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62 comments
October 16, 2008 at 11:38 pm
Brad
That was really funny. He needs to learn to not laugh at his own jokes, though.
October 16, 2008 at 11:52 pm
urbino
I actually thought McCain was much the funnier of the two. (Shouldn’t there be some kind of snap poll?)
October 17, 2008 at 12:06 am
ari
Racist.
October 17, 2008 at 3:57 am
Jason B
“Barack” = That One
Now that’s funny.
October 17, 2008 at 4:06 am
ac
I don’t know, Brad. The crowd laughs harder when he starts to lose his composure. The fact that he can’t quite keep a straight face is part of his charm.
October 17, 2008 at 4:45 am
Jason B
Twenty or twenty-five years ago, when Eddie Murphy was funny, he’d start laughing at his own jokes before he told them.
Then he misplaced his funny and now he does children’s movies.
October 17, 2008 at 5:46 am
dana
Obama’s timing was a little bit off, but “Bill Clinton said ‘You can do that?!?!’” was great nonetheless.
October 17, 2008 at 6:03 am
eric
His coat doesn’t quite fit. I assume this indicates his populism.
October 17, 2008 at 6:12 am
kid bitzer
how come i’ve never heard about this event before?
this seems like one of those weird times when you find out that america is not a democracy, it’s an oligarchy. (i know, you’re shocked.)
must be even weirder for obama. ‘that’s part of the presidential campaign calendar? why the fuck?’
October 17, 2008 at 6:36 am
Neddy Merrill
I was watching Rachel Maddow when this came on, and I really had trouble believing it was real. Good thing McCain’s not this personable in serious situations.
October 17, 2008 at 8:34 am
Vance
I liked Obama’s laughing at his own jokes. He’s good enough as a speaker to be able to handle material like this, reasonably funny but not his own style, at arms’ length. That laugh was best, and most complicitous, when the joke didn’t really succeed on its own terms.
October 17, 2008 at 8:35 am
Ahistoricality
I actually thought McCain was much the funnier of the two.
Not by a long shot, though his closing was well done. His jokes depended way too much on his audience thinking that his reality was funny, whereas Obama was actually engaging in something more like satire.
how come i’ve never heard about this event before?
Because the only time it makes national news is in presidential election years, and previously you had to be tuned to CNN or C-Span at the right time to enjoy it. God Bless YouTube!
October 17, 2008 at 8:53 am
kathy a.
very funny. obama was, of course, gracious; after the recent nastiness, i was surprised to see mccain looking fairly gracious and affable.
October 17, 2008 at 9:02 am
Brad
You know, I see a new format for the State of the Union address….
October 17, 2008 at 9:07 am
A White Bear
Ahistoricality is right. I thought it was particularly brave of Obama to do an entire routine outside of his own “voice.” McCain was being a lot more sincere, if a funnier and less angry version of himself. Mac’s joke about the high expectations on Obama may have something to do with it.
But yeah, I thought O’s routine was a lot riskier and funnier, though I was glad to see Mac lighten up a bit.
October 17, 2008 at 9:09 am
delagar
I saw this during Rachel Maddow too, and couldn’t help thinking, while I was laughing helplessly at MCain’s bit, yikes, it’s a good think this McCain didn’t run for president.
October 17, 2008 at 9:10 am
bw
how come i’ve never heard about this event before?
You have, even if you don’t know it: This is where Bush delivered his have-mores / “I call them my base” line, which Michael Moore used in F 9/11.
October 17, 2008 at 9:59 am
oudemia
I liked the “Obviously, I’m too young to have known Al Smith, but from all John McCain has told me . . .” bit. (One of my late father’s earliest memories was spending election day 1928 in church praying for Al Smith.)
October 17, 2008 at 10:12 am
Jason B
I saw this during Rachel Maddow too, and couldn’t help thinking, while I was laughing helplessly at MCain’s bit, yikes, it’s a good think this McCain didn’t run for president.
Now I’m thinking of Bob Dole’s circuit of the talk shows after he lost the 1996 election, and how people thought something similar. He wasn’t likeable at all up through the election, but seemed human and funny after the fact. I’m hoping this likeable version of McCain continues, but I hope it’s too late to help him in the election.
October 17, 2008 at 10:18 am
SomeCallMeTim
The Hillary line from McCain is just great. I think urbino might be right. (I might quibble with “much.”)
October 17, 2008 at 10:53 am
bitchphd
I actually think it’s important that Obama smiles at his own jokes–otherwise they might come off as mean or arrogant, some of ‘em.
October 17, 2008 at 10:54 am
bitchphd
McCain gets credit because he really is genuinely laughing at most of those. Unlike Bush, he has a sense of humor.
October 17, 2008 at 10:56 am
kid bitzer
i smell ideological deviationists.
cease these bourgeois, merely esthetic encomia to the superficial plausibility of a corrupt man. only what is truly good is worthy of our admiration. while you gape and titter, the revolution falters.
anyone who thinks that the enemy is capable of wit is a traitor to the cause.
October 17, 2008 at 11:36 am
Velvet Howler › Blog Archive › Obama is Funny
[...] The Edge of the American West. Tags2008 U.S. Presidential Election, Hillary Clinton, jonh mccain, obama [...]
October 17, 2008 at 1:36 pm
Colin
Urbino’s right. BHO has some good jokes, but he can’t quite hit a punchline right. He has the same trouble in debate sometimes. The first half of McC’s routine, and the expectations bit at the end, dig in and build.
October 17, 2008 at 2:32 pm
dana
I earlier forgot to agree with urbino. Obama’s jokes do not have enough set-up to be quite as funny as McCain’s.
I suspect McCain is being badly served by his campaign, in that a guy who didn’t have to pander to his particular base might be doing better, but he picked the wrong party to not to have to pander to that particular base, so my sympathy is limited.
