The best thing I read today:
Jokes, he argues, were a vital communication tool for President Reagan "because he could illustrate points with them." Mr. Johnson adopts a remarkable vocal impression of America's 40th president and delivers an example: "You know, he said, 'I'm not too worried about the deficit. It's big enough to take care of itself.'" Recovering from his own laughter, he adds: "Of course, that's an excellent one-liner, but it's also a perfectly valid economic point." Then his expression grows serious again and he concludes: "You don't get that from Obama. He talks in paragraphs."
Well. I don't think Mr. Reagan would say the same thing about our current deficit, which is big enough to destroy us. It might do just that, despite Mr. Obama's paragraphs on the subject.
The post title of "back to bid'niz as usual" refers to my Obama the Brewmaster post which just MIGHT be the only time time I've said something nice about our sitting president. But... about the above passage... here's a lil bit of the back-story:
His concern with the human dimension of history is reflected as well in his attitude toward humor, the subject of another recent book, "Humorists." "The older I get," he tells me, "the more important I think it is to stress jokes." Which is another reason he loves America. "One of the great contributions that America has made to civilization," he deadpans, "is the one-liner." The one-liner, he says, was "invented, or at any rate brought to the forefront, by Benjamin Franklin." Mark Twain's were the "greatest of all."
And then there was Ronald Reagan. "Mr. Reagan had thousands of one-liners." Here a grin spreads across Mr. Johnson's face: "That's what made him a great president."
This is from a WSJ interview with British historian Paul Johnson. There's much to like in that interview and it's a fairly quick read, as well. Recommended.
The hat tip goes to Occasional Reader Rob, who sent the link via e-mail.
