A Joyless CapitalPresident John F. Kennedy in 1963 gave his White House special assistant and close personal friend, Dave Powers, a silver beer mug for his birthday, on which was inscribed: "There are three things which are real: God, human folly, and laughter. The first two are beyond our comprehension. So we must do what we can with the third." Kennedy could heed his own counsel. In a presidential press conference when a reporter asked: "There's a feeling in some quarters, sir, that Big Business is forcing you to come to terms. Businessmen seem to have the attitude, 'Now we have you where we want you.'" Kennedy's spontaneous retort, "I can't believe I'm where Big Business wants me," left the room in laughter. By contrast, Washington today is a melancholy place. Yes, the broken economy continues to inflict immense pain and fear throughout the nation. But then, the Soviets' erection of the Berlin Wall and the Cuban missile crisis pushed the world toward nuclear war. Can anyone recall even a semi-memorable self-deprecating line, poking fun at himself, spoken by President Obama? To the outside observer, this White House reflects no joy. When the president's most important advisors are interviewed, they invariably wear frowns while regularly faulting the shallowness of the press, especially television news, along with the pint-sized attention span of Washingtonians. They look dyspeptic and leave the unmistakable impression they would prefer to be working and living someplace, make that any place, else other than the District of Columbia. Vice President Joe Biden, who mostly seems delighted to be where he is, professionally and geographically, is the conspicuous exception. True, Washington and the federal government are both profoundly unpopular across the country. But the Democrats, whether they like it or not, have a long history of championing a strong, constructive role for the national government. Republicans are the anti-government party.
From your own personal experience, whom would you prefer to sit next to in your own car pool? Someone who is upbeat and obviously enjoys and values what she is doing, or some dour soul who reminds us of H.L. Mencken's definition of the puritan — someone who is haunted by the fear that someone somewhere may be happy? Nearly every administration in some way makes us smile. In 1962, Vaughn Meader, a 26-year-old stand-up comic, perfectly mimicked JFK's accent on a recording that spoofed the Kennedys and which sold 1.2 albums in its first two weeks of release and 7.5 million overall. Comedians Rich Little and Jim Morris both captured Ronald Reagan's distinctive style, and Little and David Frye almost made Richard Nixon funny. President Gerry Ford (who insisted that his Republican challenger in 1976, Ronald Reagan, did not dye his hair but instead that it was just "prematurely orange") made comedian Chevy Chase a star. Who does not grin when reminded of Dana Carvey's brilliant George H.W. Bush, Darrell Hammond's Bill Clinton or Will Ferrell's George W. Bush? Because the Obama presidency is neither humorous nor apparently much fun, the late-night comedians have produced few humorous one-liners about the administration. But far more important is the sullen mood from the White House, which directly infects the federal city and indirectly the general populace. Let me offer this blunt advice to those in the White House: Yes, you are making enormous sacrifices — personal and, perhaps, professional — to work long hours under intense pressure while subjected to unfair criticism. But just think how lucky you are to be able to contribute and, possibly, make this a world a little more just. There are thousands of people, in greater Washington alone, who would give a limb to be able to do what you do every day. Do yourself and the nation a favor: Be grateful; be enthusiastic; be hopeful; be cheerful. Dare to smile and, occasionally even, to laugh at yourself. It makes a difference. To find out more about Mark Shields and read his past columns, visit the Creators Syndicate web page at www.creators.com. DISTRIBUTED BY CREATORS.COM COPYRIGHT 2010 MARK SHIELDS
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