Alfred E. Smith Memorial Foundation Dinner

Last updated

Alfred E. Smith Memorial Foundation Dinner
Date(s)Third Thursday of October
FrequencyAnnually
Location(s) Waldorf Astoria New York
Manhattan, New York City, New York, United States
Founded1945 (1945)
Leader Archbishop of New York
Organized byAlfred E. Smith Memorial Foundation
Website AlSmithFoundation.org/the-dinner

The Alfred E. Smith Memorial Foundation Dinner, commonly known as the Al Smith Dinner, is an annual white tie dinner in New York City to raise funds for Catholic charities supporting children of various needs in the Archdiocese of New York. [1] Held at New York City's Waldorf-Astoria Hotel on the third Thursday of October, it is hosted by the Archbishop of New York. It is organized by the Alfred E. Smith Memorial Foundation in honor of Al Smith, who grew up in poverty and later became the governor of New York four times and was the first Catholic nominated for president by a major party as the Democratic nominee in the 1928 election.

Contents

Cardinal Francis Spellman founded and hosted the first dinner in 1945 after Smith's death the previous year. By 1960, the Al Smith dinner had become a "ritual of American politics", in the words of Theodore H. White. It is generally the last event at which the two major party presidential candidates share a stage before the election. [2] Apart from presidential candidates, keynote speakers have included Tony Blair, [3] Tom Brokaw, Bob Hope, Henry Kissinger, Clare Boothe Luce, and many other prominent civic, business, and church leaders. [4]

History

Alfred E. Smith in 1928. AlSmithWaves.jpg
Alfred E. Smith in 1928.

Since 1960, when John F. Kennedy (who would become the first Roman Catholic president) and Richard Nixon were speakers, it has traditionally been a stop for the two major party presidential candidates during election years. [5] In 1976, Jimmy Carter and Gerald Ford spoke; in 1980, Carter and Ronald Reagan; in 1988, George H. W. Bush and Michael Dukakis; in 2000, Al Gore [6] and George W. Bush; [7] in 2008, Barack Obama and John McCain; [8] in 2012, Barack Obama [9] and Mitt Romney [10] ; in 2016, Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump; [11] and in 2020, Trump and Joe Biden. [12] The 1992 dinner was not attended by Bill Clinton or George H. W. Bush because there was a presidential debate that same night. [13] Candidates have traditionally given humorous speeches [14] poking fun at themselves and their opponents, making the event similar to a roast. The 2018 dinner raised $3.9 million. [15]

Since 1980, this custom has been affected by friction between the Democratic Party and the Catholic Church over abortion. [16] During the 1980 dinner, Democratic incumbent Jimmy Carter was booed. [16] In 1984, Ronald Reagan spoke, but his opponent, Walter Mondale, opted out, saying he needed time to prepare for an upcoming presidential debate. [17] Amy Sullivan suggests that Mondale's decision was motivated by "tensions between the Catholic Church and the Democratic Party." [16]

Admiral Michael Mullen with his wife and Katie Couric at the 2009 dinner. 091015-N-0696M-189 (4015483169).jpg
Admiral Michael Mullen with his wife and Katie Couric at the 2009 dinner.
President Barack Obama preparing for the 2012 dinner. Barack Obama ties his tie.jpg
President Barack Obama preparing for the 2012 dinner.

During the 2000 dinner, George W. Bush joked, "This is an impressive crowd. The haves and the have-mores. Some people call you the elite. I call you my base." [6] [18] The quote was used in Fahrenheit 9/11 and subsequently in one of John Kerry's 2004 campaign speeches. [19] [20]

In 1996 and 2004, the Archdiocese of New York chose not to invite the presidential candidates. In 1996, this was reportedly because Cardinal John Joseph O'Connor was angry at Democratic nominee Bill Clinton for vetoing a bill outlawing some late-term abortions. [21] The organizers' explanation was that the candidates had been unable to commit to attending the dinner. [21] The vice presidential candidates, Al Gore and Jack Kemp, spoke instead. In 2004, Archdiocese spokesman Joseph Zwilling explained that the candidates were not invited because "the issues in this year's campaign could provoke division and disagreement," [21] but some speculated that the decision was due to Democratic nominee (and Roman Catholic) John Kerry's pro-choice stance on abortion. [2]

