And a good time was had by all...

I hope you are not as shocked by this photo as I initially was. It was taken by Damon Winter of the New York Times about 24 hours after this year’s third presidential debate between Senator John McCain of Arizona and Senator Barack Obama of Illinois. Here they seem happy to see one another, unless they are just putting on a good front for Archbishop Cardinal Edward Egan of the diocese of New York. The occasion was the 63rd annual white-tie dinner of the Alfred E. Smith Memorial Foundation in Manhattan. Al Smith had been elected governor of New York four times when the Democratic Party tapped him to be its candidate for president in 1928. He didn’t become president, however. He was defeated by the man from Iowa whom radio announcer Harry Von Zell once referred to as “the president of the United States, Hoobert Heever.” You remember Hoobert. He helped usher in the Great Depression.

But I don’t want to make you any more depressed than you already are or raise your blood pressure even a notch. Chill out, already. This white-tie dinner in Manhattan, a major fundraiser for the school system of the Catholic Diocese of New York, is a “must attend” function for politicians wooing New Yorkers for their votes. Apparently Johnny and Eddy and Barry there get on quite affably in a social setting, when the hot lights of the television cameras have been turned off and the national television audience has gone to bed. Both candidates spoke at the dinner, and both got off some real zingers. The dinner guests were practically rolling in the aisles, even Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton (who must have one of the longest Wikipedia articles around, complete with 343 footnotes). I guess it’s just us chickens out here in the hinterlands who get all tense and uptight over a little thing like a presidential election.

Check it out for yourself. Here’s John McCain telling jokes (Part 1) and (Part 2), and here’s Barack Obama telling some jokes of his own (Part 1) and (Part 2). They even manage to say a few nice things about one another. I truly hope such civility catches on with their supporters.

Since Jeannelle broke her promise not to blog about politics, I feel no compunction about letting you in on what happens when the debating ends.

All other ground is sinking sand

The American presidential election, held quadrennially, will take place one month from tomorrow, on November 4th. Millions of words have been written about both candidates and their running mates. I do not propose to add any of my own. I don’t erect signs in my yard or attach bumper stickers to my car. I don’t respond to probes from inquisitive poll-takers. I will vote according to the dictates of my conscience in the privacy of the voting booth. I believe in the secret ballot. Yes, this election is historic and we will soon have either our first black president or our first female vice-president, but what I think, as Billie Holiday used to sing, “Ain’t nobody's business but my own.” How in the world could I have become so un-American? As Yul Brynner once said in The King and I, “Is...a PUZZLEMENT!”

For a completely different take, all you have to do is read Sherry’s blog. She seems to prefer the shrill and strident approach in letting you know exactly what she thinks in political matters, being a graduate of the Joy Behar school of communication and all. I’m not going to provide you with a link to Sherry’s blog or a photograph of Joy Behar. I do try to maintain certain standards. (Sherry, if you’re reading this, I’m joking, sort of. Joy, if you’re reading this, I’ll be one very surprised blogger.)

But that’s not why I started this post. Here’s why: I think Dr. Scot McKnight, a professor at North Park University in Chicago, has written an excellent post today on the JesusCreed blog called “Where is our hope?” and I further think that every American who calls himself or herself a Christian would benefit from clicking on that link.

See, sometimes I do manage to say what I think.