• Menu
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Before Header

  • About Us
  • Lexicon
  • Contact Us
  • Our Store
  • ↑
  • ↓
  • ←
  • →

Balloon Juice

Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

It is possible to do the right thing without the promise of a cookie.

I’d like to think you all would remain faithful to me if i ever tried to have some of you killed.

Dear media: perhaps we ought to let Donald Trump speak for himself!

Republican speaker of the house Mike Johnson is the bland and smiling face of evil.

The desire to stay informed is directly at odds with the need to not be constantly enraged.

It’s easy to sit in safety and prescribe what other people should be doing.

Black Jesus loves a paper trail.

Jesus, Mary, & Joseph how is that election even close?

Since when do we limit our critiques to things we could do better ourselves?

the 10% who apparently lack object permanence

He wakes up lying, and he lies all day.

Let me file that under fuck it.

“Until such time as the world ends, we will act as though it intends to spin on.”

I have other things to bitch about but those will have to wait.

Hi god, it’s us. Thanks a heap, you’re having a great week and it’s only Thursday!

If rights aren’t universal, they are privilege, not rights.

“Loving your country does not mean lying about its history.”

Never entrust democracy to any process that requires Republicans to act in good faith.

She burned that motherfucker down, and I am so here for it. Thank you, Caroline Kennedy.

Conservatism: there are people the law protects but does not bind and others who the law binds but does not protect.

This has so much WTF written all over it that it is hard to comprehend.

Republicans don’t lie to be believed, they lie to be repeated.

… riddled with inexplicable and elementary errors of law and fact

Narcissists are always shocked to discover other people have agency.

Mobile Menu

  • Seattle Meet-up Post
  • 2025 Activism
  • Targeted Political Fundraising
  • Donate with Venmo, Zelle & PayPal
  • Site Feedback
  • War in Ukraine
  • Submit Photos to On the Road
  • Politics
  • On The Road
  • Open Threads
  • Topics
  • COVID-19
  • Authors
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Lexicon
  • Our Store
  • Politics
  • Open Threads
  • 2025 Activism
  • Garden Chats
  • On The Road
  • Targeted Fundraising!
You are here: Home / Elections / Election 2008 / High Comedy at Saddleback Church

High Comedy at Saddleback Church

by John Cole|  August 15, 20089:58 am| 30 Comments

This post is in: Election 2008

FacebookTweetEmail

Remember the pleading post from Red State, just begging for Rev. Rick Warren to ask “gotcha” questions? He still states he will not do this:

“Well, I’m a pastor, not a pundit,” he told CNN’s Suzanne Malveaux on Thursday’s “Situation Room.” “One of the things we’re going to do is I’m going to ask identical questions to both candidates, which will be different.

“I’m not going to play ‘gotcha’ with one candidate and not with the other. This way, it will be totally fair. You compare apples to apples,” he added.

There is, however, an interesting wrinkle:

TAPPER: Would you have compunctions about voting for someone who had cheated on his wife?

WARREN: Absolutely I would. Absolutely I would. Because if you can’t keep your faith to your most sacred vow – “’til death do us part” — how in the world can I trust you to lead my family? My government? My nation?…Absolutely I would. I think people first need to ask forgiveness and then earn trust back over time Can trust be re-earned? Absolutely but it takes time.

Ruh roh. So, for example, if he were to ask both candidates an open-ended question about marital fidelity of both candidates, who do you think will come off better? I may have to watch this after all.

FacebookTweetEmail
Previous Post: « Open Thread
Next Post: How Not To Project An Appearance of Strength »

Reader Interactions

30Comments

  1. 1.

    Frank Jacobs

    August 15, 2008 at 10:55 am

    So, for example, if he were to ask both candidates an open-ended question about marital fidelity of both candidates, who do you think will come off better? I may have to watch this after all.

    To my knowledge, only one of the candidates has ever had an affair and been married more than once. He can feel free to ask away! I would love to see McCain try to answer that sort of question with a straight face.

