Letterman Writers Can't Come Up With Obama Jokes (VIDEO)

Mocking the president is the bread and butter of a late night show and now our favorite hosts have lost the biggest source of humor at their disposal because Obama is competent. Well, Letterman writer Joe Grossman thought he could fix this by coming up with some awesome Obama jokes. He failed.


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[PuddinPie]

Funny, funny stuff! Loved it.

[Peter007]

So far Obama hasn't done anything that could be considered controversial. He hasn't had to make any decisions that have any immediate effect.
In eight years , Bush had to make a decission after we were attacked by a movement without a country. He had to deal with incompetence at the state and local level with Katrina. He had to make a decission on a financial crisis.
Obama is just acting out an administrative role. He's like a bureaucrat. He's following the policies already in place.
Government policy decisions usually have winners and losers.
After a few years, we will begin to hear from the losers of his new policies and they may be quite loud.

[NedroidPrime]

So Katrina was all the fault of the state and local governments? Of course, it has NOTHING to do with Brown heading FEMA.... Or how about all of the gutting that FEMA went through when DHS was formed?

[GH]

Katrina was fault of the weather, failure of the levee systems was failure of decades of neglect and government fraud/corruption-mostly at the local level-and a bit more with the corp of engineers. During the 90's, w/money more abundant, next to nothing was done to protect NOLA/gulf coast. Clinton's response to numerous hurricanes and to great Mississippi floods of 1994, was pathetic. One should remember that Homestead Florida, 10-12 years after Andrew was a disaster. What did the Fed's do? Close their military base-pull out.

The first major failure with Katrina was failure of the City/State to have a plan on the books. The second, was waiting at 24 hours too long to order the mandatory evacuation (ignored Bush's personal phone calls requesting it). The next series of mistakes had to do with Gov. Blanco not requesting military assistance, which Bush had offered. She was also late and disorganized with the guard. Then Louisiana banned the Red Cross from entering New Orleans for 5-6 days. Red Cross is the standard bearer of aid(food, water, medical supplies) for FEMA. There was not a supplied emergency shelter available to those stranded behind.

Federal? The Democrats push (which Bush opposed) in creating the Fed. Department of Homeland Security, ended up with FEMA under an umbrella of bureaucracy - this was a huge mistake. And yes, Brown was lousy as well. But it was nature, history, and the local and state governments which caused over 1100 deaths.

[Jaxy]

I get it - you want the President to fail, so you can justify your smug doomsday predictions.

[JulieCarol]

President Obama has done so much in such a short period of time, given the problems he has inherited from the worst president ever.

* Passing the "largest" economic stimulus bill in American history.
* Ordering the closing of Guantanamo Bay military detention facility and abolishing "enhanced interrogation techniques."
* Setting a fixed timetable for withdrawing U.S. combat forces from Iraq.
* Ordering 21,000 additional troops to Afghanistan and enlisting, with modest new assistance, European allies in a new multi-layered strategy there and in Pakistan.
* "Returning science to its rightful place" by lifting the Bush restrictions on federally funded embryonic stem cell research.
* Signing laws to expand children's health insurance (financed by a 61-cent per pack increase in the federal cigarette tax the adviser did not tout).
* Signing a law meant to improve the ability of women who allege pay discrimination to sue their employer.
* Diminishing the role of lobbyists in the White House
* "Forge a meaningful statement from the United Nations" criticizing North Korea's launch of a ballistic missile.
* Lifting travel and remittance restrictions for Cuban Americans who seek to travel more frequently to the island and send more US currency to their immediate family.
* Engaging world leaders in Europe, Turkey, Latin American and the Caribbean with "strength and humility."

..no he's hasn't done anything controversial....:::::;;eyeroll:::::::

[Ohsnap]

I'm sure Republicans will think this is funny.

[rdiaz921]

- + mesmerised

Letterman allows the country to see that his writers are too stupid to come up with Obama jokes, although material abounds. (Material abounds for any president, for chrissakes). That, or they won't make jokes against sacred cow. Let's see, which one do YOU think it is...

-------------------------
Response to the above post:

you are wrong on both counts. They can't make fun of a man who is self deprecating enough to be able to make fun of himself. How do you make fun of someone who is well adjusted and STRONG enough to not take himself so seriously.

