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Home Page > Blogs > News blogs > Periscope > Meeting Romney and Obama on their New York ceasefire night -- A shining moment in a campaign desperately short of them

Periscope by Niall O'Dowd

Meeting Romney and Obama on their New York ceasefire night -- A shining moment in a campaign desperately short of them

Posted on Friday, October 19, 2012 at 08:07 AM

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President Obama, Cardinal Dolan and GOP Candidate
Mitt Romney at Thursday night's charity event in NYC (Credit: AP)

An amazing sight awaited down a long corridor on the second floor of the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York, past a dark screen and several alert secret service agents and then into a large meeting room.

There, standing less than five feet apart, separated by Cardinal Timothy Dolan, were the two men fighting tooth and nail for the most important job in the world, the President of the United States.

As I approached I could not but feel an extraordinary sense of pride. What an amazing statement about this country, that the two men in the midst of a titanic battle could set the battle aside and come together in the cause of raising $5 million for New York’s neediest.

President Obama and Mitt Romney seemed utterly at ease. I complimented Obama on his Irish trip and he reminisced for a moment about it. “I need that Irish Moneygall vote,” he joked, referencing the village in Offaly where his ancestors hailed from.

Mitt Romney is ramrod straight, far younger looking than his 65 years, and his wife Ann is even prettier than she appears on TV. They are a striking couple, side by side.

I asked Romney would he visit Ireland if elected. “Of course,” he said, “I’m a Massachusetts politician, what would you expect,” he joked.

Later, on stage, the two men gave command performances, firing punch lines not punches back and forth so rapidly that sometimes it was hard to catch them.

They were in New York for the annual Al Smith dinner, the great lollapalooza of New York politics, where everyone gathers for the annual rite of reminiscence to the first Irish Catholic to run seriously for president.

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Henry Kissinger (he’s still alive!) was there, so was Ed Koch, Katie Couric, Chris Matthews, Governor Andrew Cuomo, Senator Chuck Schumer to name a few, and every bishop and major businessman and woman in the five boroughs and Long Island.

MC was Al Smith IV, great grandson of the late and great Al and a born comedian with a wonderful sense of timing as he made the introductions. His best line was that Mitt Romney created more sons (five) than Obama did jobs.

Romney has a sense of comic timing that was unexpected to me. He seems ill at ease often in such settings but not last night, where his zingers found their target and the crowd guffawed and laughed along.

Obama proved equal to the task, if not quite as funny. His best line was how Mitt was Romney’s second name and he was lucky to have it as he couldn’t use his own much (it’s Hussein).

He also gave a spoiler alert for Monday night’s debate on foreign policy (look away -- we killed Bin Laden if you hadn’t heard).

The real surprise for me was Cardinal Dolan who made an impassioned speech about what he called the “un’s” in America, the unemployed, the undocumented, the unborn, the unmarried mothers, the unfit and forlorn. It was a passionate plea for both candidates to note that the government’s major role was to help those who could not help themselves.

Dolan had come under pressure not to invite Obama because of the abortion issue. He proved last night he had done exactly the right thing and showed the power of the Catholic Church in so doing.

The 1,500 or so of those who attended went home happy and sated. As an immigrant, it was one of those occasions I thanked my lucky stars I had come to America.

With so much at stake the two men fighting it out for the White House found time to come together to help and raise money for those in need.

It was an extraordinary moment in a campaign known for its nastiness but one also capable of being kinder, gentler.

We need more of that to lift people up.

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20 comments

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Kevin Longan | Oct 22, 2012, 07:52 AM EDT

Well said, Seanmor! I totally agree, Obama digging up whatever obscure Irish roots he may have is cheap pandering. I'm a Democrat but sincerely hope Barry gets his ass handed to him at the upcoming election. He is a hypocrite and the worst Democratic president we've had since Carter, totally ineffectual and weak. I really worry about the future of America..

