Crowd Eventually Warmed to Obama at Faith Forum

By: Maria Gavrilovic
Topics: Barack Obama

(CBS)

From CBS News' Maria Gavrilovic:

(LAKE FOREST, CA.) - It's no secret that Barack Obama has been aggressively courting evangelical voters, but his appearance at the presidential forum at Saddleback Church Saturday night was a clear indication that Christian voters can be a tough bunch.

For starters, Pastor Rick Warren, one of America's most prominent evangelical ministers, was clearly in control of the forum. Although he was cordial, calling both Obama and John McCain his friends, he asked tough questions and didn't let Obama veer off into his stump.

"Don't give me your stump speech on these," Warren told Obama when he asked him about domestic issues.

Warren also often signaled Obama to wrap up his answers at times when it looked like he could veer off onto a tangent. He would give an "uh" or glance at his notes, indicating that Obama needed to speed things up.

The audience at Saddleback was equally as tough as Warren. They respectfully applauded for Obama when he came out on stage, but during the first half of the program, they only clapped a few times. However, as Obama began to express a more conservative position on issues such as marriage, the audience noticeably perked up.

"I believe that marriage is the union between a man and a woman," Obama said as the crowd applauded, adding that "God's in the mix."

Obama's lines on building bridges across "partisan, racial, and religious lines" also garnered a lot of applause and even a standing ovation at the end.

And when Warren asked Obama to defend his line of questioning, Obama happily obliged. "One of the things if you are a person of faith like me, I believe that things will work out and we will get the president that we need," Obama said and later added, "I trust in the American people, they are going to make a good decision."

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by jamwao August 19, 2008 8:09 AM EDT: I did not sense that the crowd warmed up to Barack Obama. It seemed to me that both candidates were treated the same all the way through. I sensed no favoritism on the basis of party or person. On the point of answers there were times when the crowd cheered for both, and they clapped for both. It seemed to be more about the answers they gave then which party they were from. That was probably the most well conducted forum I have ever witnessed on TV. I really appreciated the way Rick Warren kept things on track and his respect for both men was obvious.; Reply to this comment


by wurgle1 August 18, 2008 2:04 AM EDT: Why does this article not comment on the blatant lie told by the priest, who said that McCain was in a "cone of silence" when Obama was interviewed, when he was instead in a motorcade, presumably with full TV access? The McCain campaign hasn''t denied it, but they did assure people that McCain did not watch TV. Didn''t say anything about his staff. I am skeptical to say the least. Is this the "pro-obama" bias?; Reply to this comment


by patmac991 August 17, 2008 10:45 PM EDT: The worst part about this spectacle: We all know those kinds of poser McCain-type "Christians," who tell everyone else they''re "saved" (by an heiress?) and "forgiven" (lucky you!) and go to church to punch their tickets; but who don''t live a reflective and meaningful life, who don''t what is actually said in the Bible bear the least on their actions and choices. McCain''s unreflective canned answers show him to be, at the very best, a ticket-punching bumper sticker "Christian"; Reply to this comment


by underbear1 August 17, 2008 9:45 PM EDT: Three salient facts about McCain

1. he has a temper

2. he told the Religious Right off to their faces, after he was no longer a candidate in 2000

3. he TOSSED a wife (who worked 5 years for his release from North Viet Nam), after she was disfigured and disabled after a near fatal car crash, along with 2 adopted sons and a daughter. He also got his 2nd marriage license to his blonde 15 year younger pillionaire, a MONTH before his divorce was finalised.

While Cheney and Rove laughed with disdain as clueless trusting Evangelicals left their offices with NOTHING, year, after year, after year, even they didn''t tell them off publicly.

These facts will matter if McCain becomes president, he''ll TOSS you Evangelicals in a heart beat. He also won''t invite you back any other year. He''ll do this for SPITE.; Reply to this comment


by alicantequee August 17, 2008 4:43 PM EDT: If one says what people want to hear, it is likely there will be a warm reception which it seems Mcclain received as opposed to a lukewarm reception for Obama. Americans are just so easy to be fooled by con artists like John. We only have to look at the 2 Bush,jr. administrations to know that. A man who finished close to the bottom of his gradulating class as did John would never convince me he has a logical thought. Mc Clain is a bully, a relic from the past. There ought to be less religion and more rational compassion in American politics. Then we might start to become spiritual. I am convinced Obama is more in line with true religious thought than McClain. He probably lies less. When will America become a country in which presidents do not have to be multi-millionaires?; Reply to this comment


by jefflz-2009 August 17, 2008 3:58 PM EDT: McCain has brought in Ralph Reed the corrupt bigot and founder of the extreme right wing Christian Coalition. What is in this game for Obama? Does he believe he can outflank McCain on the religious right? That is a complete waste of time and money and an insult to his more progressive supporters. Religion has no place in politics in a country founded upon separation of church and state. Beliefs should remain personal and private they are not a badge of morality. We live in a world where continuous death and destruction is reigned down on the innocent by religious fanatics who believe they have God on their side. Enough already.; Reply to this comment


by sfwarrior11 August 17, 2008 3:38 PM EDT: Sure, naturally someone who attended an America hating, racist church for 30 years led by the Rev. Wrong would fit in with a conservative evangelical church.; Reply to this comment


by cbsespo August 17, 2008 1:21 PM EDT: One Black , one white.
One Young, one old.
One cerebral, one from the hip.
One sincere, one rehearsed.; Reply to this comment


by jpspec August 17, 2008 1:18 PM EDT: Some post that I read on this and the ABC site, try to convince others that when Obama pauses and stammers it is because he is giving a "thoughtful" answer. I see it different. When Obama stutters he is giving himself "time" to figure out what answer to give that an audiance will like/accept. Of course there are also times when he simply does not know the answer.; Reply to this comment