# Who was the funniest president? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 15, 2014, 12:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-the-funniest-president/693154 "2014-07-15T12:39:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![MrsTime](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@MrsTime](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrsTime)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2014, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-the-funniest-president/693154/41 "2014-08-02T15:50:05Z")
> [@slowlearner](#): > > W is a war criminal and the worst Pres ever but it’s sad that as Gov of Texas he was a really amusing guy. Hint to country: don’t elect any more of us President… He was good for a lot of laughs, but I don’t think it was intentional. ---
**Author:** ![Surreal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eada6e/32.png) [@Surreal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Surreal)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2014, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-the-funniest-president/693154/42 "2014-08-02T19:38:03Z")
> [@astorian](#): > > Even though I LIKED Reagan, I never thought he was a great joke teller. Reagan could crack jokes even when his life was on the line: > **[Attempted assassination of Ronald Reagan](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Attempted_assassination_of_Ronald_Reagan)** > > On March 30, 1981, Ronald Reagan, then president of the United States, was shot and wounded by John Hinckley Jr. in Washington, D.C., as Reagan was returning to his limousine after a speaking engagement at the Washington Hilton hotel. Hinckley believed the attack would impress the actress Jodie Foster, with whom he had developed an erotomanic obsession after viewing her in the 1976 film Taxi Driver. > Reagan was seriously wounded by a revolver bullet that ricocheted off the side of the presid... > [@](#): > > When his wife arrived in the emergency room, Reagan remarked to her, “Honey, I forgot to duck”, borrowing boxer Jack Dempsey’s line to his wife the night he was beaten by Gene Tunney. While intubated, he scribbled to a nurse, “All in all, I’d rather be in Philadelphia”, borrowing W. C. Fields’ line. Although Reagan came close to death, the team’s quick action—and Parr’s decision to drive to the hospital instead of the White House—likely saved the president’s life… ---
**Author:** ![Octarine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/22d042/32.png) [@Octarine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Octarine)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2014, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-the-funniest-president/693154/43 "2014-08-02T19:40:55Z")
Although it was mentioned above, I don’t think anyone gave a link to the [“Between Two Ferns” Obama interview](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UnW3xkHxIEQ). It may have been scripted, but his delivery is quite good. Still, for funniest President I’d have to go with either Lincoln or Reagan. Lincoln, especially, was able to use it to his advantage in a time when a sense of humor wasn’t at all considered a proper thing for a President to have. Clinton had boatloads of charisma, but he never really made people burst out laughing. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2014, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-the-funniest-president/693154/44 "2014-08-03T03:37:12Z")
> [@Surreal](#): > > Reagan could crack jokes even when his life was on the line: > > [Attempted assassination of Ronald Reagan - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Attempted_assassination_of_Ronald_Reagan) And don’t forget his quip that he hoped the surgeon was republican. Still, all in all I never found him to be very funny or a great storyteller but rather like every family’s sad Uncle Herman who ought to be put away. I admit that could be because I despised the man and grieved for the damage he did to America. ---
**Author:** ![dougie\_monty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@dougie\_monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dougie_monty)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2014, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-the-funniest-president/693154/45 "2014-08-03T15:43:50Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > And don’t forget his quip that he hoped the surgeon was republican. Still, all in all I never found him to be very funny or a great storyteller but rather like every family’s sad Uncle Herman who ought to be put away. I admit that could be because I despised the man and grieved for the damage he did to America. In fact the surgeon was a Democrat, and got through medical school by means of the kind of social program Reagan wanted to get rid of. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Civil\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d78d45/32.png) [@Civil\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Civil_Guy)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2014, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-the-funniest-president/693154/46 "2014-08-04T04:27:45Z")
I don’t know that he was funny - haven’t found any quotes that are thigh-slappers - but we ought to acknowledge Harry S Truman for his plain speaking style. ---
**Author:** ![Jim\_s\_Son](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19adc/32.png) [@Jim\_s\_Son](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jim_s_Son)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2014, 12:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-the-funniest-president/693154/47 "2014-08-04T12:18:23Z")
Does Clinton have a sense of humor? I remember P J O’Rourke saying he didn’t have much of one and he and several people at “Rolling Stone” talked to him in 1992. ``` For Vice-Presidents Thomas Marshall (Woodrow Wilson's) was known for his, especially in describing how insignificant his job was ``` [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-the-funniest-president/693154.md?page=2)