    Of course, a secondary effect would be to underscore – once again – just how damn old McCain is. People would be thinking to themselves, “aww, poor old guy, of course he’d never have an affair… he’s probably not even having sex much anymore, and how many years does he have left with Cindy, really, anyway?”

  2. 2.

    Just Some Fuckhead

    August 15, 2008 at 10:59 am

    Growing up around the likes of Rick Warren, I’m convinced it’s a mistake to cede our public affairs discourse to the priestly class. I really hate that Obama agreed to this.

  3. 3.

    Martin

    August 15, 2008 at 11:02 am

    Saddleback doesn’t carry the strong moral positions that you typically see from the religious right. Wedge issues aren’t big there – this isn’t a monster anti-gay, anti-abortion group. The abortion stuff will be something of an issue, but they will center more around the broader issues of how can faith help improve our lives and nation.

    Being in OC, these people are more Reagan Republicans in the proper sense (as opposed to what people think they are). They’re Republicans on fiscal and small government issues moreso than all of the moral junk.

    Obama will do far better at Saddleback than McCain – mainly because Obama has actually thought about these issues and can speak genuinely on them and tie them back to his own life. Pretty much time McCain does this, you can see the elements of his own life that directly contradicts what he just said. It’ll look something like this.

  4. 4.

    J.A.F. Rusty Shackleford

    August 15, 2008 at 11:04 am

    (If) he were to ask both candidates an open-ended question about marital fidelity of both candidates, who do you think will come off better?

    But Warren can’t ask both candidates the same questions regarding marital fidelity because Barack HUSSEIN Obama wasn’t a POW and never received the “Cheat On Your Wife for FREE” POW membership card.

  5. 5.

    greynoldsct00

    August 15, 2008 at 11:04 am

    Hey John, OT, but it’s been hard to get on the site the last couple days. Has someone linked to you or is Word Press having issues? I’m missing my BJ fix…

  6. 6.

    jake

    August 15, 2008 at 11:11 am

    “Well, I’m a pastor, not a pundit,” he told CNN’s Suzanne Malveaux on Thursday’s “Situation Room.” “One of the things we’re going to do is I’m going to ask identical questions to both candidates, which will be different.

    And the pastor will be denounced as an islahomofacists in 5…4…3…

    Citizen Counter Checkers, attack!

  7. 7.

    greynoldsct00

    August 15, 2008 at 11:16 am

    To my knowledge, only one of the candidates has ever had an affair and been married more than once. He can feel free to ask away! I would love to see McCain try to answer that sort of question with a straight face.

    Yeah, and without Sean Hannity to help him out by claiming that because he’s a POW his infedility didn’t count. Did you all see that video circulating yesterday? I think I saw it a Josh’s place.

  8. 8.

    db

    August 15, 2008 at 11:18 am

    BREAKING NEWS!!! Tapper reports that Obama cheated on his wife when teaching at Chicago:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OBghD0XBN5M

  9. 9.

    dslak

    August 15, 2008 at 11:23 am

    Tapper reports that Obama cheated on his wife when teaching at Chicago

    Tapper could smell the scent of a woman other than Michelle on Obama’s clothing.

  10. 10.

    greynoldsct00

    August 15, 2008 at 11:24 am

    BREAKING NEWS Tapper reports that Obama cheated on his wife when teaching at Chicago

    Aw jeez, and I fell for it, I should have known better…

  11. 11.

    Houdini's Ghost

    August 15, 2008 at 11:32 am

    Yeah, but he won’t ask a question about marital fidelity, because he knows McCain will come off badly. He will ask identical questions like “How will you protect Christian American families from the terrifying threat of gay people marrying?” or “How committed are you to protecting womb-babies from the evil liberal abortion industry?” It’s absurd to say that simply asking the same question of both candidates means the event is unbiased, or that no “gotchas” will be included.

  12. 12.

    Wayne

    August 15, 2008 at 11:38 am

    Warren will not ask the question regarding infidelity as it relates to …..anything. Problem solved.

