"The Al Smith dinner is sponsored by the Catholic Archdiocese of New York, primarily to raise money for poor children. Last night the charity broke a record, raising more than $6 million. That's the good news. The bad news is the keynote speakers - Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump - were way too harsh and they embarrassed Cardinal Timothy Dolan. It's supposed to be a light-hearted night, but last night it was nasty. Donald Trump said this: 'Hillary believes that it's vital to deceive the people by having one public policy and a totally different policy in private ... For example, here she is tonight, in public, pretending not to hate Catholics.' Wow. That stunned the crowd. So I was expecting Secretary Clinton to seize the moment and be gracious, which would have helped her. But Mrs. Clinton did not do that. Among her comments: 'Donald looks at the Statue of Liberty and sees a four, maybe a five if she loses the torch and tablet and changes her hair.' What Trump and Clinton did was more like a roast, not an amiable benefit. I was about five feet away from them and it was clear to me that neither wanted to be at the event. It was also clear that they despise each other at a level rarely seen in national politics. This incident will pass, it's not anything that will linger. But for me as a voter, I have to question the judgment here. Both candidates had their scripts written for them, yet they chose to go the hard way. Why? Judgment is important for a president."

The Factor welcomed FNC's Chris Wallace, moderator of the third presidential debate, who was also taken aback by the candidates' sharp barbs at the Al Smith Dinner. "They both went a little too far," Wallace said, "but I thought Trump went way too far. His comments about her being corrupt and someone who hates Catholics was really in bad taste. People openly booed him." Wallace also gave his unique perspective on Wednesday's debate. "They do not like each other and that was plain from the moment they walked out on the stage and refused to shake hands. When Hillary Clinton came up to thank me, Donald Trump stayed behind at his podium. He didn't want to breathe the same air or get anywhere near Hillary Clinton!" As for the debate itself, Wallace said, "I would have to say that Hillary dodged more than Trump did, especially when it came to the Clinton Foundation."

While most national polls show Hillary Clinton with a solid lead, a few reputable tracking polls have the race essentially tied or even give Donald Trump a small lead. Geraldo Rivera and Eric Bolling weighed in. "These polls are outliers," Rivera said, "and they may not represent what's really going on. It's Hillary plus six, but her voters are not enthusiastic. Trump disqualified himself when the Access Hollywood tape came out, that lost him the women's vote." Bolling theorized that Donald Trump can stage a comeback. "In any other election Hillary Clinton would have thrown in the towel by now because of the WikiLeaks emails and the Project Veritas videos. But the media talks about everything Trump does instead of these issues. A lot of things can happen between now and the election."

Fox Business News host Lou Dobbs, a Donald Trump supporter, told The Factor that his man will win the election. "I think the debates turned out perfectly," he averred, "and Donald Trump has engaged the American public on the issues that are important to the nation." Dobbs aruged that Trump's refusal to say he will accept the election results will actually accrue to his benefit. "The 'rigged' thing is a stroke of genius, he is dominating the airwaves and the web and newspapers with the story of why this is a rigged election. The Democratic Party had to replace their three top officers because they rigged the primary against Bernie Sanders and they are corrupt. I think Donald Trump will prevail."

The 'Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation' has released a stunning study showing that about one-third of millennials believe George W. Bush was responsible for more deaths than Soviet butcher Joseph Stalin. Also, fewer than half view capitalism favorably and about half would vote for a socialist. Marion Smith, director of the Foundation, elaborated on the disturbing findings. "Unfortunately we were not surprised," he began. "We've been trying to educate younger Americans about the history of communism and the 100-million people who were killed in communist regimes. Many young people didn't even believe that number, so it was obviously a problem. They also face withering critiques of our free enterprise system and our own history." The Factor lamented, "The public school system is not teaching anything, many young people don't know anything about World War II or Stalin."

'The Five' co-host Dana Perino, whose former boss George W. Bush used to speak at the annual Al Smith Dinner, provided some insights into that type of speech-making. "Humorous speeches are hard to give," she said, "and President Bush put a lot of effort into it. He spent a lot of time practicing those speeches, and the goal was to make everyone feel comfortable. You want to be respectful to the Cardinal, raise money for the kids, and have a moment of levity. Last night that is not what you saw." The Factor added, "George W. Bush was always appropriate and President Obama was the best at giving those kinds of speeches."

FNC's John Stossel entered the No Spin Zone and declared his intention to vote for Libertarian Party candidate Gary Johnson, even though Johnson has made some embarrassing gaffes. "I can't vote for the other two because they are bad people," he asserted. "Both are ruthless, ambitious, ignorant, selfish, power-mad people. Gary Johnson was a two-term Governor of New Mexico, a Democratic state. He vetoed 700 bills, he had a good fiscal record, and he knows more about governing and growth than Trump or Clinton. He is better than them by far!"

Janet, GA: "Bill, I would like to know how you, in good conscience, can attend a dinner where Hillary Clinton is a guest. Both you and Cardinal Dolan are a disgrace to the Catholic faith in the eyes of God."

Richard Lamb, Oakley Fife, Scotland: "I think Miller is spot on saying the boat has sailed for America. Four more years of the same will ruin you."

Nick Parish, Anaheim, CA: "Miller said a very profound thing: 'The left believes in cradle-to-grave entitlements, they just make it hard to get to the cradle.'"

When someone slings slime and dirt in your direction, do your best to ignore the small and annoying stuff. If you have to respond, do it with facts and rationality.