Where has all the humor gone in American politics? Sure, that may sound like a column for the dog days of late August, but I think our current humorlessness actually says quite a bit about the state of American politics.
“Gentlemen why do you not laugh?” Abraham Lincoln asked his cabinet during the Civil War. “With the fearful strain that is upon me day and night if I did not laugh, I should die.” He was the model; when accused of being two faced, Lincoln responded, “If I had two faces would I be wearing this one?”
Politics today are downright dour.
Mark Shields, who as a columnist, commentator and earlier a political strategist was unsurpassed for his keen humor as well as political insights, offers an explanation: “Contemporary politicians lack the sense of self or the self-confidence to use humor. Every issue is of gravity, and any use of humor might suggest not taking the issue being discussed seriously enough.”
The upshot, he says, is “our politics is more grim as a result of the absence of humor, less interesting, and our politicians are a lot more self-serious, even self-important.”
Dick Flavin is a legendary Boston humorist and former television commentator who has written speeches for prominent Democrats like Ted Kennedy. He traces much of this overbearing seriousness to Newt GingrichNewton (Newt) Leroy GingrichMORE, the former Republican Speaker of the House: “He rose to prominence by preaching that politics is war and that the other side should be treated as enemies, to be destroyed at all costs. The loss of our sense of humor is collateral damage.”
Self-deprecating humor used to be an effective tool. “If you can make fun of yourself, it says ‘I’m just like you,’” notes former Republican humor speech writer, Landon Parvin.
Eric Schnure, a Washington-based consultant who has written many humor speeches, mainly for Democratic politicians but also a few Republicans, agrees: “The goal no longer is to define yourself as witty and appeal to all while scoring a point. It’s now solely to score the point.”
A reprise, familiar mainly to us old-timers is revealing; try to imagine any of this from today’s politicians.
Before the 1960 presidential primaries, Joseph Kennedy’s willingness to spend big money on his son’s race was controversial. At one Gridiron dinner, JFK read a telegram supposedly from his father: “Don’t buy one more vote than necessary. I’ll be damned if I’m going to pay for a landslide.”
When criticized for soaring deficits, Regan replied, “I am not worried about the deficit. It is big enough to take care of itself.”
Making light of your own party was a winner. Bob Dole once quipped that “Only a Republican would think that the best part of Viagra is the fact that you could make money off it.” Arizona’s Morris Udall, a Democrat, said he wanted to be buried in Chicago — so he could “remain active in politics.”
One of my favorite moments in years of interminable Washington press dinners was sitting next to Udall, a liberal Democrat, as he marveled at the timing of conservative Republican Alan Simpson.
The Wyoming Republican once noted that in “your country club, your church and business, about 15 percent of the people are screwballs, lightweights and boobs. You would not want those people unrepresented in Congress.”
My favorite story is the one Udall used to tell about the politician who was visiting an Indian reservation right before an election. If they voted for him, he promised a new hospital for the reservation: “Goomwah, Goomwah,” the tribe responded. Udall said the politician then added if they voted for him, they’d get a new school: “Goomwah, Goomwah” was the enthusiastic reply. As the self-satisfied politician was leaving by the horse corral, Udall said, the tribal chief cautioned him to be careful not to step in the goomwah.
Al Hunt is the former executive editor of Bloomberg News. He previously served as reporter, bureau chief and Washington editor for the Wall Street Journal. For almost a quarter century he wrote a column on politics for The Wall Street Journal, then The International New York Times and Bloomberg View. He hosts Politics War Room with James Carville. Follow him on Twitter @AlHuntDC.
OTTAWA – Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the NDP is caving to political pressure from Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre when it comes to their stance on the consumer carbon price.
Trudeau says he believes Jagmeet Singh and the NDP care about the environment, but it’s “increasingly obvious” that they have “no idea” what to do about climate change.
On Thursday, Singh said the NDP is working on a plan that wouldn’t put the burden of fighting climate change on the backs of workers, but wouldn’t say if that plan would include a consumer carbon price.
Singh’s noncommittal position comes as the NDP tries to frame itself as a credible alternative to the Conservatives in the next federal election.
Poilievre responded to that by releasing a video, pointing out that the NDP has voted time and again in favour of the Liberals’ carbon price.
British Columbia Premier David Eby also changed his tune on Thursday, promising that a re-elected NDP government would scrap the long-standing carbon tax and shift the burden to “big polluters,” if the federal government dropped its requirements.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.
Simon Jolin-Barrette, minister responsible for consumer protection, has tabled a bill to force merchants to calculate tips based on the price before tax.
That means on a restaurant bill of $100, suggested tips would be calculated based on $100, not on $114.98 after provincial and federal sales taxes are added.
The bill would also increase the rebate offered to consumers when the price of an item at the cash register is higher than the shelf price, to $15 from $10.
And it would force grocery stores offering a discounted price for several items to clearly list the unit price as well.
Businesses would also have to indicate whether taxes will be added to the price of food products.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 12, 2024.
Quebec legislature member Youri Chassin has announced he’s leaving the Coalition Avenir Québec government to sit as an Independent.
He announced the decision shortly after writing an open letter criticizing Premier François Legault’s government for abandoning its principles of smaller government.
In the letter published in Le Journal de Montréal and Le Journal de Québec, Chassin accused the party of falling back on what he called the old formula of throwing money at problems instead of looking to do things differently.
Chassin says public services are more fragile than ever, despite rising spending that pushed the province to a record $11-billion deficit projected in the last budget.
He is the second CAQ member to leave the party in a little more than one week, after economy and energy minister Pierre Fitzgibbon announced Sept. 4 he would leave because he lost motivation to do his job.
Chassin says he has no intention of joining another party and will instead sit as an Independent until the end of his term.
He has represented the Saint-Jérôme riding since the CAQ rose to power in 2018, but has not served in cabinet.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 12, 2024.
