So I watched CNN’s Compassion Forum on Sunday night (if you missed it, it’s on YouTube), as I watched my mind was going a mile-aminute. The format was CNN’s Campbell Brown and Newsweek’s Jon Meacham (along with various faith-leaders in the audience) asked 45 minutes of questions related to faith, the world, and the presidency–first to Hillary Clinton and then to Barack Obama. Some of the questions were (as Campbell Brown warned us) “deeply personal”.
What I found most striking was that these candidates were being asked so many questions that were beyond their field of expertise and right in mine. I’ve been to seminary; I’ve studied theology and the Bible. These advantages were not shared by Clinton and Obama. In contrast to most speeches by and debates among Presidential candidates, I found myself more knowlegeable about the issues. I am not an ‘expert’ on Health Care or Trade or Macroeconomic policy or international relations. Many times during the Compassion forum I heard what amounted to surface, pat answers which did not reflected the depth of the tension present in considering issues such as why evil exists or when life begins or whether God wants a certain person to be President. Are we asking too much of our candidates to expect that they could be experts on everything? And how much of our vote should be based on a candidate’s ability to integrate his/her beliefs with his/her positions?
I felt that one of CNN’s commentators after the forum summed it up well when he stated that “Obama seemed more articulate about how his faith has informed his policy positions.” Much of what was said all even was remarkably un-integrated. Faith on one hand and then policy and politics on the other.
All told, I did enjoy and appreciate the forum and frankly, I (secretly) hoped that I could have helped to prepare the candidates for the questions they might receive, just as there are people who help with debate-prep. They mentioned that there are plans for a second Compassion Forum later this year with McCain and the Democratic nominee. Maybe then I could help out?
Did you see the Forum? What are your thoughts?
