You today by your television provider. And i come here tonight to the alsmith dinner knowing im the underdog in these final weeks. If you know where to look, there are signs of hope, theres signs of hope, even in the most unexpected places, even in this room, full of proud manhattan democrats, i cant i cant shake that feeling that some people here are pulling for me. Im delighted to see you here tonight, hillary. I was thrilled to get this invitation. And i feel right at home here because its often been said that i share the politics of alfred e. Smith and the ears of alfred e. Newman. It is an honor to be here with al smith. I obviously never knew your great grandfather but from everything that senator mccain has told me the two of them had a great time together before prohibition. So of course i am delighted. But not surprised by the final repeal of the 18th amendment. I felt all along that when this matter was properly submitted to the rank and file of our people they would readily
And the ears of alfred e. Newman. [laughter] it is an honor to be here with al smith iv. Obviously, i never knew your greatgrandfather. But from everything senator mccain told me [laughter] the two of them had a great time before prohibition. [laughter] al smith of course i am delighted, but not surprised, by the final repeal of the 18th amendment. I have said all along that when it was properly submitted to the rank and file of our people, they would readily see that it had no place in our constitution. It would be very difficult if not impossible to explain to those who come to this country from the lesson taught to the coming generation, to make it their business to see that no such matter as this is ever again made the subject of federal constitutional laws. A peter sien you have been listening to the 2008 president ial nominees talking at and that years Al Smith Dinner followed by al smith himself you talking about the lifting of prohibition in 1933. Will welcome to the contenders
frances perkins who becomes fdr s secretary of labor is a close ally of smith. he s actually got a fairly sort of progressive outlook on women in government. i mean, the advent of the women s vote doesn t immediately have a huge impact certainly on national politics. it ultimately begins to build. but it doesn t have the impact that many people are predicting. and in terms of new york state politics, i mean, john would know this better than i. but i don t have the perception that it really transforms his candidacy. not at first. in fact, smith was not in favor of women suffrage. he changed his mind. in fact, smith s mother said, i ll never vote. there s no need for me to vote. and she does. she casts her first ballot, i believe, for her son for governor. but smith s hook on women s suffrage is, he gets belle moskowitz and a lot of these people involved and he starts to realize, these are new voters. and they said, how do i talk to these people? they said, talk to them like
would talk to a chamber of commerce. like you would anybody else in a campaign. smith starts to realize that women suffrage is a good idea. i can enlighten these people. i can get them to vote democratic. that s where he gets the brain trust and many of the people who work for him for governor, for president, a lot of reformers that become sturdy supporters of the democratic party. smith capitalizes on that. just a few blocks south of here is the new york governor s mansion. al smith lived in there for eight years or so during his career here. what was life like for al smith at the governor s mention. hectic. would he walk up here to the assembly? he would walk. he would walk up here. in fact, when i worked for the legislature, worked for an assemblyman up in his 80s who remembers the governor used to tell me these stories. he remembered the governor walking over from the governor s mansion to the capitol. he d stop him and say, do you go to school with my son? prob
i ll never vote. there s no need for me to vote. and she does. she casts her first ballot, i believe, for her son for governor. but smith s hook on women s suffrage is, he gets bill mos cowits and a lot of these people involved and he starts to realize, these are new voters. and they said, how do i talk to these people? they said, talk to them like you would talk to a chamber of commerce. like you would anybody else in a campaign. smith starts to realize that women suffrage is a good idea. i can enlighten these people. i can get them to vote democratic. that s where he gets the brain trust and many of the people who work for him for governor, for president, a lot of reformers that become sturdy supporters of the democratic party. smith capitalizes on that. just a few blocks south of here is the nu nye governor s mansion. al smith lived in there for eight years or so during his career here. what was life like for al smith at the governor s mention. hectic. would he walk