More Stories, Fewer Jokes

Posted: Thursday May 1, 2008 under Lead Myself, Tips for Trainers

As the U.S. presidential candidates go at each other, and things heat up on the campaign trail, I can’t help but notice that these guys (and gals) sure do a lot of “misspeaking” given all the talking practice they get. I guess when your mouth is open that much, at that speed, you’re bound to choke on a bug or two, and candidates really take a chance (as do we all) when they tell a joke. For example:

In January, Hillary Clinton apologized for joking at a fund-raiser that Mahatma Gandhi used to run a gas station in St. Louis.

In April, John McCain got in hot water for changing the words to a popular Beach Boys song to “bomb-bomb-bomb-bomb-bomb-Iran.”

Barack Obama had a joke about Viagra that he dropped, and a guy who told a joke about Obama really caught it. In March, Fox Chairman and CEO Roger Ailes gave a speech in which he deliberately confused Barack Obama’s name with terrorist leader Osama bin Laden. Consequently, a Democratic candidate debate that was to be held in Nevada (and co-hosted by Fox News Network) was canceled by irate Democratic leaders.

The good folks at PsychoTactics offer some advice for anyone who gives presentations. Their article is called How Humour Can Backfire Horribly At Your Next Presentation.