On October 20, 2016, Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump spoke at the dinner which was hosted by Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan, who was seated between the two presidential candidates during the event. [11] [22] During the dinner, Trump made numerous "off-color" remarks about Hillary Clinton, [23] including references to the hacking of the email server of the Democratic National Committee, unsupported allegations of corruption, and a claim that Clinton "hates Catholics". His remarks drew boos and heckling from guests, prompting veteran GOP operative Ed Rollins to comment: “he didn’t quite understand the audience”. [24] [25] [26] [27] The 2016 dinner drew 10.3 million viewers and raised a record-breaking $6 million for Catholic charities. [28] [29]

The 2020 dinner occurred in a virtual format, due to the COVID-19 pandemic in New York City, and the traditional roast-like nature was abandoned. Trump and Joe Biden attended virtually; both men discussed Catholicism. [30]

Kamala Harris did not attend the 2024 dinner and instead sent a pre-recorded message to play during the event. [31] She was the first presidential candidate to skip the dinner since Walter Mondale in 1984. [32] Donald Trump, who attended the dinner, called Harris' decision not to attend "deeply disrespectful", [33] while Archbishop of New York Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan expressed his disappointment and pointed out that Mondale lost 49 states. [34] Harris would go on to lose Catholics by the same margin that Mondale did. [35]

List of U.S. presidential nominees who attended the dinner

ElectionDemocratic nomineeRepublican nominee
1960 John F. Kennedy Richard Nixon
1976 Jimmy Carter Gerald Ford
1980 Ronald Reagan
1984
1988 Michael Dukakis George H. W. Bush
2000 Al Gore George W. Bush
2008 Barack Obama John McCain
2012 Mitt Romney
2016 Hillary Clinton Donald Trump
2020 [a] Joe Biden
2024

In media

The dinner was the subject of an episode of The West Wing titled "The Al Smith Dinner". [36]

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ The dinner was held virtually due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic

Related Research Articles

The following is a timeline of major events leading up to and immediately following the United States presidential election of 2008. The election was the 56th quadrennial United States presidential election. It was held on November 4, 2008, but its significant events and background date back to about 2002. The Democratic Party nominee, Senator Barack Obama of Illinois, defeated the Republican Party's nominee, Senator John McCain of Arizona.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South Carolina presidential primary</span> Selection of presidential candidates

The South Carolina presidential primary is an open primary election which has become one of several key early-state presidential primaries in the process of the Democratic and Republican Parties choosing their respective general election nominees for President of the United States. South Carolina has cemented its place as the "First in the South" primary for both parties.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Convention bounce</span> Increase in support for US presidential candidates

A convention bounce or convention bump refers to an increase in support that U.S. presidential candidates in the Republican or Democratic party typically enjoy after the televised national convention of their party. A presumptive nominee for president may also be said to experience a "VP bounce" after announcing his or her pick for vice president prior to the convention. The size and impact of convention bumps vary, but presidential candidates usually see at least a small uptick in their polling numbers coming out of their conventions.

Kids Pick the President is a series of specials produced by Nickelodeon, organized around a mock election to determine children's choice for the President of the United States. Since 1988, Kids Pick the President has accurately predicted the winner of each election with the exceptions of the 2004, 2016, and 2024 presidential elections.

The post-presidency of Bill Clinton began on January 20, 2001 following the end of Clinton's second term as president. Clinton was the 42nd president of the United States, serving from 1993 to 2001. After he left office, he continued to be active in the public sphere, touring the world, writing books, and campaigning for Democrats, including his wife, Hillary Clinton, who served as the junior U.S. senator from New York between 2001 and 2009 and the 67th United States Secretary of State between 2009 and 2013, on her presidential campaigns in 2008, in which she was runner-up for the Democratic nomination, and in 2016, when she lost the election to Donald Trump. After Clinton left office, he ended up forming a close friendship with George H. W. Bush and Barbara Bush, and later, with their son George W. Bush.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Polling for United States presidential elections</span>

