President Bush delivered a 5 minute humor monologue last night at the Radio and TV Correspondent’s dinner, as is the tradition for the standing president. It’s hilarious. He begins:
“Well …where should I start. A year ago my approval rating was in the 30s, my nominee for the Supreme Court had just withdrawn, and my vice president had shot someone.”
It has special resonance for me since a few years ago I read Clinton & Me by President Clinton’s humor speechwriter, Mark Katz, who described in detail how he crafts the jokes the president delivers.
Here’s an analysis of the monologue at Humor Power.