Sarah Palin has complained about a Letterman quip directed at her. This seems to continue a trend where she criticizes jokes made at her expense. Not long ago, she complained about her depiction on SNL last fall.
I'm guessing her defenders will say she's been treated worse on the comedy programs than any other politician has, but I don't buy it. I'll agree that SNL was harsher on her than it was on Joe Biden, but I don't think it treated her any worse than it did Gerry Ford, Dan Quayle, or Al Gore, none of whom, to my recollection, complained about it anywhere near as much as she has. (Quayle was not unreasonably bothered by being the butt of late-night jokes, but even he made light of his foibles on occasion, as when he quipped, "If [Clinton and Gore] are moderates, I'm a world champion speller.")
The bottom line is that she has no sense of humor. And that isn't exactly a helpful trait for someone of her ambitions. Can you name any recent presidential candidate who was this defensive about their treatment at the hands of late-night comics?
Apart from Gov. Paterson's taking offense at an SNL skit that made fun of his blindness, I have trouble recalling any other politician who attacked a comedy skit about them, certainly no one as prominent as Sarah Palin. Most big-time pols practice the art of laughing at themselves--they have to, they're expected to. Even if they privately feel insulted, it's probably a good idea for them to suck it up.
McCain may have gotten snippy about Obama's remark that he had "lost his bearings," but he went on SNL to make jokes at the expense of his advanced age. Bush made fun of his own verbal missteps, and Mike Huckabee participated in a skit that made fun of his staying in the presidential race long after he had any realistic chance of getting the nomination.
In terms of overall demeanor Obama may be one of our more serious presidents, but he is not without a sense of humor. Judging from his recent Colbert appearance, I would say he looks more comfortable on a comedy program than any president since George H.W. Bush (who was quite funny in a 1994 appearance on SNL, when he confronted his impersonator, Dana Carvey).
Then there's Sarah Palin, who so far seems as thin-skinned as a tomato, ready to attack jibes at her instead of just laughing them off, much less coming up with a witty response. Has there been any big-time politician in recent memory who was this unwilling to accept the rough-and-tumble of late-night comedy? If you know of any examples, I'd love to hear them.
UPDATE: When I wrote this post, I had not seen Letterman's routine, and was reporting on it based on what I read by the blogger I linked to, who mentioned only his "slutty" remark. I was unaware, until commenters told me, that he had also joked about Palin's daughter. Still, I think the evidence so far does suggest to me that he was talking about the 19-year-old Bristol, not the 14-year-old Willow, and it was a joke about being "knocked up," not about rape. It is, I agree, pushing the limits of good taste, but that is not uncommon on late night.
SECOND UPDATE: I've been discussing the incident with others, and although I haven't been given conclusive evidence yet, there do seem to be some indications that the girl at the baseball game with Palin was Willow, not Bristol. Still, it is likely that Letterman thought it was Bristol. The two sisters look similar, and Willow was holding a baby, so it's understandable that some observers got confused. Moreover, the joke would not have made much sense if it had been directed at Willow (who, unlike Bristol, has not been in the spotlight). He does owe Palin an apology (and I'm told he has issued one), but people should stop assuming he deliberately made fun of a 14-year-old. There's no reason to believe that's who he had in mind.