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A Farewell to the Comedian in Chief
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/25/opinion/a-farewell-to-the-comedian-in-chief.html?smid=fb-share&_r=0A Farewell to the Comedian in Chief
Timothy Egan NOV. 25, 2016
I miss him already. Miss his steady rationality, his I-got-this mien, the eight years without a hint of personal scandal. And not to be overlooked, I miss the wit of Barack Obama. No president has had a better comic sensibility.
Let’s face it: we’re going to need to laugh to get through the presidency of Donald Trump and the Monster’s Ball of his administration. Trump can’t tell a joke, nor can he take one. He was graceless and unfunny at the Al Smith dinner last month, getting booed for his boorishness. And he was petulant and petty with his tweet after a “Saturday Night Live” skit had him asking Siri about the Islamic State.
Thankfully, jokes at the expense of the highest office in the land are fully protected by the Constitution. But jokes coming from the occupant of that office are rare, and rarely funny. Obama is the exception.
Anyone can write a joke. Few can deliver one. Obama has great timing, and a sense of self-deprecation honed over years of making fun of his name and his ears.
Here’s a highlight reel to call upon during the coming White House humor drought:
snip//
The 44th president is leaving office with soaring approval ratings, or as he put it: “The last time I was this high, I was trying to decide my major.”
In Greece last week, after touring the timeless monuments of an ancient civilization, Obama was pestered with questions about the fate of the planet when he hands the office over to Trump. He offered some reassuring words, echoing Yogi Berra. “I always say that the only thing that is the end of world is the end of the world.”
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has done the "Christian" "turn-the-other-cheek" more than Regan from the Exorcist ever did!
Man, the ABUSE, lies, and disrespect that he has endured - I would think that his first order of business after his job is done would be to "GET THE F**K OUT OF THIS COUNTRY!"
Mr. President, you have been a marvelous model of civility and public service. We will miss you.
