by Jill Zuckman
John McCain has been telling the same jokes for decades, entertaining voters, reporters and friends along the way. (As Chairman Mao says, it’s always darkest before it’s totally black.)
His jokes are so well known, that reporters have teased him that he should number them so they can call out the number, laugh and do away with actually going through the motions of another recitation.
On the David Letterman show last night, McCain showed that he can do just as well with new material as with the well-worn variety.
McCain walked out on stage while Letterman was running through a string of jokes about McCain’s age.
“He looks like the guy who goes into town for turpentine,” said Letterman. “He looks like the guy who always has wiry hair growing out of new places. He looks like the guy who points out the spots they missed at the car wash.”
McCain emerged, addressing the host simply as “Letterman,” and said, “You think that stuff’s pretty funny don’t you?”
“Well, you look like a guy whose laptop would be seized by the authorities,” said McCain. “You look like a guy caught smuggling reptiles in his pants. You look like the guy who the neighbors later say, he mostly kept to himself.”
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Comments
Oh, yes, let's talk about McCain's hilarious sense of humor! McCain looks like a guy who would make a joke that 13-yr-old Chelsea Clinton is ugly! He looks like a guy who would joke about bombing Iran! What a card! What a cut-up!
Stop with the jokes, McCain -- you're killing us. No, seriously, you're killing us.
Posted by: amyd | April 2, 2008 12:30 PM
not really actually sparring as the headline writer promised.
Posted by: russ | April 2, 2008 12:34 PM
Two old men jawing with each other. Both of them should be retired. Bring in the new blood!
Posted by: Vulture Breath | April 2, 2008 12:44 PM
I saw the show; McCain made me laugh out loud. Although I am an Obama supporter (or Hillary, if it comes to that), I came away with a positive opinion of McCain's sense of humor. And if it comes to THAT (McCain presidency), he would be better than W.
Posted by: Dave W | April 2, 2008 12:59 PM
Until Hillary went on this season McCain was the only remaining contender to appear on Saturday Night Live. He's still the only one who's hosted the show.
I saw the Letterman segment and thought it was funny.
Posted by: Jeff | April 2, 2008 1:29 PM
-"he looks like a cattleman with a fake wife"
whats up with her eyes, eh?
Posted by: John | April 2, 2008 2:15 PM
Whether you like or dislike McCain, this WAS a pretty funny bit. I wonder if his people wrote it or if Letterman's people did. It's good to see pols of all parties relax a little and subject themselves to some good-natured abuse.
Posted by: Jerry H | April 2, 2008 2:57 PM
He's funny enough.
By the way, he has been telling a lawyer joke ("what's the difference between a lawyer and a catfish? One's a scum-sucking bottom feeder, and the other's a fish") which my colleague Howard Kurlen told in "The Lincoln Lawyer" (Michael Connelly, Little Brown 2005, available at your local bookstore). McCain should use his own material and not someone else's.
Posted by: Harry Bosch | April 2, 2008 3:34 PM
Vulture Breath,
Why I ought'a....
HB,
And a delicious fish, indeed!
Posted by: OldCreaky | April 2, 2008 6:29 PM
Hey amyd, Chelsey is ugly! And I think she is older than 13 now. She reminds me of Hillary and that's no joke. That's frightening!
What's wrong with bombing Iran?
Posted by: Hillary | April 2, 2008 6:33 PM
McCain never said anything about bombing Iran. Just a paranoid liberal thinking the repubs might want to go to war again. i support McCain and i will vote for him. But anyway the jokes were funny and its shows McCain's humor.
Posted by: Zach | April 2, 2008 7:52 PM
JOHN'the-old-fool'McCAIN will trumpet his 'war-record' as hero - having been a POW on NVIETNAM. Was JOHN'the-old-fool'McCAIN also a 'RAT' on his fellow prisoners??? HOW ABOUT SOME 'STRAIGHT-TALK' ON THIS???
Posted by: Zyskandar A JaimotZ | April 3, 2008 9:16 AM
McCain is a pretty funny guy.
Posted by: Dave Jones | April 3, 2008 9:53 AM