Gallup was the first polling organization to conduct accurate opinion polling for United States presidential elections. Gallup polling has often been accurate in predicting the outcome of presidential elections and the margin of victory for the winner. However, it missed some close elections: 1948, 1976 and 2004, the popular vote in 2000, and the likely-voter numbers in 2012. The month section in the tables represents the month in which the opinion poll was conducted. D represents the Democratic Party, and R represents the Republican Party. Third parties, such as the Dixiecrats and the Reform Party, were included in some polls.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barack Obama vs. Mitt Romney (video)</span> 2012 single by Epic Rap Battles of History

"Barack Obama vs. Mitt Romney" is a song and music video, performed by Iman "Alphacat" Crosson, Peter "Nice Peter" Shukoff, and Lloyd "EpicLLOYD" Ahlquist. It is the 8th episode of the 2nd season of the YouTube video series Epic Rap Battles of History. The video was released on October 15, 2012 on the show's YouTube channel in anticipation of the 2012 U.S. presidential election.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2016 United States presidential election in North Carolina</span>

The 2016 United States presidential election in North Carolina held on Tuesday, November 8, 2016, as part of the 2016 United States presidential election in which all 50 states plus the District of Columbia participated. North Carolina voters chose electors to represent them in the Electoral College via a popular vote, pitting the Republican Party's nominee, businessman Donald Trump, and running mate Indiana Governor Mike Pence against Democratic Party nominee, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and her running mate Virginia Senator Tim Kaine. North Carolina had 15 electoral votes in the Electoral College.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2016 United States presidential election in Iowa</span>

The 2016 United States presidential election in Iowa was held on Tuesday, November 8, 2016, as part of the 2016 United States presidential election in which all 50 states plus the District of Columbia participated. Iowa voters chose electors to represent them in the Electoral College via a popular vote, pitting the Republican Party's nominee, businessman Donald Trump, and his running mate Indiana Governor Mike Pence against the Democratic Party nominee, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and her running mate Virginia Senator Tim Kaine. Iowa has six electoral votes in the Electoral College.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2016 United States presidential election in Tennessee</span>

The 2016 United States presidential election in Tennessee was held on November 8, 2016, as part of the 2016 General Election in which all 50 states plus the District of Columbia participated. Tennessee voters chose electors to represent them in the Electoral College via a popular vote pitting the Republican nominee, businessman Donald Trump, and running mate Indiana Governor Mike Pence against Democratic nominee, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and her running mate, Virginia Senator Tim Kaine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2016 United States presidential election in New York</span>

The 2016 United States presidential election in New York was held on Tuesday, November 8, 2016, as part of the 2016 United States presidential election in which all 50 states plus the District of Columbia participated. New York voters chose electors to represent them in the Electoral College via a popular vote, pitting the Republican Party's nominee, businessman Donald Trump, and running mate Indiana Governor Mike Pence against Democratic Party nominee, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and her running mate Virginia Senator Tim Kaine. New York has 29 electoral votes in the Electoral College.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2016 United States presidential election in Rhode Island</span>

The 2016 United States presidential election in Rhode Island took place on November 8, 2016, as part of the 2016 United States presidential election in which all 50 states plus the District of Columbia participated. Rhode Island voters chose four electors to represent them in the Electoral College via a popular vote.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2016 United States presidential election in Washington (state)</span>

The 2016 United States presidential election in Washington took place on November 8, 2016, as part of the 2016 United States presidential election. Washington was won by Hillary Clinton, who won the state with 52.54% of the vote over Donald Trump's 36.83%, a margin of 15.71%. All of the state's 12 electoral votes were assigned to Clinton, though four defected. Trump prevailed in the presidential election nationally.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2016 United States presidential election in Kansas</span>

The 2016 United States presidential election in Kansas was held on Tuesday, November 8, 2016, as part of the 2016 United States presidential election in which all 50 states and the District of Columbia participated. Kansas voters chose electors to represent them in the Electoral College via a popular vote, pitting the Republican Party's nominee, businessman Donald Trump, and running mate Indiana Governor Mike Pence against Democratic Party nominee, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and her running mate Virginia Senator Tim Kaine. Kansas has six electoral votes in the Electoral College.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2016 United States presidential election in Oregon</span>

