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15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Should have been published prior to the election, September 18, 2000
This review is from: Great Political Wit (Hardcover)
Senator Robert Dole is known for many personal and professional attributes. However, his having a sense of humor is not an item that would have made it on to many lists. Mr. Dole always seemed quite serious, so when I read his collection of bi-partisan political humor, he had both collected and contributed to, I was extremely surprised. The traditional image of our elected officials is that they go after each other while practicing the blood sport they call politics, the manner they govern the country after a minority of its citizens bother to vote. The reality of course is quite different, and this collection is brilliant with wit, and not just of the political variety. Many of the comments in the book took place long before anything other than politically correct generic humor (which is almost an oxymoron) became the standard. The good natured jokes shared by legends like Tip O'Neil, Truman, Churchill, Kennedy, and a good cross section of 20th politicians and those who reported on their every move, were given and taken in stride. What really struck me was how well these elected officials get along when the press is not watching, forcing them to become various shades of gray. Senator Robert Byrd who is described as being a master of Roman History stated during a debate that "If Cicero were alive today, he would oppose the Balanced Budget Amendment". Senator Dole claims Senator Strom Thurmond, who has been in office since President Andrew Jackson, "jumped up and said, I knew Cicero. Cicero was a friend of mind. And I know he was in favor of a Balanced Budget Amendment." I have stated in other reviews that I am a great admirer of Sir Winston Churchill. Senator Dole quotes him several times in the book, but this is one I had forgotten. In response to the concept that "familiarity breeds contempt", Churchill responded, "without a certain amount of familiarity we would breed nothing at all." A great read for any and all parties, voters and non-voters alike.
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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
40 Years of Political Humor Doled Out In This Anthology, August 8, 2000
Finding and sharpening his funny bone allowed Bob Dole, after a legendary 40 year career in government, to become the political equivalent of boxer George Foreman: both men, once perceived as taciturn, mean-spirited and competitive, were made amiable, even folksy (not to mention more commercially marketable) by a sense of self-depreciation. It's fitting, then, that Dole compile and narrarate "Great Political Wit," a collection of his observations with those of political figures from the last 100 years. You wouldn't anticipate a joke book based on the table of contents, which features chapters on "War," "The Economy," "Religion" and that political rib-tickler, "Defeat." But Dole's remembrances and selected stories succeed in showing the lighter side of often somber figures (the Kennnedys, the Roosevelts, especially Winston Churchill), making their humor seem almost contemporary. Dole also recalls wit and wisdom from often-overlooked figures like president Calvin Coolidge and candidates Huey Long and Adlai Stevenson (whose retort to minister Norman Vincent Peale shows the power of positive punning). The book also shows the reasons behind political humor: not always for laughs but persuasion, consensus, even attack. President Reagan, who Dole praises for showing "that not all conservatives have embalming fluid flowing in their veins," gets Don Rickles-sized barbs off at his 1980 opponent, Jimmy Carter. Dole even recalls touching stories about history's more tragic figures: Richard Nixon, George McGovern, Herbert Hoover, even Nelson Rockefeller. None of "Great Political Wit" is side-splittingly funny, although nearly every quote will elicit a mild chuckle or nod of recognition. (Surprisingly, Dole devotes a chapter to Jay Leno and David Letterman's political barbs while leaving out even sharper political humorists like Mark Russell and Mort Sahl). Nonetheless, "Great Political Wit" is a breezy, lighthearted look at politics and the chracters inhabiliting it.
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Best Political Humor Collection Around., January 29, 2000
This review is from: Great Political Wit (Hardcover)
Bob Dole - former U.S. Senate Majority Leader, and Presidential candidate - dishes out a quenching dose of exceptional political humor and anecdotes. Divided into 21 sections, his stories are categorized in divisions such as: "Public Speaking", "Defeat", "Late Night" and "Roots". He deftly distributes jokes he has amassed over his generations of civil service. From Presidents to Prime Ministers, and every level of politics in between, Dole keeps his reader alive in the flowing narrative in which he presents each hilarious situation. One can start the book at the beginning and read it like a novel to the end. A great read for those inclined towards both humor and politics! As a closing note, Dole's dry humor is bipartisan and quite wry.
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