Take These Candidates ... Please!
Mollie Hemingway, Ed. ·
October 19, 2012 at 4:45am
This is the best quality video I can find now, but Mitt Romney was surprisingly funny at the Al Smith fundraising dinner tonight:
Here's Obama's turn, which also had some funny lines. From what I followed on Twitter, Cardinal Dolan was actually the funniest. But I can't find any video of it.
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Comments:
May '10
Re: Take These Candidates ... Please!
Brilliant, brilliant, brilliant!
I don't care how great your joke-writers are, you can not do that without a real sense of humor, and great sensibility.
May '10
Re: Take These Candidates ... Please!
Also, I take this as more evidence of what I see all around me: all the wit and high good humor is on our side. The left is reduced to sarcasm, vulgarity and caricature. Not funny at all.
Nov '10
Re: Take These Candidates ... Please!
I just watched it with my wife, Anne, an independent. She thought he came across like a movie star president, and she loved his graciousness in acknowledging what a beautiful family the president has. Me, he just seems like a president. I really like the guy.
May '10
Re: Take These Candidates ... Please!
That voice is the tone he needs. He should buy time like Reagan in did in '80. With that style of delivery he could seal the deal.
Jun '12
Re: Take These Candidates ... Please!
About as close to perfect delivery as you can get. Whoever wrote that speech needs to be promoted. "Brought to you by the letter O and the number 16 trillion." That may be the line of the campaign.
Feb '11
Re: Take These Candidates ... Please!
Wow. I don't know what the standard is for this kind of thing, but he was good. I'm not sure if I want to hear Obama do the same - I'm not in the mood for the inevitable arrogant "look-at-me" tone.
Nov '10
Re: Take These Candidates ... Please!
Cardinal Dolan's remarks are included in the video on c-span.org.
Mar '12
Re: Take These Candidates ... Please!
I have officially fallen in love with Mitt Romney (better late than never).
May '10
Re: Take These Candidates ... Please!
I just watched Obama. He wasn't as great as Romney, but he was pretty darn good. It may be the only moment ever that I've found the man likable.
Proud of America tonight, and grateful to Cardinal Dolan.
Edited on October 19, 2012 at 5:20amApr '11
Re: Take These Candidates ... Please!
Very nice.
May '10
Re: Take These Candidates ... Please!
I liked the Sesame Street jokes best.
Agreed, EJ. Romney needs to allow himself to be more casual.
Feb '11
Re: Take These Candidates ... Please!
Israel Pickholtz: Wow. I don't know what the standard is for this kind of thing, but he was good. I'm not sure if I want to hear Obama do the same - I'm not in the mood for the inevitable arrogant "look-at-me" tone. · 9 minutes ago
Nine minutes later. Not bad. But nothing wow-worthy. And not full of himself.
Feb '11
Re: Take These Candidates ... Please!
Very fun to watch.
Two thoughts:
1. If Cardinal Dolan hadn't invited both candidates, Romney wouldn't have had the foil present for so many of his barbs.
2. Romney has shown us his perfect timing before, in his convention speech with that great line: "President Obama promised to begin to slow the rise of the oceans and heal the planet. My promise is to help you and your family." (video here, at about 31:30)
May '10
Re: Take These Candidates ... Please!
I was among those who expressed disappointment in the Cardinal for inviting Obama. Now I'm happily eating crow. This was right and good. Good for both men. Good for the Church. Good for the country.
Jun '10
Re: Take These Candidates ... Please!
I loved the Joe Biden comment: "He'll laugh at anything."
The Cuomo joke was excellent.
Nov '10
Re: Take These Candidates ... Please!
Well said.
Jun '12
Re: Take These Candidates ... Please!
After watching both candidates, I found Obama's speech funnier than Romney's, probably because he poked more fun at himself than at his opponent. But then, I may be biased.
Dec '11
Re: Take These Candidates ... Please!
He definitely brought the funny - a great job. Some of the lines reminded me classic "Yes, Prime Minister" level material. Wonderful!
Nov '11
Re: Take These Candidates ... Please!
katievs: I just watched Obama. He wasn't as great as Romney, but he was pretty darn good. It may be the only moment ever that I've found the man likable.
Proud of America tonight, and grateful to Cardinal Dolan. · 8 minutes ago
Edited 8 minutes ago
The President was overall genuinely funny, and poked fun at his own first debate very graciously. The line about making Axelrod sweat was unexpectedly hilarious.
But yes, nothing on Romney. And I agree on Romney's style. He has the ability to be absolutely superb, when he slows down a little and loses a bit of the businessman.
Edited on October 19, 2012 at 5:34amMar '11
Re: Take These Candidates ... Please!
I loved that one too even though I'm pretty sure that was scraped off of twitter shortly after the Big Bird silliness started. And I'm sure the originator doesn't mind it being used here.