An embarrassing situation at the Al Smith Dinner
'The O'Reilly Factor': Bill O'Reilly's Talking Points 10/21
The dinner is sponsored by the Catholic Arch Diocese of New York primarily to raise money for poor children. Last night the charity broke a record raising more than $6 million. That is the good news. The bad news is the key knows speakers Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump were way too harsh. And they embarrassed Cardinal Timothy Dolan.
No way to spin it, it was not a good evening. Al Smith was the first Catholic ever to run for president. He lost to Herbert Hoover in 1928. His family puts together this charitable event every year. It's supposed to be a light hearted night. And four years ago President Obama and Mitt Romney understood that.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MITT ROMNEY (R), FORMER PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: As President Obama surveys the Waldorf banquet room with everybody in white tie and finery. You have to wonder what he is thinking. So little time, so much to redistribute.
(LAUGHTER)
PRES. BARACK OBAMA (D), UNITED STATES: I'm still making the most of my time in the city. Earlier today, I went shopping at some stores in midtown. I understand Governor Romney went shopping for some stores in midtown.
(LAUGHTER)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
O'REILLY: You can see the ribbing was gentle. Last night it was nasty.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: Hillary believes that it's vital to deceive the people by having one public policy.
(CROWD BOOS)
And a totally different policy in private. That's okay. I don't know who they are angry at, Hillary, you or I. For example, here she is tonight in public pretending not to hate Catholics.
(CROWD BOOS)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
O'REILLY: Now, that stunned the crowd. So I was expecting Secretary Clinton to seize the moment and be gracious when she came up. That would have helped her. She didn't really need to do anything else other than keep it light. That would have contrasted with Mr. Trump. But Mrs. Clinton did not do that.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HILLARY CLINTON (D), PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: Now, look, I have deep respect for people like Kellyanne Conway. She's working day and night for Donald and because she is a contractor, he is probably not even going to pay her. Donald looks at the Statue of Liberty and sees a four. Maybe a five if she loses the torch and tablet and changes her hair.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
O'REILLY: Now, what Trump and Clinton did was more like a roast, not an amiable benefit. Before the speeches began I was able to see both Trump and Clinton up-close. I was about five feet away from them. It's clear to me that neither wanted to be at the event, understandable. They had to be tired coming off that debate. It's also clear that they despise each other. At a level rarely seen in national politics. I kind of felt sorry for Cardinal Dolan, a friendly guy who did a nice job sitting between the two trying to keep the peace.
While Trump was at the day as attacking Clinton, the Cardinal was smart enough to divert Secretary Clinton by actually talking to her during the businessman's remarks. It was a deaf deflection all the cardinal could do. This incident will pass. It's not anything that will linger. But for me, a voter, a voter, not a commentator, I have to question the judgment here. Both candidates has their scripts written for them. They saw what was happening, yet, they chose to go the hard way. Why? Why? Again, the evening was to raise money for poor kids. That's it. Judgment is important for a president.
And that's "The Memo".
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