Bush uses humor, sarcasm to soften blow of Kerry criticism

[54anickel]

http://www.thestate.com/mld/thestate/news/politics/8587103.htm

MAUMEE, Ohio - President Bush is trying to skewer John Kerry with his own words - delighting partisan audiences with a strategy to use humor as a political weapon.

As the presidential race heats up, Bush is going for the jugular with jocularity. Hoping to hurt Kerry's campaign without looking hurtful, Bush is not the first politician who tried to strike such a balance.

"Humor can be a very effective way to deliver a negative as long as the jokes are not seen as mean-spirited," said Democratic strategist Anita Dunn of Washington. "There is an invisible line that can't be crossed - between lighthearted and poking fun to make a larger point, and something that is just plain mean."


snip>
"It will be like everything else in the campaign - people who like John Kerry will see it as mean, and people who like Bush will love it," the Democratic strategist said. "And the people in the middle are not reading the papers."

more...

[THUNDER HANDS]

1. I wish Kerry was funnier

That's my one minor beef with him. Although, to be fair, no Dem running this year had a sense of humor other than Sharpton and (gasp) Lieberman.

[DemMother]

5. Kerry can be funny...

Did you see the MTV debate? I'm paraphrasing from memory so this is going to be a weak representation...

A young woman asked the candidate to pick someone who they'd have as their wingman...
Sharpton (who is very funny) picked Teresa Heinz Kerry because she's so much fun...when it came to John Kerry, he grinned and said he'd have to pick Sharpton just so he could keep an eye on his wife. He said it in such a good-natured, easy way that it changed my perception of him. I've heard him make other low-keyed kind of comments like that--off-the-cuff, not the scripted jokes that Bush delivers.

But, aside from all of that, I'm not so sure Bush's humor plays real well, given all that we're facing in Iraq and at home. It adds to the impression that there isn't much weight to the guy. And I'm not so sure that independents and moderates who haven't made up their minds (and that seems inexplicable to me) will be swayed by a few canned jokes.

[CatWoman]

10. and * IS funny?

:shrug:

[THUNDER HANDS]

14. not funny

but, he does have pretty descent comedic timing. Just something I've observed.

[CatWoman]

16. We need to get you some more women

maybe then you can think more clearly :D

[THUNDER HANDS]

17. no thanks

I'm perfectly happy with the one I have now.

Now, as for you.... :D

[yardwork]

21. I guess I missed it.

I've never heard Chimpy say anything remotely funny. The only people amused by his studied, painfully processed comments are those who are so brain-washed they'll vote for him no matter what.

Chimpy's laughing to the choir.

[sofa king]

2. Yes, impress us with your off-the-cuff quips, Mr. President.

"Just because somebody has an accent and a nice suit and a good table at a fancy restaurant in New York, doesn't make them a foreign leader." --George Bush

"Uh, Mr. President, it doesn't make a domestic leader, either. And your Outback pager says it's time for your meeting with the Australians." --sofa king

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

3. The last line is so sad and true

"And the people in the middle are not reading the papers."

IMO, that's the biggest reason we're still behind in the polls. America is simply NOT paying attention.

[truthisfreedom]

4. bush's jokes ALWAYS come off as mean-spirited, because he has a black

black black heart.

[Judi Lynn]

15. Targeting other peoples' "shortcomings" isn't actually funny

to anyone other than insecure, sadistic bullies. The ability to deflect personal scrutiny by pointing out someone else is clumsy and stupid defensiveness, and not really humor in any sense.

[Ruby Romaine]

22. Bush would be a joke if people were not dying!

[patricia92243]

6. Actually that is an excellent strategy. Kerry - and most of all - his....

people that represent him - should use it every single chance they get - against Bush and any or all of his administration.

[Mz Pip]

7. Well isn't that special

Bush is a better stand up comic than Kerry. This makes him more qualified to run the country.

People are just stupid if they fall for Bush's self effacing BS humor.

MzPip
:dem:

[Judi Lynn]

18. Bush's "evolution" to self-effacement is a new trick

designed to cope with people who would otherwise wonder about his astounding helplessness with real information and grammer.

His handlers have been struggling wildly to turn around true insufficiency and disguise it as something else by encouraging him to deflect criticism by saying something first himself.

Our pResident truly sucks. He's only pretending to be good-humored.

[FlemingsGhost]

8. George W. Bush is a joke.

How anyone could take him seriously is beyond me.

[robbedvoter]

9. "And you are Pedro" "Ha!Ha!ha! Good one, Sir" "Where are the WMD's?" Ha!

I heard his "joke" of today. He was recounting Kerry's SUV flub as it was the funniest thing - and his stooges were laughing as if it was actually funny. :puke:
For a Dem to act impressed it's what is wrong with us, The entire article is another kiss ass job

[Mattforclark]

11. You wanna know what's really funny?

[The Backlash Cometh]

12. Buffoons are good with humor.

All they have to do is land on their head. Bush seems to be pretty good at that.

[radfringe]

13. don't forget that bush*

as Gov. of TX, found the death penalty funny

and looking for WMDs under his desk was a knee slapper

[rocktivity]

19. What else can he use--the truth?

:headbang:
rocknation

[phatkatt]

20. With lines like "I hit the trifecta", "Cant wait to hang it"...

Real knee-slappers.

[PATRICK]

23. Actually, a liability

Remember he has been isolated among canned audiences, at worst, polite sycophants such as during his worst snafu in the humor department- joking about WMD's. An ad of Bush's wit would be a great plus for our side. The "Trifecta" joke for one. The devastating juxtaposition of images with this smarmy mean garbage has been done very well on one site linked earlier on DU, which I can't remember.

His isolation from real people is a telling blow against any real interaction or spontaneity. The best recipient of the delusion in fact is W himself and his court advisors, self-congratulating positive thinkers all, who have nothing, absolutely nothing more to gain from entertaining the choir.

The choir can still be lost in the real world and the rest of us, nice headlines and free rides aside, see this low quality meanness in its true light. There is no kidding the American people about real, generous and witty humor or else Dennis would be top banana.

Bush is still coasting on a very thin skin of shadow support. it could vanish in a twinkling like the heaven and the earth rolled up like a scroll in an old cue card monitor. Apocalyptic imagery. pride goes before a fall and that is the only surplus besides misery in the Bush administration. Those two surpluses by the way are poor sources of humor for an unsympathetic aristo.

Kerry's smart and compassionate, two necessary conditions for sympathetic humor. Like Gore he only needs the obvious pep talk. Loosen up and connect.

Oh and today Bush went to a commoner pancake breakfast. Did he really eat common pancakes? Were it not for his media position and power Bush reminds me of truly pathetic connection campaigns of truly hopeless GOP candidates who went on to suffer landslidfe defeats. Keep the yuks coming, W, dear W.