The 2016 United States presidential election in Oregon was held on Tuesday, November 8, 2016, as part of the 2016 United States presidential election in which all 50 states plus the District of Columbia participated. Oregon voters chose electors to represent them in the Electoral College via a popular vote, pitting the Republican Party's nominee, businessman Donald Trump, and running mate Indiana Governor Mike Pence against Democratic Party nominee, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and her running mate Virginia Senator Tim Kaine. Oregon has seven electoral votes in the Electoral College.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2016 United States presidential election in Utah</span>

The 2016 United States presidential election in Utah was held on November 8, 2016, as part of the 2016 United States presidential election which was also held in the other 49 states and in the District of Columbia. Voters were asked to pick 6 electors to be pledged for a candidate in the Electoral College. The two main tickets of the election were the Republican one, consisting of businessman Donald Trump and Indiana Governor Mike Pence, and the Democratic one, consisting of former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Virginia Senator Tim Kaine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mitt Romney's 2016 anti-Trump speech</span>

On March 3, 2016, U.S. Republican politician Mitt Romney delivered a major speech for the Hinckley Institute of Politics at the Libby Gardner Hall in the University of Utah. In that speech, he denounced Donald Trump, who was then the front-runner in the 2016 Republican Party presidential primaries. He urged citizens to use tactical voting in the remaining primaries and caucuses to maximize the chance of denying Trump a delegate majority.

"Basket of deplorables" is a pejorative phrase from a 2016 US presidential election campaign speech delivered by Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton on September 9, 2016, at a campaign fundraising event. She used the phrase to describe "half" of the supporters of her opponent, Republican nominee Donald Trump, saying they're "racist, sexist, homophobic, xenophobic, Islamophobic". The next day, she expressed regret for "saying half", while insisting that Trump had deplorably amplified "hateful views and voices".

Various notable daily newspapers made endorsements of candidates in the 2016 United States presidential election, as follows. The table below indicates which candidate each publication endorsed in the 2012 United States presidential election and includes only endorsements for the general election.

