With a few months to go before the American Presidential election day scheduled for the fourth of November, Presidential candidates Barack Obama and John McCain have kicked-off their campaigns with a non-debate Christian faith forum moderated by pastor Rick Warren at the campus of Saddleback Church, Lake Forest, California. This forum is being seen as a platform for both the Presidential hopefuls to woo Christian voters ahead of the bitter 10-week White House sprint.
According to Rick Davis, Senator McCain’s campaign manager,
The bitterness between the two frontmen, one hopes, would increase as the days pass as Democrats and Republicans swirl around the corners of this vast nation to convince Americans about a prosperous future. At the very moment senators Obama and McCain are trying to reach out Christian voters who play a major role in the appointments of American Presidents. With the past few years being considered as bad for the Republicans, many had hoped a return to White House for a Democrat candidate early next year, yet in this critical period national polls show that the racce is remarkably stable with Obama enjoying a slight advantage over senator McCain.We are now entering one of the most intense political periods that we have ever seen.
Now is the time the two men battle for faith and the event held at Lake Forest late on Saturday night provided both the presidential candidates the chance to come clean about their early lives infront of conservative and born-again Christian voters across the country. On Saturday both Obama and McCain spoke carefully about abortions and gay marriage, two major controversial issues in the Christian faith. Given the balancing act the two men endured at the Lake Forest suggests how serious the two men are to woo faith-based Christian groups into the election process.
Barack Obama’s virtual support for legal abortions could give rise to hot debates while senator McCain has proclaimed himself to be a ‘pro-life president’ providing hints of his disliking of abortions. But these are issues that dive deep into the Christian faith and the American culture and both the Presidential hopefuls are experienced enough to deal with the controversies in a manner conducive political victories.
This non-debate Christian forum is just the tip of the iceberg with the real battle scheduled to get underway in earnest with the first of the three Presidential debates to be held on September 26 followed by October 7 and 15.
Via: Independent
