One of my ex-husband’s friends once told him that I would be really cool if I weren’t always so serious. It is a personality flaw of mine that I don’t do well with small talk, and would rather solve the problems of the world than to just sit down and have some fun. So, it is not without some sympathy that I note that Donald Trump seriously lacks a sense of humor.

Last night was the annual White House Correspondents Dinner. The event is an excuse to dress up and have some fun, usually at the expense of the President. The reporters who sit in the White House, asking questions of the administration during daily press briefings, are invited to a dinner and asked to bring a few guests. They bring people like Joan Rivers and Donald Trump—not that the two of them are anything alike! The room is filled with reporters, politicians of every color and persuasion, and members of entertainment industry, including the people at Fox News.

It is probably because of my personal personality flaw that I almost religiously watch this event. The after dinner speakers are first the President, and then an actual comedian. The expectation is that both will deliver a lot of funny lines. I’ve seen presidents bomb and I’ve seen them knock it out of the park. Obama knocked it out of the park last night. Much of his presentation was poking fun at the birthers and the field of GOP candidates for 2012. Trump was in the room, but not enjoying himself. I don’t think I saw him crack a smile even once. Of course, the camera wasn’t’ always on him…

Homework:

They're Even Talking About It in Ireland

Video of Comedian

I try to avoid talking about Sarah Palin. I try to avoid talking about Donald Trump. But when my in-box starts filling up with stories about Sarah defending the Donald, it is time to say something.

First, Sarah had the audacity to say “Trump is running on the issue, bottom line that President Obama is in so far over his head.” Obama may not be saying or doing the things that Sarah says and does, but when it comes to pure brain power he’s head and shoulders above either Palin or Trump.

Look at the accomplishments of all three.

Obama was at the top of his class at Harvard Law, went on to work in Chicago’s toughest neighborhoods to protect people who really don’t have a voice in their community, became a professor of constitutional law at one of the major universities in the nation, became a local legislator, then a national legislator, then was elected President in a landslide.

Palin bounced around lots of schools, focusing on being a beauty queen and broadcaster—professions noted for looks, rather than brains. She went on to be mayor of a city that had fewer inhabitants than some of the buildings in the Chicago neighborhoods Obama was organizing, and leveraged that into a gig as governor. But when it got tough being the governor, Palin simply quit and went back to her first love, being the center of attention on TV shows.

And then there is Trump. He specializes in self-promotion. He is all about making money and being in the news. He has his name on lots of buildings that were built with other people’s money, and is in the news often either at ground breaking ceremonies or because another of his projects is going into bankruptcy. A casino is a license to steal, yet Trump’s casino has had to access bankruptcy courts multiple times.  He makes his money as an entertainer on NBC and by convincing people to buy into his real estate projects.

Given that both Palin and Trump are media sluts, it is no wonder that they have gravitated to each other. But I wouldn’t trust either one of them with fiscal policy, with monetary policy, with constitutional issues, with decisions of war and peace. I don’t agree with everything that Obama does, but at least he has the background and temperament for the job.

Homework:

Palin Tells Media to Be Nicer to Trump

Wikipedia Entry on Trump