On 16 August 2008, Saddleback founder and senior pastor Rick Warren interviewed John McCain and Barack Obama at his “non-denominational, Evangelical Christian megachurch” located in Lake Forest, California. A coin toss determined Obama go first as McCain waited in soundproof seclusion (revealed since he was actually in his motorcade) to be asked the same sets of questions one hour later. The overly rehearsed candidates polished stump positions, spun old anecdotes and shovelled rhetoric knee deep yet the audience continued to show warmth and enthusiasm for each man even when the substance of their acts wore thin.
Rather than change the face of American politics this mixing of government and religion in the public square merely grew Warren’s notoriety and may have stiffened McCain’s shaky standing amongst evangelicals as his gum-baring snarling was uncharacteristically in sync with words that mostly weren’t sputtered – he appeared flushed as if on stimulants – euphoric his cheat sheet was on the money.
When asked, “What’s the most gut-wrenching decision you’ve ever had to make and what was the process that you used to make it?”, he pumped-up self-serving POW tales with surprising vigor as if he were telling them for the first not the umpteenth time. People who’ve faced atrocities during war generally refuse to discuss them casually but John brandishes his alleged sacrifices like a shield.
He creepily feigned regret for divorcing his first wife in response to the question, “What’s been your greatest moral failure?”, sheepishly skipping past the details of abandoning a crippled spouse to marry the wealthy younger woman he’d engaged in adultery and a recent report that challenged the sincerity of McCain’s current commitment to monogamy – under lock down with the Keating 5 and other factoids – few dare to challenge the credentials of a self-promoting war hero.
Saddleback Church is a warehouse with character built in an upscale Orange County, California city that incorporated from adjacent El Toro in 1991. The El Toro Marine Corps Air Base, built during WWII, “was the largest Marine Corps air installation in the Western United States” until it closed in 1999. Lake Forest’s only high school is El Toro High School. The average home lists in the 500k range. The median family income is $75,310. 53.4% of voters are registered as Republicans and 25.8% are registered as Democrats.
McCain’s pro-life, anti-tax statements earned the most applause as did his victory in Iraq boo rah-ing and offshore drilling here and now no matter what those residents of “Cally-fornia” might think cheerleading.
Typically, McCain attacks critics personally rather than debates policy. He has no regard for the democratic process if it doesn’t deliver the results he seeks. Shame on California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger for expressing a dissenting opinion when he said the following at a climate change conference held in Florida. His patriotism is now suspect and inferior ethnicity must be exposed in bad joke form. Anyone who doesn’t get the joke is playing the ethnic card.
Politicians have been throwing around all kinds of ideas in response to the skyrocketing energy prices, from the rethinking of nuclear power to pushing biofuels and more renewables and ending the ban on offshore drilling. But anyone who tells you this would bring down gas prices any time soon is blowing smoke.
When asked to name the 3 wisest people he knows and would rely upon most heavily in his administration, McCain delivered the following canned responses:
1.) General David Petraeus who “took us from defeat to victory in Iraq.” I suspect that McCain and his supporters define victory as killing everyone who resists a permanent U.S. military presence in Iraq. So “my friends”, have “we” really achieved victory in Iraq? Do “we” control Iraq’s oil?
2.) John Lewis, who was “at the Edmund Pettus Bridge, had his skull fractured,” lamented McCain. Rep. John Lewis is the African American superdelegate who stood by his endorsement of Hillary Clinton even after the majority of his constitutents registered a preference for Barack Obama. Messy notion that democracy. And how amazing that McCain, who can’t pronounce his good friend Saakashvili’s name correctly, can recall that Lewis had his skull fractured at the Edmund Pettus Bridge.
3.) Meg Whitman. National co-chair of McCain’s campaign, possible dark horse candidate for VP and Mitt Romney supporter until he suspended his campaign. He introduced Whitman as the CEO of eBay and implied she grew the company from one that had only five employees 12 years ago, “one of these great American success stories and in these economic challenging times we need to call on the wisdom and knowledge, background of people like Meg Whitman who have been able to make such a great American success story part of the world’s folklore.” Not exactly, but remarkably close for the usually bumbling John McCain.
(Whitman was) President and Chief Executive Officer of eBay from March 1998 to March 2008, when she stepped down from her role. She has been a director since March 1998, and continues to serve in that capacity. Ms. Whitman joined eBay when it was a small auction website with 30 employees and revenues of more than $4 million.
McCain dropped Ronald Reagan’s name much more often. Jesus Christ? Not once. Warren’s forum established one belief: Capitalism is the religion of state and JC is not its CEO. The majority of this congregation was enthralled. Cheaters forgiven if the bottom line justifies the means.