October 17, 2008 at 3:00 pm
urbino
On the flipside, I thought Obama was much the more gracious and jovial audience. Of course, maybe it’s easier to laugh when you’re ahead.
October 17, 2008 at 3:07 pm
ari
maybe it’s easier to laugh when you’re ahead
Wouldn’t you like to know?
October 17, 2008 at 3:10 pm
kid bitzer
as long as we get to laugh last.
October 17, 2008 at 3:26 pm
dana
Although “whoever gave me my middle name wasn’t thinking I would run for President” was a great line.
October 17, 2008 at 3:49 pm
urbino
anyone who thinks that the enemy is capable of wit is a traitor to the cause.
Stop impersonating kid, Rep. Bachman.
October 17, 2008 at 3:53 pm
urbino
Mo’ bettuh link.
October 17, 2008 at 4:01 pm
ari
urbino, are you saying that you think investigating un-American activities in the United States Congress is a bad idea?
October 17, 2008 at 4:11 pm
Colin
takes the heat off perfessers
October 17, 2008 at 4:12 pm
Vance
After all, how can we be sure these fears are overblown without an investigation?
October 17, 2008 at 4:14 pm
urbino
Well, it has worked well in the past, ari. I’ll give you that.
October 17, 2008 at 4:30 pm
ari
That’s better. Now sir, do you know of any Representatives or Senators who are themselves now, or ever have been, un-American?
October 17, 2008 at 4:39 pm
urbino
Would you like them in alphabetical order, or ranked by severity?
October 17, 2008 at 4:41 pm
ari
Just whisper them in my ear.
October 17, 2008 at 4:46 pm
urbino
Wait. Is this about the un-American congresspeople, or the sexually immoral ones?
October 17, 2008 at 4:54 pm
ari
So you’re saying there’s rampant sexual licentiousness in Congress, and that perversity is related to un-American sentiments?
October 17, 2008 at 5:03 pm
urbino
Some say as many as 435 of them had congress together in one room. Not that I care about some washed up old perverts.
October 17, 2008 at 5:10 pm
Colin
and in DC, too, the least American part of the USA.
October 17, 2008 at 5:44 pm
urbino
So true. If they’d just do it on Main Street, it’d be fine.
October 17, 2008 at 5:45 pm
urbino
fine pro-AmericanOctober 17, 2008 at 5:45 pm
urbino
Let’s try that again:
finepro-AmericanOctober 17, 2008 at 6:07 pm
Colin
sous rature – American
do blink tags still work?
October 17, 2008 at 6:15 pm
urbino
Only this is more exhibitionism than sous rature. Now that’s American.
October 17, 2008 at 7:02 pm
kid bitzer
thanks for the link, urbino.
i just contributed $100. to the campaign of michelle bachmann’s democratic opponent, elwyn tinklenberg.
yeah, for an extra $100. i could ask him to change his name, but i don’t have that kind of money.
October 17, 2008 at 7:20 pm
ari
You’re supporting an elf for Congress, kb? I’m not sure that’s such a good idea. We could find ourselves in a war with the dwarves before we know it.
October 17, 2008 at 7:51 pm
urbino
thanks for the link, urbino.
Mi link es su link.
You’re supporting an elf for Congress, kb?
splutter!
October 17, 2008 at 8:12 pm
Galvinji
You’re supporting an elf for Congress, kb? I’m not sure that’s such a good idea.
I am. Free cookies for all!
October 17, 2008 at 8:16 pm
ari
The return of Galvinji! (I know, I know, you were here the other day. But I wasn’t.) And he brings the television commercials of our youth with him!
October 17, 2008 at 8:39 pm
Galvinji
Well, I had to bring something. I was well brought up, you know.
October 17, 2008 at 10:25 pm
bitchphd
We could find ourselves in a war with the dwarves before we know it.
Okay, most groanworthy comment ever.
October 17, 2008 at 10:45 pm
ari
No girls allowed!
October 17, 2008 at 10:50 pm
bitchphd
Speaking of geeky boy things, Ari, you’ll be pleased, I think, to know that PK is getting a Wii for his birthday. I’m actually a little bit worried about it.
October 17, 2008 at 10:58 pm
Jason B
Right. No girls. Because of the guy in the kitchen.
October 17, 2008 at 11:01 pm
ari
Have clear rules, before the fact, about how much time he can play/day. Make sure he knows that it’s a privilege and not a right to have the thing. And be clear that if he starts to be annoying about doing fun things — like going for bike rides — because he wants to play with his Wii instead, it goes away. That’s worked for us. Also, the tennis game is super fun. Oh, and buy it at Costco. They allow you to return them forever. And video games are one of those things that do break. Plus, they pay a living wage, give health care to their employees, and donate money to Democrats.
October 18, 2008 at 4:25 am
foolishmortal
“We’re all Children of God”
To the (admittedly few) number who have read the book, this is the biggest laugh line of the night. “A child of God, much like you, perhaps.”
October 18, 2008 at 10:24 am
kid bitzer
i got no beef against dwarves. what i mind are the moral midgets.
‘elwyn’ reminds me of the teutonic name for the divine attribute of omniscience, i.e. roughly ‘der alle weiss’, which we inherited in english as ‘elvis’.
so he was the king, of course. but more of a philosopher-king. uh huh huh.
October 18, 2008 at 6:25 pm
kid bitzer
man, my hundred to the elf is nothing.
it is dwarfed by the total contributions that have come in.
tinklenberg has a diary on kos saying that it is now at 488k–almost half a million!
i’m thinking that half a million dollars can go a long way in a minnesota congressional race.
this could get to be fun. wingnut says stupid things, wingnut gets whacked by an avalanche of support for their opponent.