Anyone else worried about tonight's faith panel being a TRAP?

[Bicoastal]

The jury's still out on Rick Warren, but I simply don't trust a room full of Evangelicals to be fair to a Democratic--especially when said Democrat's faith has been unfairly called into question by every Tom, Dick, and Mary on Fox News.

"Senator Obama, when did you stop being a radical Muslim?" :scared:

Then again, I doubt Obama would have agreed to this if there was any hint of entraptment...what's your take on it?

[donco6]

1. I have a lot of confidence in Obama's abilities.

I used to think no one was better than Bill Clinton at tackling hostile audiences, but Obama's awfully good too. I'm not worried - he's a very smart guy.

[dkf]

2. Nope. Obama will wow them. Just watch.

[SwampG8r]

3. lets see

mccain left his wife and married his mistress who he lately has been offering to bikers for topless shows

obama is a devoted husband and father who takes his family to church on sundays


yeah i can see how a faith based group might object

[Whisp]

4. I'm sure Obama will do well, as usual, it's the dissecting after

by the CNN stooges, etc., that will be the problem, as it always is.

[darius15]

He will do fine, I'm sure.

[Pirate Smile]

5. No, I'm not worried.

[asjr]

6. If Warren leaves religion out of it

it may become an actual debate.

[AtomicKitten]

7. Not at all.

[elocs]

8. I guess I'm out of touch--I didn't realize there was any jury out on Rick Warren.

Of course, considering this is DU I can understand how all religion, particularly Christianity, gets painted with a broad brush. They're all suspect until they prove otherwise.

[thereismore]

9. No. Obama will be great. nt

[H2O Man]

10. Not one bit.

I think it is a very good move on Senator Obama's part.

[Indiana_Dem]

11. I have faith that Obama vs. McCain on religion will be an easy win despite

what is said about Obama. Obama has quoted and referred more things to faith than I've ever seen McCain do. I have no doubts that Obama will shine in this one. I saw he and Hillary in the one religious forum and I thought he did quite well.

[Spazito]

12. I am looking forward to it....

McBush will screw up early in the questioning, I have little doubt.

[renegade000]

13. !

[Andy823]

14. I think McCain

Will be the one in trouble, not Obama!

When it comes to values, morales, and such, McCain has a big problem so I can hardly wait to see him answer the questions tonight! I am sure Obama will do just fine.

[Abacus]

15. Nope

Obama seems very comfortable talking about all matters faith related.

[nxylas]

16. I think Obama is used to traps

Even if he was in a room full of people who think he's the Antichrist (and I'm not saying that all Evangelicals think that way, the younger ones in particular are nowhere near as overwhemingly Republican as their parents and grandparents), I'm confident that he'd avoid saying anything that would feed the beast.

[Solon]

17. ...

Sorry, must came to me. :evilgrin:

[VolcanoJen]

18. Oh, I think it's a trap for sure, but not for Obama.

It's a trap for McCain.

Obama will amaze us tonight.

[blondeatlast]

19. He'll do GREAT. He's already done so in that very stting; read this,

originally posted by DU's own babylonsister:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x6644573

ZING! Right outta the ballparkk!

[cyndensco]

20. If Obama was not there to represent himself,

I'd be concerned about it. I (perhaps naively) believe it will be a fair discussion and that Obama will be able to dispel some rumors. I also think the study in contrasts between him and mccain will help immensely. I can't wait!

[monomach]

21. "Senator Obama...Why have you consistently voted in favor of killing helpless, innocent babies?"

That's about what I expect.

I don't expect any stupid Muslim questions, though.

[screembloodymurder]

22. The US is doomed.

We've gone from real debates to being burned at the stake.

[AnnieBW]

23. I hope they come after Obama at full force!

And, like the ju-jitsu master that he is, he uses his opponents' force against them, and makes them all look like a bunch of morons.

[katandmoon]

24. Of course and anyone who doesn't think the MSM will use it to fluff McCain and deflate Obama

Is, IMO, terribly naive. Because that's how the MSM always operates.

[JustAnotherGen]

25. No -

It's the morning after I'm worried about. He will be excoriated by the Sunday Talking Heads. Regardless of how much he wows those people and tells the truth.

I also think that he's too much of a gentleman too point out McCain's inadequacies in the Marital Fidelity Department.

Sorry - I know a lot of people think cheating/affairs should be off the table. But, as someone who has been cheated on and terribly hurt by it - if McCain was already in the coffin and nailed shut by me - his affair has me peeing on his grave. Once a cheat and a liar - always a cheat and a liar. He's a pig - and all those Good Christian Women should be shown exactly how much a pig he is. BTW - His affair with Cindy? I've only known about it for a few months. So it isn't something that happened 30 years ago for me. And as much as I read about and try to learn and understand who these people in power are for me to not know? I think a lot of people in that audience aren't going to know.

