She was the first presidential candidate in forty years to miss the dinner, which has become famous for its speeches in which the two opponents make jibes at each other’s expense. Instead, she appeared only in a prerecorded video. Some Democratic operatives feared that her absence might upset the Catholic vote: this is a charity fundraiser organized by the Arch-diocese of New York. What would voters make of the ice president’s priorities, especially in the swing state of Pennsylvania where a quarter of voters are Catholic?
In the end, however, her team needn’t have worried about a perceived snub. They should have worried that, unopposed and in the spotlight, Trump confirmed Democrats’ fears: he is still funny.
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