Friday, October 17, 2008
Campaign Bile Steps Aside For Humor
Thursday night, John McCain and Barack Obama attended the annual Alfred E. Smith Memorial Foundation Dinner in Manhattan. A fundraiser for the Archdiocese of New York and city Catholic charities, the dinner is a a customary stop for presidential candidates every four years.
They engaged in some self-deprecatory humor and good-natured roasting of each other and a few other political dignitaries (Bill & Hillary, Mike Bloomberg and Rudy Giuliani were favorite targets). Given the serious circumstances the country finds itself in, some people might not like the fact that our presidential candidates are bantering back and forth. I think this actually says something good about our country and its electoral process -- that politicians can put aside their very earnest, heart-felt differences, and get partisans on both sides laughing with each other instead of at each other.
For what it's worth, I thought McCain was slightly better than Obama -- but probably because McCain has been a guest of honor at the dinner before (in a non-presidential year) -- and enjoys doing the stand-up stuff.
Anyway, Ben Smith at Politico provides direct links to both routines. I must say, as an amateur comic myself, I approve of their messages!
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They engaged in some self-deprecatory humor and good-natured roasting of each other and a few other political dignitaries (Bill & Hillary, Mike Bloomberg and Rudy Giuliani were favorite targets). Given the serious circumstances the country finds itself in, some people might not like the fact that our presidential candidates are bantering back and forth. I think this actually says something good about our country and its electoral process -- that politicians can put aside their very earnest, heart-felt differences, and get partisans on both sides laughing with each other instead of at each other.
For what it's worth, I thought McCain was slightly better than Obama -- but probably because McCain has been a guest of honor at the dinner before (in a non-presidential year) -- and enjoys doing the stand-up stuff.
Anyway, Ben Smith at Politico provides direct links to both routines. I must say, as an amateur comic myself, I approve of their messages!
Labels: Barack Obama, John McCain, political humor
