Long before John F. Kennedy, way back in 1928, Al Smith was the first Catholic, major party candidate to run for President of the United States. Smith was also Irish. Those were two strikes against a presidential candidate back in the days when Catholics were distrusted and the Irish were ridiculed. Al Smith lost to Hoover but still managed to become a four-term New York Governor and, as president of Empire State, Inc., was instrumental in the construction of the Empire State Building.
Each year since Smith's death in 1945, the Alfred E. Smith Memorial Foundation has held a dinner in his honor to benefit Catholic Charities.
While commendatory references to Smith and his actions were once common, by chance or by design, many of the addresses at later dinners have taken on a lighter tone. Indeed, the occasion has evolved into something of an opportunity for speakers - particularly ones whose mien is typically quite serious - to show, through quips and slightly irreverent humor, that they can poke fun at a political issue, an opponent, or themselves... In the days before Saturday Night Live, the Al Smith dinner served as a kind of "proving ground for the candidate as entertainer," as one reporter described it. Today the dinner remains a true phenomenon - a living memorial to an uncommon public figure, best known as the first Roman Catholic presidential candidate, who died more than six decades ago. Doubtless the dinner's honoree would be deeply gratified that he is being remembered each year in this fashion. He would be even more gratified to know that the dinner commemorating him and his unique role in American politics has contributed millions of dollars for charitable endeavors in the city he loved so much.
This year, the dinner's keynote speakers were Senators John McCain and Barack Obama. I find it ironic that Obama was a keynote speaker because, while he shares Al Smith's Socialist ideals, his extreme pro-abortion beliefs and votes run contrary to Catholic Charities' Principles of Catholic Social Teaching. There have been times when pro-abortion politicians were not invited, such as in 1996 when Cardinal O'Connor was reportedly upset with President Bill Clinton for vetoing a bill which would have banned certain late-term abortions and in 2004 when presidential candidate John Kerry, a Catholic, was not invited, reportedly due to his pro-abortion stance.
I love to watch politicians mock themselves and each other and I think you will enjoy the videos below of McCain and Obama speaking at the dinner last night. The first two videos are of McCain, who spoke first, and the last two videos are of Obama, who spoke right after McCain. Regardless of which candidate you support, I believe you will want to watch all four videos. They are refreshing glimpses of both Senators and humorous respites during this tooth and nail election.