i feel right at home here because it is often said i share the politics of alfred e. smith and the ears of alfred e. newman. [laughter] it is an honor to be here with al smith iv. obviously, i never knew your great-grandfather. but from everything senator mccain told me - [laughter] the two of them had a great time before prohibition. [laughter] >> 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. >> you have been listening to the 2008 presidential nominees talking at that year's al smith dinner followed by al smith himself talking about the lifting of prohibition in 1933. hello and welcome to "the contenders" series. we c

gage and john edwards talk about the life and career of 1928 democratic presidential nominee alfred e smithunior on c-span's contender series. then, he looked back at the 1960 political inventions with residential nominees senator john f. kennedy and vice president richard nixon. after that, president trump's news conference from earlier today at of the trump national golf club in bedminster, new jersey. >> and now from albany, new york, the life of al smith as >> i come here tonight knowing i am the underdog in these final weeks. if you know where to look, there are signs of hope. even in the most unexpected places. even in this room full of proud manhattan democrats. i can't shake that feeling that some people here are pulling for some people here are pulling for me.