Politics
Finding Humor in Washington
While these are serious times, funny business can unite both parties.
BY GROVER NORQUIST
Grover Norquist is founder and president of Americans for Tax Reform, most notably known for its Taxpayer Protection Pledge. He is co-author (along with John Lott) of Debacle: Obama’s War on Jobs and Growth and What We Can Do Now to Regain Our Future.
I
t’s hard not to notice that Washington, D.C. is a tad bit grumpy these days. President Barack Obama and Senate Dem-
ocrats will not allow the Republicans to reduce spending, and the Republi- can House will not allow the Demo- crats to raise taxes. When gridlock sets in, people tend
to get irritable. While there’s nothing funny about today’s high unemployment and slow
growth, history suggests that a little humor can reduce tensions and begin to get us at least laughing together. And it can be a powerful political tool for those who know how to wield it. Consider President Ronald Rea-
gan. He would unwind after a day of policy debates with liberal Democratic Speaker of the House Tip O’Neill by swapping Irish jokes. They could disagree on taxes with-
out being disagreeable. The best humor is often self-
eff acing. Making a joke at one’s own expense takes some of the air out of Washington’s sense of self-impor- tance. In 2000, for example, outgo- ing President Bill Clinton presented a video of himself adjusting to life after the White House. He is seen asking into the cam- era, “Isn’t there anyone here who can
do my laundry?” and pretending to answer his home phone, “The White House, may I help you?” Humor can make a political point
in a memorable way. President Reagan highlighted the
true nature of the Soviet Union by sharing jokes told by the long-suff er- ing Russian people themselves. The CIA knew to bring the presi-
dent both serious intelligence and the most recent jokes that were making the rounds of breadlines in Moscow. To stress the failures of social-
ism, Reagan repeated the story of the Russian who, when told the car he’d just bought would not be ready for 10 years, asked if he could pick it up in the morning or afternoon. “How could that possibly matter
— it’s 10 years away!” the salesman replied incredulously. “Well,” the Russian explained, “the
plumber is coming in the morning.” Reagan invited Soviet defector
and comedian Yakov Smirnoff to per- form at several Conservative Political Action Conferences (CPAC) during his presidency. Smirnoff shared his delight in dis-
10 Favorite D.C. Laugh Lines
9. President Ronald Reagan:
10. Sarah Palin:
“I guess a small-town mayor is sort of like a ‘community organizer’ — except that you have actual responsibilities.”
36 NEWSMAX | MAY 2013
Speaking of rival Walter Mondale in 1984: “I will not make age an issue of this campaign. I am not going to exploit, for political purposes, my opponent’s youth and inexperience.”
8. Russian-American comedian Yakov Smirnoff :
“In Russia we only had two television channels. Channel 1 was propaganda, and Channel 2 consisted of a KGB of icer telling you, ‘Turn back at once to Channel 1.’”
covering the concept of the “warning shot” in the United States. “In Russia,” he explained, “the police shoot you as a warning to the next guy.” Humor can
7. President Ronald Reagan:
“Today the average man lives 25 years longer than he did a century ago. He has to, to get his taxes paid.”
6. President Calvin Coolidge:
After a Washington socialite told him she’d bet her friends she could get him to utter more than two words. Silent Cal’s response: “You lose.”
PALIN, COOLIDGE/AP IMAGES / SMIRNOFF/CARMEN VALDES/RON GALELLA COLLECTION/WIREIMAGE/GETTY IMAGES
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