[mesmerised]

Letterman allows the country to see that his writers are too stupid to come up with Obama jokes, although material abounds. (Material abounds for any president, for chrissakes). That, or they won't make jokes against sacred cow. Let's see, which one do YOU think it is...

[yellowdoggie]

I'm intrigued. What is the abounding material for Obama jokes? Watermelons growing on the White House lawn? That kind of material? Big ear jokes? Come on, mesmer, tell us what jokes you would make.

[BarryBonez]

you're right. it's impossible to make jokes about Dear Leader. he is so faultless, he must not be tarnished.

[BarryBonez]

What a non-story. Letterman's writers cant come up with jokes about anything.

[ThirdSection]

I hear Wanda Sykes will be roasting the President at the White House Correspondents' Dinner this weekend. I'm confident that her hard-hitting style will garner many a guffaw.

[Archivist1000]

oh geez ... don't you guys get the point of that segment???

It wasn't about 'not being able to write jokes' ........... of course they could .......

[Fathoms]

One from the, "Sad Facts Department," at the Home Office back in Waukegan Illinois:
Neo Cons are incapable of comprehending this form of humor. It really isn't their fault. Research indicates it's congenital. Further proof of this phenomenon is their incapacity to Grok the underlying POV of the Colbert Report.

[learneddemocrat]

Ah, c'mon. Obama has certainly said alot of funny things. "57 states", "Massatusetts" "yesterday when I was in Michigan.....oh, wait that is today and this is Michigan" , "Cinco de Cuatro." Hey, guys, no one is perfect.....no even this prez. Writers can find comedy anywhere. Ponder this: are they too enthralled, enchanted, or maybe even afraid? Presidents have always been the target of jokes, esp. for late night talk shows. Why not now? It truly cannot be for lack of material!

Ullyses, lighten up. Even we democrat/librals have to admit he is a great, no superb speaker when the teleprompter is a-going, but when he has to "think on his feet"....well, he is not so good. Lots of uhhhhhs.

[eden4barack08]

"WE democrat/librals.."?? BWHAHAHAHAHA, of course you're not.

[eraofpeace]

I'd rather have a President who's sincere and searches for the right word with a lot of "uhhhhs" than one who recites talking points without a clue about what they mean, or deliberately misleads the public.. Kinda like Sarah Palin or past prez Bush.

[impik]

Yea, this Obama is a problem. Too smart and too cool. What can you do.

[MomfromTexas]

The writer was hysterical! Letterman is still the best. Love the guy.

[afgail]

It is so easy to make fun of those who do stupid things or say stupid things. So far Obama hasn't done or said anything stupid. I guess that is the difference between having a legacy president who was selected by the Supreme Court and one that earned it by getting the majority of votes in a national election.

[dolphy]

Next presidential election, let's get Palin or Jindal. No writing needed. Just show the press conference and interview vids.

[cyoohoos]

"Cheap Shot" why not go for the Grey Poupon?

[ibsteve2u]

Ok - we'll just change Boehner's name to Grey.

Did you hear what Obama said when the White House press corps asked him to respond to the nonsense spewed by Grey? "Poupon him!"

(I knew all of that practicing I did in the third grade would someday justify how often and painfully that teacher stretched my ear out.)

[GH]

Oh - Huff Post - how hypocritical can you get. Folks, right in the beginning of the clip.. "..and then Clinton came in and... Bingo..." Did you catch the edit (censorship)? Cut it right out, they did. Not allowed here, would be that Letterman blamed Clinton's sexual advances with what he referred to as the "heavy set intern." Come on the joke was the overweight hands on President abusing the office of we the people. Huff is so sensitive that they cut it out? It was only one quick line.

Obama jokes should be a dime a dozen, Dave.

I've been to all 57 states.

We inherited this mess.

Trying to kiss the King of Saudi Arabia's ring.

My Vice President Joe Biden

My wife's new $540 tennis shoes.

My staged questions at town hall meetings

How I raked in more money from the big financial companies - and the press didn't notice.

All of those glowing halo shots of me.

I get credit for saying the same things that President Bush said all the time.

Oh, yea - and scaring the ____ out of NY residents flying my big plane around the city with a fighter jet on it's tail.

What's with Rahm Emanuel's middle finger?

