“He’s crazy,” Sununu said with laughter and applause – and, above all, no booking. The story goes on under the ad “I do not think he is so crazy that you could put him in a psychiatric hospital,” he added. “But I think if he was in one, he would not go out.” Sununu’s speech was probably the first time the f-bomb had fallen on this gathering of politics, media and business elite in a white tie, and it did not come too early. The room was desperate for a return to normalcy – and not just for saying goodbye to masks and social distance, but for a return to the belief that Republicans and Democrats of good faith can still meet and laugh. “We hope to be a link between the way we were and the way we can be again – in a way,” said Tom DeFrank, president of the club, in his opening remarks. “We need good humor and good company. And more than ever, we need the unity that can come from both. “ The story goes on under the ad With 630 guests, the Gridiron dinner is the most intimate forerunner of the White House Correspondents Association’s most well-known gathering. What began in the 19th century as a small dinner with politicians and men covering the nation’s capital turned into an exclusive night with power brokers mocking both political parties. For more than 100 years, every president – including Trump – has spoken to Gridiron. President Biden did not attend this year. He posted a video that matched the light tone of the night. “I have the feeling even if I’m not at dinner,” the president said, “I’ll be on the menu.” Only two Republican senators, Maine’s Susan Collins (who does not belong to the MAGA wing) and Missouri’s Roy Blunt (who is not seeking re-election) attended dinner. Not a single member of the GOP Parliament appeared. If you are shouting enough fake news, then messing with reporters at a dinner party in a white tie will not suit the base. The story goes on under the ad The VIPs who attended arrived at the Renaissance Hotel in Washington in large numbers: Attorney General Merrick Garland and many other members of the Cabinet. Press secretary Jen Psaki is about to leave for a new concert on MSNBC. New York Mayor Eric Adams (D); Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Federal Reserve, Jerome H. Powell; Anthony S. Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergies and Infectious Diseases. National Basketball Association Commissioner Adam Silver. and the Ambassador of Ukraine to the United States, Oksana Markarova, who received warm applause. The guest list also included Democratic senators Amy Klobuchar (Minn.), Edward J. Markey (Mass.) And Kirsten Gillibrand (NY), and representatives Adam B. Schiff (California) and Debbie Dingell (Mich.). The evening opened with a tribute to Ukraine by the house band and greetings to the military by the Marine Band, including the rendition of the Space Force anthem. (Who knew?) Journalists Al Hunt and Judy Woodruff introduced the officials and referred to the other big event that happened that night. “I thought this was the Duke-Carolina game,” Woodruff said. (Gridiron informal rules forbid visitors from posting on social media until after dinner, but say nothing about controlling the game’s results.) This club entertains in the comfort of the home: funny jokes, keyless song, sketches that mock the politics of the moment. Each party receives a “response”: Sununu spoke on behalf of Republicans, Democrat MP Jamie B. Raskin (Md.) – and Government Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, who complained that she was advised to tell self-deprecating jokes. The story goes on under the ad “Jokes that underestimate themselves? “Nobody knows who I am,” Raimondo said, nailing the mission, even though he was making fun of it. The performances were presented by veteran reporters covering Washington. There are sketches that depict figures in both places, and it is always good to see who has the strongest piercings. The section of the evening focused on Republicans, including Marjorie Taylor Greene (Ga.), Lauren Boebert (Colo.) and Paul A. Gosar (Ariz.) were portrayed as “The Morons on Our Team”, sung in the Addams family theme song. In “Thank God I’m a Harvard Boy” (sung in “Thank God I’m a Country Boy”), actors playing a number of Republican college graduates – former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Florida Gov. Ron DeSadis and Sen. Ted Cruz (Tex). Tom Cotton (Ark) – took to the stage in overalls and flannel shirts, pretending to be cornflakes instead of Harvard graduates. But the player of the night struck at the heart of the club’s dilemma: If his nostalgic hope for Washington is based on the idea that both parties are quite committed to his common values truth, courtesy and the rule of law to enjoy each other’s company, what if real the future is another four years Trump? The story goes on under the ad A Trump ally came out on stage wearing a crown and robe and shouted “I’ll Be Back” (a “Hamilton” parody). I will be back, you will see soon. You will remember that you belong to me. You will regret showing me the door. Elections can still be called off. And when it comes to pushing, I will send a lightly armed militia To remind you of my love. Then came Sununu, the Republican who stands out for his willingness to face Trump, Cruz and the MyPillow guy. None of the cartoons for Democrats occupied the same existential terror as the missions of the Republicans. They were aimed at more well-known goals: Biden’s age and sinking polls, the liberal budget overthrow, Nancy Pelosi’s reluctance to give up the speaker’s hammer, Senator Joe Mancin’s reluctance to do much, well … whatever his party wants. A fake Fauci sang from the stage to the real Fauci in the audience: “Doctor, doctor, give me some clues, we have a bad case of covid blues”. The story goes on under the ad Ruskin’s soaring rise – thanks to his prosecution in Trump’s second referral – prompted Gridiron to call on the Democrats to respond. It started with a tip at Sununu. “It was a complete riot, by which I mean a regular tourist visit,” Ruskin said. “I have not heard a Republican use the word f so much from the Nixon administration.” Then he changed the tone: “But I have to say that Governor Sununu’s eloquent swearing is the kind of uprising that the GOP really needs today. “If democracy survives, it will take a lot more people like the great governor of New Hampshire.” Ruskin is a serious guy at heart. Most of his jokes fell on deaf ears. But the MP ended up with a sly kick. “It’s a great sign for the future when a dozen Democrats and two Republicans can come together in solidarity and friendship.” The night ended, as always, with a toast for the President of the United States and the audience holding hands and singing “Auld Lang Syne”: We will get another cup of goodness, for days of unusual coexistence. The past is a prologue – at least it was in this place tonight.
