Great Political Wit (Hardcover)

by Robert Dole (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
Shortly after his defeat in the 1996 U.S. presidential election, Republican Bob Dole was invited to appear on David Letterman's Late Show. Letterman asked Dole about President Clinton's weight, but Dole wasn't taking the bait. "I never tried to lift him," he retorted. "I just tried to beat him." That was the first time many Americans got to see a side of Bob Dole rarely revealed to the public during his 36 years on Capitol Hill--the dry, wicked sense of humor that quickly became a defining characteristic of his postpolitical career.

Great Political Wit collects some of Bob Dole's favorite humorous anecdotes about American politicians--and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, who gets most of the handful of truly savage putdowns. (Told by one female member of the House of Commons that he was drunk, Churchill replied, "You're ugly, and tomorrow morning I'll be sober, but you'll still be ugly.") If you like the "Laughter Is the Best Medicine" section of Reader's Digest, the stories about pols like Ronald Reagan, Tip O'Neill, and Woodrow Wilson are sure to make you smile. This reviewer's candidate for the funniest American president, though, would have to be Calvin Coolidge, especially after reading about the time that, at a ceremony for the laying of a cornerstone, Coolidge turned over a spadeful of dirt and then fell silent. Prompted by the master of ceremonies to say something, Coolidge looked down at the ground and remarked, "That's a fine fish worm." --Ron Hogan

From Library Journal
A compendium of Dole's favorite political bons mots.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 208 pages
• Publisher: Nan A. Talese; 1 edition (September 15, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0385493479
• ISBN-13: 978-0385493475
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 4.8 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (23 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,762,688 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

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

By	taking a rest - See all my reviews (TOP 100 REVIEWER)

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.

6 of 6 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

By	Anthony G Pizza "trivialtony" (FL) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Great Political Wit: Laughing (Almost) All the Way to the White House (Paperback)

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.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Best Political Humor Collection Around., January 29, 2000

By	J. Mendelsohn (Mountain View, CA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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.