  13. 13.

    montysano

    August 15, 2008 at 11:43 am

    McCain is a giant bundle of liabilities, with a closet full of skeletons. Without his Beltway MSM enablers, he’d be toast. Any Christian with any integrity would have to vote for BO.

    I loved the Hannity/Colmes video: it’s destined to be a classic in the head-go-explodey genre.

  14. 14.

    Punchy

    August 15, 2008 at 11:47 am

    TAPPER: Would you have compunctions about voting for someone who had cheated on his wife?

    WARREN: Absolutely I would.

    Ruh Roh is Right. Warren, apparently, has just become a terrist-sucking, anti-American Obamanite who is a closet drunk lefty and rubs Michael Moore’s belly fat with KY.

    Why else would he even question McCain’s motives, otherwise?

  15. 15.

    The Other Steve

    August 15, 2008 at 11:50 am

    Isn’t Saddleback kind of a weird name for a church?

    Sounds more like the name of a Gay bar.

  16. 16.

    Martin

    August 15, 2008 at 11:54 am

    Isn’t Saddleback kind of a weird name for a church?

    It sits at the base of Saddleback mountain that looks like a saddle. There’s a ton of stuff in the area named Saddleback.

    The weird name is the airport. Named after John Wayne? Really? Who thought that made sense? I mean, sure, the guy lived around here but so what?

  17. 17.

    Corner Stone

    August 15, 2008 at 12:19 pm

    He will never ask the infidelity question.
    On the other hand, when he says he will ask the same question to both candidates I believe it will go something like this:
    Senator Obama, exactly when did you stop beating your wife?

    Senator McCain, when do you think Senator Obama stopped beating his wife?

    IOW – the questions themselves will allow for the punditry to shine through.

  18. 18.

    Wayne

    August 15, 2008 at 12:29 pm

    “Isn’t Saddleback kind of a weird name for a church? Sounds more like the name of a Gay bar.”

    Actually its at the intersection of the Brokeback and Bareback mountain ranges.

  19. 19.

    dbrown

    August 15, 2008 at 12:39 pm

    once I joined a fundamentalist church many years ago (hey, the blonde girl that talked me into it was HOT). The Preacher they had was rather well spoken and appeared even handed and enlightened – so far, so good.
    Then he mad a fatal error – he spoke the words of Christ about divorce and that all those who did that needed to rethink it and consider going back to their original spouse and boy, did the shit hit the fan. That Minister was out within one week! Never cross that line if you want to survive even in a Christian Fundamentalist church!
    That Minister will never ask that question.

  20. 20.

    Phoebe

    August 15, 2008 at 12:40 pm

    As long as we’re predicting, my prediction is that Rick Warren is doing this for the sole purpose of flushing McCain out, and that he really likes Obama, and he’s tired of the God-is-a-Republican kneejerk mentality. I think this will be interesting.

  21. 21.

    A.Political

    August 15, 2008 at 12:41 pm

    Wayne Says:

    “Isn’t Saddleback kind of a weird name for a church? Sounds more like the name of a Gay bar.”

    Actually its at the intersection of the Brokeback and Bareback mountain ranges.

    August 15th, 2008 at 12:29 pm

    ======

    A penis runs through it…

  22. 22.

    cleek

    August 15, 2008 at 1:01 pm

    BTW, this debate is tomorrow, primetime.

  23. 23.

    Just Some Fuckhead

    August 15, 2008 at 1:45 pm

    As long as we’re predicting, my prediction is that Rick Warren is doing this for the sole purpose of flushing McCain out, and that he really likes Obama, and he’s tired of the God-is-a-Republican kneejerk mentality. I think this will be interesting.

    NFW. Rick Warren is in it for the sweet personal glory it brings him.

  24. 24.

    Brother Flaming Taser of Warm Reason

    August 15, 2008 at 1:50 pm

    I want to watch this just to see McCain squirm. He’s never been comfortable talking about religion or being around the religious. It should be interesting.

