Presidential Candidates Put Things in Perspective
The Al Smith Dinner is an opportunity for presidential candidates to take a break and poke a little fun at each other and themselves.
Here is John McCain (part 1 and part 2) and Barack Obama.
Kinda puts things in perspective. As I’ve written before, while politics is important, they need to be kept in their proper perspective and the candidates themselves seem to recognize that. A good lesson for their supporters.
Nothing like a man in a colorful robe and tall mitre to play referee – they could use him at the debates.
I agree with Marc here. I think every candidate- at least for President- should be required to end or begin every stump speech with 3 or 4 minutes of “stand up” humor. I really liked the self-deprecating humor of Mccain & Obama- like when Obama corrected the widespread notion that he was born in a manger. The right-on funny humor from the two candidates was mostly the self-deprecating, not the “gotcha” humor which piggy-backed onto an attack one candidate made on the other. (Obama’s joke about McCain having 8 times the problem than most people in the housing crisis, for example, was quite flat.) Self-depracating humor admits the candidate is aware of what the other side terms a failing, and it deflates the other side’s barbs.
I liked Obama’s serious ending & strong positives he said about Mccain. I think Obama will be our President, and I think he respects Mccain more than McCain repects Obama- and I predict that President Obama will reach out to McCain for assistance in the Senate and on policy. They do have overlaps in policy interests.