The American Spectator

“He drew guffaws” — okay, maybe I’m being too critical here, but is it at all possible the AP is engaging in some guffaw inflation? Just how often do people guffaw? And isn’t that a terrible word only used in the first place to allow the vanguard of the revolution (e.g. John Kerry, AP reporters) feel superior to ordinary folks who say “laughed hard” instead? Anyway, back to your regularly schedule program:

“He drew guffaws at Temple University last Friday when he criticized Bush for dragging his feet before appearing before the September 11 commission ‘but only with Vice President Cheney at his side,’” the AP reports. “And he told late-night host David Letterman last week that Bush only agreed to debate if he could sit on Cheney’s lap.”

Perhaps this kind of petty sniping from a candidate is better than John Edwards’ contention that “if you live in the United States of America and you vote for George Bush, you’ve lost your mind,” but only marginally so. Is this the new paradigm of American politics? If so, I suppose we could add a fourth presidential debate where the candidates just diss one another and tell “yo momma” jokes for points. Eminem’s got a new record coming out. Maybe he’d be willing to moderate. After all, Jim Lehrer didn’t give either Kerry or Bush a chance to tell a knock-knock joke, or use a limerick. (Perhaps Kerry is opposed to limericks now that he’s no longer Irish.)

At any rate, we should all salute the Associated Press for bringing humor issues to the fore. Up until I came across this story yesterday, I thought Fox News’ Carl Cameron was the only reporter who appreciated a good ribbing.