Politics in America usually feels like a shouting match. But once every four years, there’s this weird, white-tie dinner in New York where candidates are supposed to drop the swords and just be funny. It’s the Al Smith Dinner. Or, more formally, the Alfred E. Smith Memorial Foundation Dinner. Usually, both candidates show up. They sit a few feet apart. They eat expensive food and roast each other.
Except this time, Kamala Harris didn't show.
Instead, she sent a video. Not just any video, though. She filmed a comedy sketch featuring Molly Shannon reprising her legendary Saturday Night Live character, Mary Katherine Gallagher. If you've ever seen the 90s era of SNL, you know the one—the awkward Catholic schoolgirl who sticks her hands under her armpits and then smells them. Yeah, that really happened in a campaign video.
The Kamala Harris Al Smith Video Breakdown
The video starts with Harris sitting at a desk, looking "presidential." Suddenly, Shannon bursts in as Mary Katherine Gallagher. The whole bit is built on the "superstar" trope. Shannon’s character is nervous and flighty, offering "advice" to the Vice President on how to handle a room full of New York's Catholic elite.
Honestly, it was a big swing.
The dialogue leaned heavily into Catholic tropes. Mary Katherine Gallagher tells Harris, "Thou shall not bear false witness to thy neighbor." Harris, quick on the draw, quips back with a dig at Donald Trump, saying, "Especially thy neighbor's election results."
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Then came the House of the Dragon reference. Shannon quotes a monologue about needing a woman to lead. It was a bizarre mashup of 90s nostalgia, current HBO hits, and 2024 campaign talking points. The bit ended with the classic "Superstar!" pose—arms out, one leg up.
Why Skipping the Dinner Was Such a Big Deal
You have to go back to 1984 to find the last time a major candidate skipped this event. That was Walter Mondale. He lost 49 states that year, so the precedent isn't exactly great for anyone superstitious.
The Al Smith Dinner isn't just a party. It’s a massive fundraiser for Catholic Charities, bringing in millions for children and families in need. By not being there in person, Harris broke a decades-long tradition of bipartisan civility. Her team said she was busy campaigning in battleground states like Wisconsin. They figured a rally in a swing state was worth more than a fancy dinner in deep-blue Manhattan.
But the room didn't exactly love it.
When the Kamala Harris Al Smith video finished playing at the New York Hilton Midtown, the reaction was... mixed. Jim Gaffigan, the emcee for the night, didn't hold back. He joked that watching the video felt like being a kid whose dad FaceTimed into a piano recital. It was a burn. A pretty good one, too.
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The "Cringe" Factor and the Fallout
The internet, as it always does, split into two camps immediately. Supporters called it "fun" and "relatable." They argued that a pre-recorded sketch let her reach a younger audience who watches clips on TikTok rather than people who wear tuxedos to charity galas.
Critics? They used the word "cringe." A lot.
The main complaint was that the sketch felt out of place for a fundraiser hosted by the Archdiocese of New York. Cardinal Timothy Dolan, who usually sits between the two candidates, looked notably stoic during the broadcast. Some Catholic commentators felt the use of a "goofy" Catholic schoolgirl character was a bit tone-deaf given the setting.
Donald Trump, who did show up, used his entire speech to hammer her for being absent. He called it "deeply disrespectful." Of course, Trump also got his own share of boos for some of his harsher jokes, but he had the "advantage" of being in the room.
Did it Actually Move the Needle?
Politics is a game of margins. Does a 3-minute video with a comedian from the 90s change who someone votes for in Pennsylvania? Probably not.
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However, it did reinforce certain narratives.
- For her fans, it showed she was "too busy working" to go to a gala.
- For her detractors, it was evidence that she avoids unscripted or "hostile" environments.
- For the Catholic vote—which is huge in the Rust Belt—it was a gamble.
The Al Smith Dinner is about showing you can take a joke. It’s about being "human." By opting for a polished, edited video, Harris missed the chance to show she could handle the heat of a live roast. Then again, she avoided the risk of a bad live performance or a cold reaction from a room that can be notoriously tough on Democrats.
Key Takeaways from the 2024 Dinner
- The Break with Tradition: Harris was the first candidate in 40 years to skip the live event.
- The Cameo: Molly Shannon revived Mary Katherine Gallagher for the first time in years for this specific Kamala Harris Al Smith video.
- The Host's Bite: Jim Gaffigan’s "FaceTime" joke became the most shared quote of the night.
- The Strategy: The campaign prioritized swing-state voters over the New York "Establishment."
What You Can Do Next
If you're trying to understand how this fits into the broader 2024 or 2028 landscape, look at the polling data following the event. Specifically, check the "favorability" ratings among Catholic voters in the Midwest.
You should also watch the full video of Jim Gaffigan’s opening monologue. It provides the necessary context for why the room felt the way it did. Often, the "vibe" of the live audience tells a bigger story than the polished video itself. Look for the unedited versions of the speeches to see where the real tension was—it's usually in the silences between the jokes.
Finally, compare this to the 2016 dinner between Trump and Hillary Clinton. That was perhaps the most "vicious" the dinner has ever been. Seeing how the tone has shifted from 2016 to 2024 tells you everything you need to know about the current state of American civility.