by Mark Silva
Some jobs, people grow into.
But it appears that President Barack Obama was born to the role of comedian-in-chief. Never mind his 58 percent public job approval. He's been playing in the 90th percentile at the Washington comedy shows for some time now.
His routine last night at the Rado and TV Correspondents dinner -- with those jokes about Rahm Emanuel and the camel and Joe Biden's incessant talking, and that program that ABC is planning about the White House called "Dancing With the Czars'' -- got us to thinking about the night three years ago when Obama stepped out to make fun of -- none other than Biden, his future running mate, and John McCain, his future adversary in a bid for the White House.
Three years ago, with his debut at the head table of the white-tie Gridiron Club, Obama, then-junior senator from Illinois, showed that he not only had impeccaable timing and creative ghost writers, but also could sing.
""Men in tails. Women in gowns,'' Obama marveled that night in April 2006. "An orchestra playing, as folks reminisce about the good old days....
" Kind of like dinner at the Kerrys.''
Wielding a script for which Democratic political consultant David Axelrod bore a great deal of credit, Obama said: "The truth is, I'm terrified to be here... Not because you're such a tough audience, but because they're serving drinks. I'm standing about 30 yards from the vice president, and I'm a lawyer. The only thing that could make this more dangerous is if he considered me a friend...
"About that book,'' he said of his best-selling memoir in the days before The Audacity of Hope, "some folks thought it was a little presumptuous to write an autobiography at the age of 33... But people seemed to like it. So now I'm working on volume two - the Senate months. My remarkable journey from 99th in seniority to 98th.
"Believe me, when you're the last guy to ask questions at every committee hearing, you have plenty of time to collect your thoughts,'' he said, with a joke that bears a certain amount of added relevance today. "Especially when Joe Biden's on the committee.''
Then the band struck up a familiar refrain from The Wizard of Oz, and Obama proceeded to sing from the podium, with a steady, unflinching, and even in-tune delivery of a song about the senator from Arizona whom he would later face at the polls:
"I'm aspiring to greatness, but somehow I feel weightless.
A freshman's sad refrain.
I could be a great uniter, making ethics rules much tighter,
If I only had McCain...
"I could bring us all together, no storm we couldn't weather.
We'd feel each other's pain.
Red and blue wouldn't matter, party differences would shatter,
If I only had McCain.
"Oh why is it so hard, for honest men of good will to agree.
If we ever found a way to strike a deal, would we survive... politically?
"When a wide-eyed young idealist confronts a seasoned realist,
there's bound to be some strain.
"With the game barely started, I'd be feeling less downhearted,
If I only had McCain.
"Still I hope for the better, though I may rewrite my letter,
cause I gotta have McCain.''
Comments
Perhaps the most revealing is the reaction of the "journalists," an enthusiastic standing ovation to Obama's introduction. It turns out Obama was speaking to his base Friday night. As he noted, "I know which side my bread is buttered on."
Posted by: Wm Tate | June 20, 2009 2:29 PM
"I know which side my bread is buttered on."
If only the republicans knew which side their bread is buttered.......they wouldn't have dropped it!
Posted by: bill r. | June 20, 2009 6:59 PM
It is clear that by reading all of Silva's posts about Obama that he has some sort of love thing for him. Come on! Comedian-in-Chief? All presidents have had good jokes at these things. They are written for them! In fact, in the past, professional comedians even wrote some of the jokes for the presidents.
Mark, you really need to calm down about Obama. Stick a fork in the tent!
Yes, I know, the LIBune Swamp Censor Gestapos will censor this too.
Posted by: John D | June 20, 2009 7:04 PM
You're apology is accepted.
Posted by: Unoffical Swamp Censor Gestpo | June 20, 2009 11:41 PM
No, no.
Obama is funny.
Bush Jr, a riot.
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Republican To Do List:2501
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-Lack of spokesperson
-Lack of vision
-Lack of message
-Lack of counter solutions.
-Lack of credibility
-Lack of time/spacial relations (The Cold War just ended, Clinton left office, and it's September 11, 2001.)
-Lack of funny bones.
Obama doesn't seem to generate a lot of comedic jabs from the right. Look at the lack on this thread. Even JohnnyHyena would rather target Mark than Obama with his whimsical wit. Whose got a crush now? Obama must be doing a great job, pride won't let the right show it, and so the silence speaks for them. We all know that with Limbaugh and a$$ barnacles at the visible pseudo-helm of the Republican party the high road is NOT an option. Lack of material? Yeah, that's it. Pelican party. Long on bill. Short on fish. The Warts that human kind has to Occlusal.
Posted by: Ad-Lib | June 21, 2009 1:08 AM
Yes, I know, the LIBune Swamp Censor Gestapos will censor this too.
Posted by: John D | June 20, 2009 7:04 PM
John, why do you even bother posting on here if you dont like what you read?
Compairing the Swamp to gestapos? Come on man, the last administration cencored more info than any other administration in our lifetime, you didnt seem to mind then. And if you think anything that came out of Bush's snarly mouth was funny you really are a big bore.
Posted by: Scot S. Blakeley | June 21, 2009 8:44 AM
"John D", doesn't this remind you of when Mao was the Communist dictator of China, and the state-run Chinese media (not satisfied with stories proclaiming Mao a political genius) wrote articles on how Mao had broken Olympic swimming records--at age 75!
On a related note, here's a story the usually poll-happy Swamp is so far ignoring---Obama's plummeting approval numbers. "The Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll for Sunday shows that 32% of the nation's voters now Strongly Approve of the way that Barack Obama is performing his role as President. Thirty-four percent (34%) Strongly Disapprove giving Obama a Presidential Approval Index rating of -2. That’s the President’s lowest rating to date and the first time the Presidential Approval Index has fallen below zero for Obama (see trends)."
Posted by: Bruce | June 21, 2009 9:34 AM
Geographically Ignorant Little Johnnie D, how about you "sticking a fork" in your never ending whining about the "Libune", your posts being censored in the Swamp, etc?
Why do you even bother coming here anymore - is it just to prove that you are a professional crybaby?
Posted by: BC | June 21, 2009 12:00 PM
Oh BC, where is the love? Please explain to the world your theory that Northwest Cuba doesn't border the Gulf of Mexico and that in your little pea brain that Cuba, in fact, is nowhere near the Gulf?
Here are some studying aids for you:
http://1planet1ocean.org/exploring-studying-cubas-gulf-of-mexico/
And with this one, the two green masses at the bottom are the Yucatan Peninsula on the Left and Cuba on the right, that's right BC, Cuba!!
http://www.tageo.com/index-e-cu-v-00-d-m2303850.htm
And, from the Mapsoftheworld.com website comes this:
LOCATION OF CUBA
Cuba is nestled towards the north of Caribbean merging with the waters of the Caribbean Sea, the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean. Bordered to United States and Bahamas to the eastern front, Turks, East of Mexico, Caicos Island and Haiti towards the western front, Cayman Island and Jamaica towards the southern area.
Learn anything, BC? Ooops, sorry, being a Loony Lefter, you can't!
Posted by: John D | June 21, 2009 5:38 PM