Evangelical Pastor Rick Warren is the author of best selling book “The Purpose Driven Life”. This past week Warren was also the author of the purpose driven presidential forum with John McCain and Barack Obama. Warren put these individuals on stage for the first of many debates and forums for the Presidential Candidates. Pastor Warren asked direct hard hitting questions which were brilliant in their simplicity.
Why do you want to be president?" Sen. McCain's responded directly with no blather or ambiguity, "I want to inspire a generation of Americans to serve a cause greater than their self-interest." It is consistent with McCain’s campaign theme and the way he has lived his life.
Sen. Obama’s response to the same question was filled with pauses and explanations - "You know, I remember what my mother used to tell me. I was talking to somebody a while back and I said the one time that she'd get really angry with me is if she ever thought that I was being mean to somebody or unfair to somebody." Obama said America is special because “everybody's got a shot" and that Americans work to care for one another. "I want to be president because that's the America I believe in, and I feel like that American dream is slipping away."
The motivation behind seeking office is the most fundamental and key question that a candidate, any candidate must ask themselves. There are different answers for different candidates but it should be simple, sincere, passionate and in the spirit of service to others.
As an observer and interested voter, my first reaction to Barack Obama was that his motivation to be President was not simple nor was it concise. I walked away thinking that Sen. Obama was working to come up with an answer. He should not have had to struggle so hard to explain his motivation; it should have been from the heart.
Conversely John McCain answered in a relaxed, sincere and direct matter. One sentence. Bam…..here is why I am motivated to run.
It seems to me that as I predicted, the Obama campaign is in trouble despite all the bias in press coverage. Sen. Obama should be up by at least 15 points given the press coverage, given his opponent is from the party of an unpopular sitting President and an economy which is at best sluggish.
Yet the polls are even. Sen. Obama is letting this one slip through his fingers because he is simply not ready to lead and the voters are starting to come to that conclusion despite all the glitz and glamour fed to us by the media.
