoot it down with her NRA semi automatics
Both candidates are doing well. Obama is looking very presedential. However, I think this forum does little to compare and contrast the two candidates.
I applaud military service...but there is a war going on here in America. And community volunteers are on the front line.
i believe Obama is certainly a respectable gentlemen, and being a registered Democrat, i do respect his run for president
however i just can't agree with him, and as for Sarah Palin...who says anyone is ready to be president???
as far as i know..ANY AMERICAN has the right to run for President
I am confused. Making the military attractive? When you do any type of service I feel you do it altruistically and because of the intrinsic value of service not because it is necessarily attractive or because you will get something out of it.
He is so on point regarding our military being asked to do so many things!