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CONLEY COMMENTARY (WSAU) – The Al Smith Dinner is a wonderful, and deceptively important, political event.
Candidates, Democrats and Republicans, gather at a white tie fundraising dinner, and tell jokes about each other. The event happens late enough in the political cycle that it may be the last time candidates see each other before one makes a concession phone call on election night.
There is a scene in the West Wing where two candidates meet face to face in the kitchen of the hotel ballroom. They are there without their consultants and advisors, and they have a real conversation about future debates and what kinds of attack ads might be off-limits. Those things actually happen behind the scenes at the Al Smith dinner. Remember that Donald Trump and Kamala Harris had never met each other face-to-face until the CBS debate last month.
So why didn’t Kamala show up? The Occom’s Razor explanation, that the simplest reason is usually the correct one, is that she couldn’t stand the thought of helping to raise money for a Catholic charity. She hates the Church’s unapologetically pro-life stance that Catholicism cannot be endorsed. These aren’t my own thoughts. Many people in political circles know this. But just like we don’t talk about Kamala’s relationship with Willie Brown, no one talks about this.
Catholic Charities runs soup kitchens that feed the hungry. They house and clothe the homeless. They fund hospitals, schools and orphanages. The Catholic Church in America, aside from bringing the Gospel to the masses, is one of the largest charitable organizations in our country. The needs that would go unmet without the Church are impossible to measure.
Yet, because Kamala believes the Church is wrong on abortion, she takes a pass.
An event that humanizes political rivals is exactly what American politics needs. The public seeing political opponents breaking bread together and laughing at each others’ jokes sends the right message. So Kamala, why can’t you say, “although I disagree with my Catholic friends on abortion, I’m here because the good that the Church does is undeniable and is worthy of my support.” The answer is simple, she sees the Catholic church as an opponent… as an enemy.
Chris Conley
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