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It's no joke: Obama would be a bad president - for comedians

Andy Cowan is a comedy writer No, we can't. Make fun of him, that is. For the first time in recent memory, save for the immediate post-9/11 period when President Bush walked on water, vs. years later when he belatedly flew over it in a helicopter, we may be facing an eventual president whom we can't imagine as the butt of a joke. Maybe Hillary could incorporate this into her arsenal: "If you vote for Sen. Obama, it will destroy the livelihoods of comedy writers everywhere!"

Andy Cowan

is a comedy writer

No, we can't. Make fun of him, that is. For the first time in recent memory, save for the immediate post-9/11 period when President Bush walked on water, vs. years later when he belatedly flew over it in a helicopter, we may be facing an eventual president whom we can't imagine as the butt of a joke. Maybe Hillary could incorporate this into her arsenal: "If you vote for Sen. Obama, it will destroy the livelihoods of comedy writers everywhere!"

The checks and balances in our system of government go one step further, courtesy of the press and pundits who make deflating the leader of the free world their regular stock in trade. It's the great leveler and ongoing reminder that the "king" is no less human than are we, the people-court jesters who put him there. (Or "queen," if Sen. Clinton turns it around.)

But what of Obama? He inspires our nation's youth. He strings lyrical thoughts together. He's a movement. He fills arenas with his believers, clamoring for change. What's funny about that? OK, he's skinny. He's even demonstrated some self-ribbing, if you will, on that score. But are we really ready for four years of thin jokes?

President Obama moved into the Oval Office today. He's so skinny, compared with him, everything is oval.

President Obama said he's willing to chew the fat with our enemies, which is ironic, since "fat" is his enemy.

President Obama has grown on the job, which is more than I can say for his waistline.

Thin, indeed.

The bedroom antics of JFK, the last president who generated a similar kind of fervor, may have been off-limits in his day. But at least he talked funny. His pronunciation of "Cuber" made comedian Vaughn Meader a rich man.

LBJ only had to show off his surgical scars or yank his beagle's ears to feed the comedy machine. And the name of his dog? "Him." Who? Him! Him who? Abbott and Costello, eat your hearts out.

Nixon may have been one of the funniest presidents in history, because he was among the least-funny presidents in history. The sweaty upper lip. The incongruous smile. (McCain has a hint of that.) The strolls on the beach in his dark suit and wingtips. The confab with Elvis, his potential drug czar. I've barely scratched the surface here.

Ford was a klutz. Carter lusted in his heart and had hayseeds for relatives. Reagan (a man who liked to tell jokes) was a serial napper and called his wife "Mommy." The first Bush didn't know what a supermarket scanner was and said a lot of things "wouldn't be prudent." The first Clinton did a lot of things that wouldn't be prudent. As for our current president's joke-worthiness, following him on the world stage is like following Jerry Seinfeld/Chris Rock on the stage at Caesars Palace. A tough mission to accomplish.

When he was questioned in a debate about President Clinton's reputation as the first "black president," Sen. Obama did manage to inject a little levity about whether or not Clinton could dance like a "brother." But the Obama phenomenon transcends race, a subject that, in and of itself, is too politically incorrect for the masses to poke fun at.

McCain? The curmudgeon who chases kids out of his yard. Hillary? The tamer of Bill and cackling policy wonk who wears the pantsuit in the family. Barack? He's not the one the comedy writers have been waiting for. He's America's Idol. Then again, seeming perfection can turn into a joke, too. Remember Taylor Hicks?