  25. 25.

    gil mann

    August 15, 2008 at 2:23 pm

    He’s never been comfortable talking about religion or being around the religious.

    I’m gonna vote againt this guy so hard the machine’ll break, but I do love that about him.

  26. 26.

    Medicine Man

    August 15, 2008 at 2:32 pm

    BTW, this debate is tomorrow, primetime.

    Make sure to get some highlights posted here. I’m going to miss it, but I’d like to know how it turns out.

  27. 27.

    John PM

    August 15, 2008 at 2:37 pm

    I’m gonna vote againt this guy so hard the machine’ll break

    No need; the machine will be broken when you go into vote. All hail Diebold!

    Is Rick Warren the guy who wrote “The Purpose Driven Life”? If so, I predice the first question to be as follows: “Have you read my book? If not, why not?”

  28. 28.

    Phoebe

    August 15, 2008 at 7:03 pm

    Just Some Fuckhead: yeah. You’re right. Still, this should be interesting.

  29. 29.

    Georgette Orwell

    August 15, 2008 at 8:30 pm

    “One of the things we’re going to do is I’m going to ask identical questions to both candidates, which will be different.

    Huh? Which will be different, the identical questions or the candidates?

  30. 30.

    jbarntt

    August 17, 2008 at 4:13 pm

    to John Cole:

    Given that Warren asked the same questions of both candidates, I fail to understand your criticism. If your criticism of Warren was made before the fact, then you are a bigot and apparently a guy with a functioning crystal ball. If your comment is after the fact, then you are an idiot.

    Seems to me that Warren did a good job, and did not slant his questions to the benefit or detriment of either candidate.

    Care to address that ?

Comments are closed.

Primary Sidebar

On The Road - way2blue - SINALEI, SAMOA—RESPITE EDITION—FEBRUARY 2025.  (second of five) 7
Image by way2blue (7/13/25)

World Central Kitchen

Donate

Recent Comments

  • Shakti on Monday Morning Open Thread: How *About* That Weather? (Jul 14, 2025 @ 9:19am)
  • Jeffro on Monday Morning Open Thread: How *About* That Weather? (Jul 14, 2025 @ 9:16am)
  • stinger on Monday Morning Open Thread: How *About* That Weather? (Jul 14, 2025 @ 9:14am)
  • jonas on Monday Morning Open Thread: How *About* That Weather? (Jul 14, 2025 @ 9:13am)
  • Jeffro on Monday Morning Open Thread: How *About* That Weather? (Jul 14, 2025 @ 9:11am)

Balloon Juice Posts

View by Topic
View by Author
View by Month & Year
View by Past Author

Featuring

Medium Cool
Artists in Our Midst
Authors in Our Midst
No Kings Protests June 14 2025

🎈Keep Balloon Juice Ad Free

Become a Balloon Juice Patreon
Donate with Venmo, Zelle or PayPal

Calling All Jackals

Site Feedback
Nominate a Rotating Tag
Submit Photos to On the Road
Balloon Juice Anniversary (All Links)
Balloon Juice Anniversary (All Posts)
Fix Nyms with Apostrophes

Social Media

Balloon Juice
WaterGirl
TaMara
John Cole
DougJ (aka NYT Pitchbot)
Betty Cracker
Tom Levenson
David Anderson
Major Major Major Major
DougJ NYT Pitchbot
mistermix

Keeping Track

Legal Challenges (Lawfare)
Republicans Fleeing Town Halls (TPM)
21 Letters (to Borrow or Steal)
Search Donations from a Brand

Feeling Defeated?  If We Give Up, It's Game Over

Site Footer

Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

  • Facebook
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Comment Policy
  • Our Authors
  • Blogroll
  • Our Artists
  • Privacy Policy

Copyright © 2025 Dev Balloon Juice · All Rights Reserved · Powered by BizBudding Inc

Share this ArticleLike this article? Email it to a friend!

Email sent!