Monday, January 16, 2012

Comedians for President

I’ll admit it – I’ve been around long enough to remember Pat Paulsen’s ’68 run for President. Though I wasn’t old enough to understand the issues, I was old enough to find Paulsen hysterically funny.

As it often is for me, it was his body language that did it. His total dry delivery. He did it better than anyone. It didn’t matter what he said, he had me in stitches. From The Smothers Brothers Show, he is an indelible image from my childhood. As well as my first remembrance of anyone running for President. He would have won my vote hands down had they given children the right to vote.

His infamous campaign slogan: “I’ve upped my standards, now up yours.”

On immigration: “All the problems we face in the US today can be traced to an unenlightened immigration policy on the part of the American Indian.”

“If either the left wing or the right wing gained control of the country, it would probably fly around in circles.”

Now it’s Stephen Colbert. He hands his Super PAC over to Jon Stewart in a funny little skit and heads to South Carolina to test the ground. I doubt Colbert will ever come close to being what Paulsen was for me in the 60’s, but I applaud him for trying.

I love when comedians run for President because if any arena needs humor, it’s the political one. As I’ve said many times, humor = truth, or else it wouldn’t be funny. And we all need to hear more truth.

Photo: Pat Paulsen/Wikimedia

2 comments:

Unknown said...

HAHA! Thanks for the Pat Paulsen memory;-) Those quotes are SO funny! heehee

We certainly need continued levity, because otherwise the problems seem insurmountable! And thank goodness for spell-check;-)

love the blog teresa, keep it up! HAHAHA!!
see you soon! Judy d'cash (or even gcash:)

Teresa Verde said...

Thanks for reading Judy Luv!