DAILY DIRT: Presidents can have a sense of humor, too

Daily Dirt for Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2024

The comments from Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton were true classics. And Abe Lincoln’s was not far behind … Welcome to today’s three thoughts that make up Vol. 1,100 of The Daily Dirt.

1. Ahh … politics.

At this time every four years we’ve just about had enough of one candidate or the other telling us why he or she is the best-equipped to solve all of our problems. Right?

With that in mind, let’s look back at some of the most memorable comments from the leading politicians of the day. Granted, while most were made tongue-in-cheek, they still delivered a subtle message. 

Gold medal: “My esteem in this country has gone up substantially. It is very nice now when people wave at me, they use all their fingers.” — Jimmy Carter.

Silver medal: “Being president is like running a cemetery; you’ve got a lot of people under you and nobody’s listening.” — Bill Clinton.

Bronze medal: “Honestly, if I were two-faced, would I be showing you this one?” — Abe Lincoln.

Honorable mention: “There is no pleasure in having nothing to do; the fun is having lots to do and not doing it.” — Andrew Jackson.

Honorable mention: “He has no more backbone than a chocolate éclair.” — Theodore Roosevelt on William McKinley.

2. Did you know (Part 170)

• That the salaries of NFL and NBA mascots range from about $50,000 to more than $600,000 per season. The highest-paid mascot is the Denver Nuggets’ Rocky the Mountain Lion, known for his daring acrobatics and innovative skits. Rocky earns a cool $625,000.
• That Red Velvet Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups — both king-sized and regular — will be out right around Christmas.
• That A&W Root Beer is releasing an Ice Cream Sundae Soda (regular and sugar free) in early 2025. “Should be like a root beer float with a little cherry and fudge taste,” according to one report.
• That Bob Evans will soon be releasing a Queso Macaroni and Cheese.
• That Jason Kelce fell asleep during one of Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour concerts. Jason Kelce is the brother of Swift’s boyfriend, Travis Kelce. 

3. Here’s who popular NBA analyst Charles Barkley, a former all-star player in the league, says are the top 10 talents in today’s game:

• 1. Nikola Jocic
• 2. Luka Doncic
• 3. Giannis Antetokounmpo
• 4. Joel Embiid
• 5. Steph Curry
• 6. Jaylen Brown 
• 7. Jayson Tatum
• 8. Kevin Durant
• 9. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (how long until SGA is No. 1?)
• 10. Anthony Davis

For those wondering, Barkley says LeBron James is No. 11. 

Steve Thought O’ The Day — Out of all the vital information I have shared with you today, I feel the A&W Root Beer particulars are the most intriguing — 2025 cannot arrive fast enough.

Steve Eighinger writes daily for Muddy River News. I heard Martin Van Buren did standup before he got into politics. I can’t believe Steve omitted this comic legend!