A Very Good Moment

Last night's Alfred E. Smith Memorial Dinner was one for the ages. Because of disputes about his relationship with the Catholic Church, Kerry wasn't invited in 2004, and the church felt it would be unfair to invite GW Bush without him. I remember the event in 2000 as showing both Bush and Gore in a far better light than usual, but neither Bush nor (particularly) Gore were very funny. Last night McCain was undeniably funnier -- he's got excellent comedic timing and his material was quite good. Obama did a reasonably good job as well, once he allowed himself to get into the self-deprecating spirit of the event. So far as I know, this is a uniquely American tradition, though it would be easy to imagine the Brits having something similar. In any event, I think it's a wonderful tradition, in that it highlights an important distinction: while the candidates must be opponents, they need not be enemies.