Saturday night’s White House Correspondents Dinner was everything you’d expect it to be. In fact, it’s almost pointless. There were the usual speeches, jokes, and political jabs, but nothing truly groundbreaking or memorable. It was just another typical event on the political calendar, a shameless opportunity for the media to hobnob with the guy they’re going to try their hardest to get reelected, complete with safe jokes targeting Republicans.
But let’s face it, even with a friendly audience, Joe Biden is no comedian, and his attempt at comedy was lackluster, made worse by the fact that his delivery attempts are foiled by his inability to read a teleprompter correctly.
“And Ron DeSantis, I had a lot of Ran DeSantis, Ron DeSantis jokes ready,” Biden began, before making an awkward pause.
“But Bickey — Mickey Mouse beat the hell out of me and got there first,” he quipped. “Now look, can’t be too rough on the guy. After his reelection as governor, he was asked if he … had a mandate. He said ‘hell no, I’m straight. I’m straight.’ I’ll give you time to think that one through… you got it?”
President Biden: "I had a lot of Ron DeSantis jokes ready, but Micky Mouse beat the hell out of me and got there first."#WHCD #nerdProm pic.twitter.com/paF9H4boP5
— CSPAN (@cspan) April 30, 2023
I’ve been to a few comedy shows recently, and I can tell you that the delivery of a joke is often just as important, if not more so, than the content of the joke itself. A skilled comedian knows how to play with the audience’s expectations, pause for effect, and emphasize key words and phrases to maximize the humor of the punchline… this is exactly why Joe Biden shouldn’t be telling jokes. He can barely talk about policy without stumbling (even with the help of a teleprompter), and that’s supposed to be his wheelhouse.
Related: White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner Was Predictably Dull and Wildly Unfunny
Probably the only thing worse than Joe Biden telling a joke would be Kamala Harris trying to tell a joke. And Lord help us if John Fetterman ever attempts to moonlight as a comedian.
But I digress.
Observing Biden attempting to tell a joke further explains why his 2024 strategy is going to mirror his hide-in-the-basement strategy of 2020. Biden has zero ability to motivate or inspire when he speaks, and his attempts to be folksy come across as phony — more phony than he normally is, anyway. Some politicians have a knack for using comedy to connect with the audience, but Biden doesn’t have it, and his inability to read simple English off the teleprompter is a sign that he should avoid telling jokes because he can’t be trusted to get the delivery right.
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