So I guess I do have one fear:
If marital fidelity comes up - Barack will simply say he's been in love with and married to the same woman, the mother of his girls for umpteen years. And NOT look over at John McCain with a big shit eating grin on his face when he does so.

[gblady]

26. from the sounds of it.....

the format is similar to the faith based one a while ago...each candidate separately...
from the Saddleback website:

"At the candidates’ request, this two-hour event will be held in a non-debate format, and will be open to all media. Both candidates also requested that questions be posed exclusively by Warren rather than by a panel or members of the audience. Each candidate will converse separately with Warren for approximately an hour, beginning with Sen. Obama, as determined by a coin toss."

the Page stated:

"Questions will focus on stewardship, leadership, “worldview issues,” and America’s role overseas."

and according to David Brody...(considering the source, of course):

"It’s going to get a little personal Saturday night at Saddleback Church in California. John McCain and Barack Obama will spend an hour each talking to Pastor Rick Warren at his Compassion Forum. While some think the questions will be softballs, my sense after talking to him one on one Thursday in his office is that he’s going to bring out answers from the nominees that we have probably never heard before.

Watch him above talking about the character issue and how that is something McCain and Obama must address including their personal life. Transcription below:

'I’m going to ask them questions about character, competence, about values, vision, virtue, about their convictions in leadership, about their experience. And I’m going to deal with their personal life – because character matters. Their personal life does matter as a leader. God says so'."

If that's true, Obama should come out smelling like a rose...
McCain...not so sweet.

[TheKentuckian]

27. Of course there is some danger

because it's a solid chance to pick up some votes.

This is actually one where McCain is out of his comfort zone and taking a bigger risk, despite Corporate media protection.

The wrong answer (or the right one), facial expression, or lock up could suppress a solid chunk of his own base.

There can always be pitfalls but Obama has the most to gain and the least to lose in this "debate".

[iconicgnom]

28. Not me. Obama will be in one of his natural elements.

[Cosmocat]

29. Dude - Stephanopolus and Gibson ...

THAT was a trap ...

I agree with most ... IMO, this SHOULD be a setting that BO will flourish in ...

He has nothing to hide, and he IS the candidate in this race with actual religious faith ...

[jefferson_dem]

30. Nope.

Obama will do fine no matter what Warren offers up. This guy is the real deal and never fails to deliver when it counts. By the way, I think Warren will be reasonable and fair ... and will not play the "gotcha" game.

[That Is Quite Enough]

31. Yes. Expect lots of polemical questions aimed at Obama.

"Senator, are you a Muslim?"
"Senator, when did you stop being a Muslim?"
"Is it true, Senator, that you are the Antichrist?"
"Why do you and your pastor hate Christianity?"

You get the idea.

[DU GrovelBot]

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[Orsino]

33. A faith panel is a crock of shit...

...designed to force the candidates to declare for Christianity and a "Christian" conservative agenda.

Wake me if they ask any questions about war and poverty.

[nc4bo]

34. Pardon me for the stupid question...

I KNOW Obama will be at his usual best. He strikes me as a good Christian family man who loves his family (immediate and extended) and has excellent moral values, so def. no worries about O BUT I just gotta ask and would someone please explain why McPOShitus would agree to doing this tonight?

I've never once heard him talk about how much he loves his wife and family (only his mother, the one that tried to sue poor Carol McCain), his personal values or morality (or lack thereof hehe).

Why would he put himself at such an OBVIOUS disadvantage like this?

Could it be a trap?



Whatever - I hope the old fart has his nasty, presumptuous, hypocritical ass exposed to the world tonight.

GOBAMA!!

[grantcart]

35. its a trap - for McCain

McCain leads by 40 points in this demographic 69 to 29.


He cannot gain a single vote tonight.


There are alot of Evangelicals however that have gotten very restless with the Republicans and would love to have a good excuse to show the Republicans that they shouldn't be taken for granted.


Moreover the critical point for Evangelicals is that they take their religious faith as a point of personal expression. McCain, whatever his faith is, has never expressed it in personal terms. Obama is, as we all know, very comfortable in communicating in brutally personal terms. On that point alone Obama will gain sympathy.

Worst case scenario everything stays the same.

Best case scenario McCain commits a major gaffe and loses a critical support group and ends his campaign.

Most likely scenario is that Obama make a great impression and gains 10-15 points in this demographic.