I inherited all this? Well, that's what happens to new administrations. Remember what Bush inherited? What goes around - comes back to haunt you. Might as well joke about it.

It really doesn't get any easier than this, Dave.

[pragmaticdallasite]

Wow, somebody's a bitter partisan today!!!

[GH]

No. I think editing out what hand full of words from Letterman was being bitter partisan. The fact that Letterman can't find anything funny about the goofs from this President and Vice President (not to mention the out and out blunders) is bitter partisanship. They should all be treated equal - in fact, I believe that each side should hold their own to a higher standard -- that is, if we want change.

[YellowDogInRedCounty]

"I inherited all tis? Well, that's what happens to new administrations. Remember what Bush inherited?"

Yes, nearly full employment and a budget SURPLUS, along with Dow Jones at about 13,000.

[ullyses]

You tell 'em YellowDogInRedCounty!!! You are absolutely right.

[loyldem]

I was thinking the same thing. You are so right!!

[GH]

No, he inherited the massive dot.com economic bubble crash - March2000(comprised mostly of greed, fraud and irrational exuberance of the likes of Enron). Most all economic indicators in steep reversal during 2000. $12 trillion bubble. Led to massive loss of Fed proj tax rev - and sent states-CA-deep into red. For record, progressive economists like Krugman and Baker not only predicted when Clinton era bubble burst we would go deep into deficits again, but wrote after the fact about it. Approx 3/4's of the reason that the projected surpluses disappeared, and we ended with a $350 billion deficit had to do with the fallout from the crash and a bit more from the fallout from 9/11. At every turn the D's wanted to spend more. Following the begin of Iraq war and the full implementation of the tax cuts (in 2003) federal tax revenue rose 44% (2003-2007). Now it goes in reverse again with the crash that began last year.

Also, Bush inherited:

Horrific Intifada in the M/E.
Pakistan/India at brink of a nuclear exchange
N. Korea reneging on Nuclear agreement with Clinton
Chechnya war
4-5 million humans had just been killed in Africa - after Clinton promised "never again."
Rising gasoline prices - doubled in 2000
CA energy crisis
1000's of companies going bust
A new housing bubble fueled by HUD which got us to this place
Afghanistan, newly in the hands of radical extremists

Memory is a sad thing to loose

[impik]

Half spin and half li.es. Classic Republican.

Bush inherited a surplus budget and a country not even in one war, let alone two (one of them is cri/me against hu.ma.nity). But you just have no shame. Pathetic.

[johnr49]

Yes, I due remember what Bush inherited. From BBC News:

Mr Clinton's most enduring legacy is likely to be the economic boom which began shortly before he took office in 1992.

During the eight years of the presidency, the economy expanded by 50% in real terms, and by the end of his tenure the US had a gross national product of $10,000bn - one quarter of the entire world economic output.

The booming US economy has brought economic benefits right across the income spectrum.

The unemployment rate has dropped by half, to 4%, a 40-year-low, while the economy has created some 15 million jobs.

[GH]

From Dean Baker, CEPR - the left's favorite economist:

"In 2000, President Clinton could legitimately boast of the “best economy in 30 years.” Unemployment was low, wages were rising at all income levels, and the poverty rate was headed downward at a rapid pace. But after President Bush took office in 2001, the economy fell into recession, shedding jobs and causing real wage growth to slow and eventually stop altogether.

A convenient story explains this sharp economic reversal. According to the script, Clinton eliminated the deficit through progressive tax increases and spending restraint. This deficit reduction lowered interest rates and spurred an investment boom, which was the basis for the extraordinary growth of the late ’90s. Then Bush came into office and quickly squandered the surplus with his tax cuts to the rich and military build-up. As a result, the deficit skyrocketed and the economy tanked.

It’s a good story, but the reality is quite different. The Clinton boom was built on three unsustainable bubbles. One of them, the stock bubble, has already burst. The other two bubbles—the dollar bubble and the housing bubble—are still with us. The dollar bubble is starting to deflate, and the housing bubble is perhaps just now reaching its peak. These bubbles created the basis for the 2001 recession and the economy’s continuing period of stagnation."

[Epiphany2b]

They edited that portion because it was obviously beside the point. The point was an introduction to the guy's routine. Boogey men under every bed, huh?