Campaign Comedy

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The issues of presidential elections and the virtues and flaws of candidates are illuminated by the wit of political observers. America's humorists brighten the electoral scene, reminding us that we needn't always view presidential campaigns with a solemn air. Through the satiric insights of comedians, humorists, journalists, and editorial cartoonists, we maintain perspective on candidates, especially when their follies are most intolerable. In "Campaign Comedy," Gerald Gardner celebrates the humor that has targeted figures like Bill Clinton, George Bush, and Ross Perot during the 1992 election. He explores campaign humor from the epochal struggle between John Kennedy and Richard Nixon in 1960 to candidates like Ronald Reagan, Jimmy Carter, and Lyndon Johnson. The book is filled with relevant humor from notable figures such as Johnny Carson, Jay Leno, and Garry Trudeau, as well as the spontaneous humor used by candidates during their campaigns. Gardner highlights the importance of humor as a fundamental form of communication in democracy, emphasizing its absence in totalitarian societies.