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paulpaulpaul | Oct 21, 2012, 03:58 PM EDT

Niall, sounds like a wonderful evening, fair play to you. I`m deeply interested in whether and when you are going to make an endorsement in the time-honoured practice of the fourth estate, and the reasons for your pick. Interestingly, some Salt Lke City newspaper has endorsed the President`s candidature, and press alignment is among the more intriguing facets of American democracy, both locally and Nationwide. So Niall, `douze points` for.........? Pray don`t tarry, tempus fugit. :-))

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Stiofain | Oct 21, 2012, 03:45 PM EDT

PhlutiePhan:"Sure and begorrah?! Where are you from? I am a socialist and have read Marx. Pres.Obama IS NOT a Marxist! He is closer to Romney then Marx.

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Chiefjustice | Oct 20, 2012, 07:13 AM EDT

Very Nice

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christinao't | Oct 19, 2012, 05:30 PM EDT

Romney was great at the Al Smith dinner! He gave a great speech really witty and well delivered..but totally classy. Compare to Obama's speech!!!

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borefield | Oct 19, 2012, 02:41 PM EDT

What a treat to read a fair and unbiased account of the Al Smith Dinner, especially from IC. Thanks, keep them coming.

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PhlutiePhan | Oct 19, 2012, 01:46 PM EDT

Obama went into the Lion's Den and did his "Stepin Fetchet" routine. The Church is traditionally Democrat and well deserved so. It is just that Obama is a radical who surrounds himself with "radical women, non whites, non heterosexuals". He is anti-traditional society. Now, we have Romney who appeals to the center to right segment of society. Sure and begorrah, he is an unholy capitalist. However, the joke about the middle name of "Hussein" is really no joke. Obama is all that is advertised in his attack on the Catholic Church. He is a Marxist who is against his vision of male dominated society and the Catholic Church is only one part of that vision which he must overcome.

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EphraimKibbey | Oct 19, 2012, 12:41 PM EDT

MSNBC's Rachel Maddow showed both Romney's and Obama's speechs live and in their entirity. Both were very funny with both showing that they can laugh at themselves as well as each other. My only complaint with the coverage was, that later, all the commentators said how funny Al Smith was but none showed any clips of his jokes. This IS a great country. It used to be like that in congress too. Members lived in DC, went to parties together, played golf together, went to little league games together and respected each other's point of view. I think putting them on TV has changed the congress for the worse. They no longer can work for the good of all the people without some special interest calling them traitors and threatening to cut off their support. Flexibility and compromise are our only hope for keeping our country great. A compromise is NOT when someone agrees to support all YOUR ideas abandoning his/her own but when both sides get some of what they want and give up somethings as well. Time for some old fashioned negotiation.

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AltRockAddict | Oct 19, 2012, 12:18 PM EDT

Where was Bono? ;)

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FastEddy | Oct 19, 2012, 11:39 AM EDT

Mitts remarks: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NIHbe-aO6oI

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FastEddy | Oct 19, 2012, 11:32 AM EDT

I rather liked the President's speech (video above)... Thanks for including it and thanks for putting this article together. The one thing lacking during the last four years has been a bit of humor in politics ...

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Searlit | Oct 19, 2012, 10:53 AM EDT

Thanks, Niall.

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mairint | Oct 19, 2012, 10:51 AM EDT

So the writer was dazzled but after all the partying - do you think Obama will continue to try and force Catholic institutions to pay for contraception and abortifacients against the principals of Church teaching? Or was it all a money making charade?

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Seanmor | Oct 19, 2012, 10:43 AM EDT

Moneygall, Ireland? Obama's looks more like someone whose ancestors were African, not Irish. If Romney should go to Ireland, I hope he will visit the part of that country that is north of the artificial Partition. That is where most Irish Christian denominations are headquartered. In Cardinal Dolan's speech about the "uns" he should also have imncluded the UNhoused, including the 200,000 homeless veterans. Since the White House is the prize sought by the 2 presidential candidates, it would have been most appropriate if someone had mentioned the architect of that famous mansion, James HOBAN, a native of County Kilkenny. And since this was a N.Y.C. Catholic fundraiser, the atendees should have been reminded that the first bishop of the diocese was Tyrone native John Hughes.

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tom/peggy | Oct 19, 2012, 10:18 AM EDT

Could you please add the video's of Mitt Romney's and Cardinal Dolan's remarks? Thank you

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