Biden His Time
If you didn't see President Joe Biden's presentation last night at the White House Correspondents Dinner, here 'tis. I thought it was terrific -- with several lines that were absolutely gems.
What I particularly liked is that he had more than the usual share of self-effacing jokes at his expense. When a president at the dinner makes his comments, he generally does make occasional quips about himself (though not Trump because, well..he never showed up), but rarely this many, as I recall. So, for all the people on the GOP side complaining about his jibes at Republicans (notably at Trump, with a few blistering quips), they are missing that he was hard on himself more than is generally the case at the event.
I understand the position that the press and president shouldn't overlap at an dinner like this. And it's a fair point, though I don't think one without an equally fair counterpoint. Overall, it is not a night for fun and frivolity -- it's a night for honoring journalism, and that's the bulk of what's going on. The president makes a 12-15 minute humorous comments in an evening that lasts 2-2-1/2 hours. And when the invited comedian does 30 minutes of jokes, that's just the entertainment for the night, same as an association gala will have. They could have a singer, or a juggler, or a mime. A comedian for political humor just seems to fit best. Perhaps the president doesn't have to be a guest speaker on the dais -- the event worked fine in the years Trump didn't show up. But the president isn't really "mingling" and socializing with the press -- he's brought to the table, gives his speech and leaves. Anyway, I understand the complaints. And the support.
But here's President Biden from last night. We'll get to Trevor Noah's monologue tomorrow. It's worth waiting for.
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