Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton during third and final US Presidential debate.
They couldn't quite bring themselves to shake hands. Can Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump at least laugh a little together?
The world will find out Thursday night, when the White House rivals attend the annual Alfred E. Smith Memorial Foundation Dinner, one of the more lighthearted events on the presidential campaign calendar.
The white-tie soiree in Manhattan's swank Waldorf-Astoria hotel traditionally affords Democrats and Republicans much needed levity, after a contentious presidential campaign.
The dinner -- likely the last joint appearance by Clinton and Trump before the November 8 election -- historically is seen as a first step on the long road bringing the parties together after months of campaign rancor.
The problem this year is that the presidential race has been far more acrimonious than normal, making it harder than usual to bridge the abyss.
Every word and gesture from both candidates will be carefully scrutinized for signs of lingering resentment, one day after their third and final scathing debate.
The 2016 presidential race has been unprecedented for the nasty, personal tone of the candidates' invective.
Trump calls her "Crooked Hillary." Clinton's response is that her Republican rival is "unfit" for the presidency.
At Wednesday night's debate, the real estate tycoon denigrated his rival as a "nasty woman" -- an insult that ricocheted around the internet becoming its own online meme.
Clinton, in turn, accused Trump of being a "puppet" of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
And on, and on.
In a sign of the depth of their mutual contempt, the two candidates weren't even able to shake hands at start of their last two debates, so breaking bread together seems a bit of stretch.
One seat apartThey'll be expected to not just shake hands, but engage in good-natured ribbing at the $3000 a plate dinner, where light banter and clever repartee are as essential dinner fare as the fancy hors d'oeuvres.
Happily, the two combatants will be separated at the table by Cardinal Timothy Dolan, host of the event.
The New York's archdiocese put out an optimistic statement Wednesday expressing hope that "partisan politics will be put aside," during the dinner, which takes on a higher profile than usual during presidential campaign years.
The archdiocese urged the candidates to focus on the "worthy cause" of the political roast which also serves as a fundraiser for needy children.
The guest list Thursday includes the two presidential candidates, and two former New York mayors -- Michael Bloomberg and Rudy Giuliani -- both of whom have been prominent during the current campaign.
Bloomberg has rallied behind Clinton while Giuliani is one of Trump's most prominent campaign surrogates.
The dinner is held in the memory of late Democratic governor Al Smith from New York, home state to both presidential candidates, where Trump was a real estate mogul and daily tabloid fodder, and where Clinton was twice-elected US senator.
Smith in 1928 became the first Catholic presidential candidate from one of the two major parties.
He is affectionately remembered as the "Happy Warrior" for his ability to set aside political grievances for the good of his constituents.
The dinner also focuses attention on Catholics, a key bloc of swing voters in the United States.
White Catholics tend to lean Republican, and often staunchly oppose gay marriage and abortion.
But this year, many are reluctant to vote for the thrice-married former playboy, even if they are not entirely thrilled about Clinton.
A recently-released videotape in which Trump is heard boasting about how his celebrity allows him to take sexual liberties with women has done little to endear him to socially conservative voters.
A poll by Public Religion Research Institute found that he had the support of just 42 percent of white Catholics, compared to 46 percent who favor Clinton.
(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)