Aug. 19, 2008 -- First off, seeing as how the PGA Tour brass looks forward to my commentary on its "playoffs" -- the second incarnation of which begins Thursday -- with roughly the same level of enthusiasm as you'd find in a proctologist's waiting room, I thought I'd begin this edition of GMT with something less controversial:

Presidential politics. For those not already squirming, let's go ahead and welcome in polite conversation's other taboo topic: Religion. (If there's time at the end, maybe I can ask you your age and waist size, too.)

Both religion and politics were on the table Saturday night in southern California as the two major party candidates for the nation's highest office sat across the table from Rick Warren, author of the Purpose Driven Life book series and pastor and co-founder (with his wife, Kay) of the host venue, Saddleback Church in Orange County, about halfway between L.A. and San Diego. If you missed it, you can get a recap and some video here.

The evening was billed as the Saddleback Civil Forum, and Civil was indeed its middle name. Warren gets most of the credit on that point, though I suppose Senators McCain and Obama deserve honorable mention for not soiling the pews with slung mud. Warren interviewed each candidate for an hour one-on-one (Obama, then McCain) and in between the two segments had the two men very civilly stand together on either side of him to be applauded by the audience.

Both nominees came off more winsome and Presidential in that setting, but Warren may have been the most impressive of the lot. He asked tough questions gently, for sure wanting to know where the two men stood on a variety of issues but for the most part accepting their answers at face value. In some ways, the candidates seemed more at ease with a pastor on the other side of the table, but Warren's careful moderation clearly kept his subjects on edge. At one point, the Purpose Driven Pastor began a series of questions about domestic issues by saying, "Don't give me your stump speech on these," to which Obama replied almost under his breath, "This is hard. I've been on the stump for a long time."

(Side note: Warren also gets high marks from me for only spending a couple of minutes on the traditional Religious Right hot potatoes before moving on to other matters of morality, such as how a nation spends its money and when it should go to war.)

Warren voiced a handful of questions that didn't leave Oba-ma-Cain much wiggle room, and the audience loved it, often oohing like kids in a school cafeteria listening to two classmates diss each other with your-mama's-so-fat jokes. One of my favorites was when Warren asked each candidate: "Which existing Supreme Court justice would you NOT have nominated?" (Audience gasps: "Ooh, Senator, you just got served!")

Obama prefaced his answer, like a defeated fencer, with a touch of touche, "That's a good one. That's a good one." But both candidates did answer the question, each responding the way you'd expect: Obama -- Thomas, Scalia, Roberts; McCain -- Ginsburg, Breyer, Souter, Stevens.

But no matter how firm the query or comment, the candidates didn't seem threatened because Warren was self-effacing and didn't appear to have a hidden agenda. One of the funniest moments of the night was when Warren asked Obama how he defined the term "rich," to which the senator deadpanned, "If you have book sales of 25 million." He couldn't finish because Warren erupted in laughter and even gave Obama a high-five.

The campaign trail won't be so chummy the closer we get to November 4. But it was fun while it lasted. And the Saddleback Civil Forum did help me decide who ought to be President: Rick Warren.

There's another election this fall that might be just as close but won't require each of us to designate $3 of our tax refunds to pay for. The PGA Tour's Player of the Year Award, which dates back to 1990, is handed out shortly after the regular season concludes. And unlike how we elect our Presidents, it's based purely on popular vote. Each PGA Tour member (or at least those who want to) casts a ballot for the player he thinks is most deserving.

Borrowing from the success of Saddleback, GMT presents a civil case for this year's PGA Tour Player of the year.

Like the Presidential race, there are numerous candidates but only two who have a legitimate chance of being elected: Padraig Harrington and Tiger Woods. (Yes, I know Kenny Perry has three wins. That only makes him this year's Ross Perot. Now, in the words of the teeny Texas gazillionaire, "Can I finish?")

Usually, winning two majors in a season like Harrington has would seal the deal by August. But, as has been the case his whole career, nothing is usual when it comes to Woods. Take a look at the tale of the tape:

Tour events played to date: Harrington -- 12, Woods -- 6

Wins: Harrington -- 2, Woods -- 4

Majors: Harrington -- 2, Woods -- 1

Top 10s: Harrington -- 6 (of 12 tournaments entered), Woods -- 6 (of 6)

Broken legs: Harrington -- 0 (of 2 legs attached to his body), Woods -- 1 (of 2)

If it ends as it is now, both will get a big chunk of the player vote. But, of course, the season isn't over. Harrington is healthy and, according to his website, is scheduled to play all four of the PGA Tour Playoff events. If he wins one or more of those, it may well be enough to give him enough votes to deny Woods a tenth POY in 12 seasons.

But suppose the season does end with the numbers looking as they do above. That last category may be what swings the deciding votes Woods' way. This is where the difference in golf's two major POY awards is most evident. The PGA of America's version goes back to 1948 and since 1982 has been points-based with extra weight given to majors. So as long as Harrington completes 60 rounds -- currently at 44, he'll get to 60 if he makes the cut in all four playoff events or plays another tournament or two in the Fall Series -- he's a lock to win that honor.

But because the Tour's POY is based entirely on player vote, I can't help but believe that those images from Torrey Pines will be hard to ignore when Tour members cast their ballots. There was the ridiculous eagle at 13 Saturday, then the one at 18 about an hour later, then the impossibly pressurized putt to force the playoff with Rocco Mediate at 18 Sunday afternoon, and, of course, all those mental snapshots of Woods grimacing in physical agony throughout the weekend. As great as Harrington's double major season has been, I can't see a majority of players overlooking Woods winning golf's toughest test -- in 91 holes, no less -- on what we all knew was a bad knee but later found out was a nearly dangling left leg.

Assuming no chads are dangling, the Tour will announce the winner the first part of December. My money's on Tiger. And not only because of my belief that the players know their money has come from Tiger all these years. I think his peers will look deeper than merely his four-for-six and give him extra credit for how it happened. Besides winning the U.S. Open with one leg tied behind his back, he beat another strong field at Torrey Pines in late January at the Buick Invitational, turned back all comers at the World Golf Championship Match Play event, and closed out the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill with a 72nd hole birdie and cap spike on 18. And he did all of those things, plus a T5 at Doral and a solo second at the Masters, on what was already a severely injured left leg.

Finally, fair or not -- in the case of the Olympic gymnastics judges, not! -- some will deduct a tenth of a point or two from Harrington's heroics because of Woods' absence.

Again, Harrington could earn the necessary swing votes if he swings well in the four playoff tournaments. If not, he could leave the door open for the recumbent incumbent to hobble through. And it won't take any 11th hour campaigning from Woods. He's already made his case.

I hope this column hasn't made you too uncomfortable. If it makes you feel any better, I'm 39 and a 36.

Grant Boone is a husband, father, broadcaster, and journalist born in Tennessee and living in Texas. During his nearly 20 years in sports journalism, he's been heard on tape delay in pizza joints half-filled with fully-drunk beer league softball teams and around the world covering major sporting events for ESPN, Turner Sports, Golf Channel, and CBS Radio. To read past installments of Grant Me This, click here. You can contact Grant at pgagrant@hotmail.com.