Rick Warren Cancels Presidential Civil Forum Plans: Says Campaigns Aren't Being Civil!

08-22-2012
/Archive/News/Jerusalem_Dateline_082212_WS

No Mitt Romney and no Barack Obama at this year’s Saddleback Civil Forum. Rick Warren has canceled the event.

Why? Because he says both campaigns are being way too uncivil! The event would have been a chance for both candidates to discuss how their faith shapes their lives and views on public policy.

Rick Warren says the following:

"The forum was praised for its unique format and fairness… Also, the TV networks were eager to cover it again since it garnered one of the largest viewing audiences of that election. I talked with both campaigns about the possibility of doing it again, and they were both favorable to participating."

But…

"We created the Civil Forums to promote civility and personal respect between people with major differences…The forums are meant to be a place where people of good-will can seriously disagree on significant issues without being disagreeable or resorting to personal attack and name-calling."

"But that is not the climate of today's campaign. I've never seen more irresponsible personal attacks, mean-spirited slander, and flat-out dishonest attack ads, and I don't expect that tone to change before the election. It would be hypocritical to pretend civility for one evening only to have the name-calling return the next day.”

More here.

The Brody File is efforting campaign reaction.

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