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| THE EFFECT OF THE AL SMITH DINNER |
| Raymond Arroyo |
| Raymond Arroyo is an internationally recognized, award-winning journalist, producer, and bestselling author, seen each week in more than 100 million homes around the globe on EWTN. He has worked for the Associated Press, the political columnist team of Evans and Novak, and as a Capitol Hill Correspondent. As host and creator of EWTN’s international news magazine, "The World Over Live", Arroyo has interrogated the leading figures of the day. Highlights include: The first, exclusive, sit down interview with Mel Gibson on the set of his film, “The Passion of the Christ” and a landmark interview with Pope Benedict XVI: the only English language conversation ever recorded with the pontiff. Arroyo and his work have been featured on "The Today Show", "Good Morning America", "Hannity and Colmes", "Access Hollywood", “CNN Headline News”, "The Laura Ingraham Show", and other programs. His writings have been published by Newsweek, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Times, The Financial Times, and The National Catholic Register. A graduate of New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts, Arroyo is author of the New York Times Bestsellers: Mother Angelica: The Remarkable Story of a Nun, Her Nerve and a Network of Miracles (Doubleday) and Mother Angelica''s Little Book of Life Lessons and Everyday Spirituality (Doubleday). |
Friday, October 19, 2012
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| New York. The excitement surrounding the Al Smith Dinner principally focused on whether Cardinal Timothy Dolan should have invited a politician (President Obama) who clearly opposes Church teaching in key areas. The Cardinal repeatedly said he was trying to engage the culture and Tweeted just before the big event:"If I only sat down with people who agreed with me, and I with them, or with those who were saints, I’d be taking all my meals alone." Cardinal Dolan wanted to model civility by bringing together even the most contentious of opponents (to say nothing of his own mortal combat with the administration over the HHS Mandate). Before the dinner a lot of Catholics I spoke with were very concerned and anxious about what the Cardinal would say. In it's aftermath, they could only talk of what Mitt Romney said and did. I think it was a surprise to many of those in attendance (a largely Democratic group) that Romney not only landed some blows on his opponent with comedy, but managed to also demonstrate his solidarity with the Church at a critical moment on the issues of life and religious liberty. Referencing the Al Smith Foundation and the Archdiocese of New York, Romney said, " You answer with calm and willing hearts and service to the poor and care for the sick, in defense [of] the rights of conscience and in solidarity with the innocent child waiting to be born. You strive to bring God’s love and every — in every life." The President had his moments of levity, but due to the enduring acrimony between he and the Catholic Church, there was a pall that hung over his appearance at this years dinner that just wasn't there in 2008. In the shadow of the HHS mandate it was also difficult for him to find common ground with the Church or its charitable outreach when that outreach is now imperiled by the policies of his own HHS department. Whether Catholic votes were won or lost last night is hard to say. But people came away with an impression they did not have going in--and it was largely focused on Mitt Romney. As I tried to engage people in discussions after the dinner about what the Cardinal said and it's impact, I heard things like: "Oh, he was fine, but Mitt..." or "The Cardinal was being gracious. I didn't know that Mitt Romney could be so funny. I never saw him like that." For Catholics (indeed for many voters) it is often the gestures, the asides--what they see and perceive around the edges of a candidate that wins their vote. For Mitt Romney it was a good political night. For Catholic Charities of New York it was a record breaking 5 million dollar night. And in the morning, all the controversy around the dinner seems to have faded. Time will tell what the political impact of this dinner and all those jokes were. It depends on how many Catholic swing voters were watching in the battleground states. But if a few more people are cared for, a few more children educated, a few more tiny lives saved, it would not have been in vain. |
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