References

  1. ↑ "The Alfred E. Smith Memorial Foundation" . Retrieved October 22, 2016.
  2. 1 2 Wheaton, Sarah; Bosman, Julie (October 14, 2008). "Both McCain and Obama to Speak at Al Smith Dinner". The New York Times.
  3. ↑ Tony Blair (October 2007). Al Smith Dinner (WebM MPEG-4) (Digital video news package). Alfred E. Smith Memorial Foundation. duration 7:49. Retrieved October 24, 2016– via YouTube. 7-minute excerpt from the second British Prime Minister to address the Al Smith Foundation dinner.
  4. ↑ "The Alfred E. Smith Memorial Foundation Dinner" . Retrieved October 24, 2016.
  5. ↑ "Alfred E. Smith Dinner Gag Writer on Clinton-Trump Roast: "The Rules Don't Apply"". hollywoodreporter.com. October 20, 2016. Retrieved October 25, 2016.
  6. 1 2 "A Pause For Humor: 2000 Al Smith Dinner Transcript". pbs.org. Retrieved October 25, 2016.
  7. ↑ "Al Smith Memorial Dinner". c-span.org. Retrieved October 25, 2016.
  8. ↑ John McCain; Barack Obama (2008). Al Smith Dinner 2008 (Full Video) (WebM MPEG-4) (Digital video news package). C-SPAN. duration 47:05. Retrieved October 24, 2016– via YouTube.
  9. ↑ Barack Obama (October 18, 2012). Raw Video: Watch President Obama's Al Smith dinner speech (WebM MPEG-4) (Digital video news package). CNN. duration 9:32. Retrieved October 24, 2016– via YouTube. Mitt Romney and President Obama speak in New York.
  10. ↑ Mitt Romney (October 18, 2012). Raw Video: See Mitt Romney's full Al Smith dinner speech (WebM MPEG-4) (Digital video news package). CNN. duration 10:10. Retrieved October 24, 2016– via YouTube. Mitt Romney and President Obama speak in New York.
  11. 1 2 Hillary Clinton; Donald Trump (October 20, 2016). 2016 Al Smith Dinner (WebM MPEG-4) (Digital video news package). The New York Times. duration 49:44. Retrieved October 23, 2016– via YouTube. 71st Annual Alfred E. Smith Memorial Foundation Dinner. Streamed live on 20 October 2016. Hillary Clinton and Donald J. Trump deliver remarks at the Al Smith charity dinner at the Waldorf Astoria in Manhattan.
  12. ↑ Vella, Lauren (October 1, 2020). "Trump accuses Democrats of 'anti-Catholic bigotry' at annual Alfred E. Smith dinner". The Hill. Retrieved October 2, 2020.
  13. ↑ Firestone, David (October 18, 1996). "Gore, Kemp and No Politics for Dinner". New York Times .
  14. ↑ "Alfred E. Smith Memorial Dinner Compilation". c-span.org. Retrieved October 25, 2016.
  15. ↑ Tapper, Jake (October 16, 2008). "Obama and McCain Yuk it Up at Al Smith Dinner". ABC News. Archived from the original on October 21, 2016. Retrieved October 17, 2008.
  16. 1 2 3 Sullivan, Amy (October 18, 2008). "How Catholics Are Judging Obama and the Democrats". Time. Archived from the original on October 19, 2008.
  17. ↑ "Mondale Opts to Miss Alfred Smith Dinner". The New York Times. October 16, 1984.
  18. ↑ Cooper, Michael; Wakin, Daniel J. (September 17, 2004). "Archdiocese Leaves Kerry and President Off Guest List". The New York Times.
  19. ↑ Halbfinger, David M. (October 3, 2004). "In Florida, Kerry Says 'American Dream Is on the Ballot'". The New York Times.
  20. ↑ "Review: 'Fahrenheit' a powerful, fiery film". CNN. June 25, 2004.
  21. 1 2 3 Chan, Sewell (October 18, 2007). "A Lower Profile for the Al Smith Dinner?". The New York Times.
  22. ↑ "Gloves come off at 71st annual Al Smith Dinner in New York". Catholic News Service. Archived from the original on October 22, 2016. Retrieved October 27, 2016.
  23. ↑ Trump roasts Clinton at Al Smith charity dinner CBS via youtube
  24. ↑ "At Al Smith Dinner, Donald Trump Turns Friendly Roast Into 3-Alarm Fire". NPR.org. Retrieved July 4, 2020.
  25. ↑ Flegenheimer, Matt; Parker, Ashley (October 20, 2016). "Donald Trump Heckled by New York Elite at Charity Dinner". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved July 4, 2020.
  26. ↑ Nguyen, Tina (October 21, 2016). "Donald Trump Booed After Attacking Clinton at Catholic Charity Dinner". Vanity Fair. Retrieved July 4, 2020.
  27. ↑ Vogel, Kenneth (October 20, 2016). "Trump draws boos at Catholic dinner". Politico. Retrieved September 27, 2024.
  28. ↑ Katz, A.J. (October 23, 2016). "10.3 Million Watch Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump at Al Smith Dinner". Adweek.
  29. ↑ Goldman, Henry; Jacobs, Jennifer (October 21, 2016). "Trump's Jokes Strike a Sour Tone at New York's Al Smith Dinner". Forbes.
  30. ↑ "After bitter debate, Trump and Biden speak during charity Al Smith Dinner". ABC7NY. Associated Press. October 1, 2020. Retrieved October 2, 2020.
  31. ↑ "Kamala Harris to skip Al Smith dinner, a traditional event for major presidential candidates". AP News. September 21, 2024. Retrieved September 22, 2024.
  32. ↑ Fishman, Taylor (October 17, 2024). "Vice President Harris breaks tradition, skips Alfred E. Smith dinner ahead of Election Day". CBS. Retrieved October 18, 2024.
  33. ↑ "Trump delivers a pointed and at times bitter speech at Al Smith charity dinner". AP News. October 17, 2024. Retrieved October 18, 2024.
  34. ↑ Pinedo, Peter (September 25, 2024). "Cardinal Dolan: Harris received 'bad advice' to skip Catholic charity dinner". Catholic News Agency. Retrieved October 31, 2024.
  35. ↑ "Exit poll results 2024 | CNN Politics". CNN. Retrieved November 13, 2024.
  36. ↑ Bagri, Neha Thirani (October 20, 2016). "The debates are done, but Clinton and Trump will meet again tonight at the Al Smith dinner". Quartz. Retrieved October 22, 2016.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.