Joke of the Day (Donald Trump, in Debate Mode, on the Birther Issue)

“When you talk about healing, I think I’ve developed very good relationships over the last little while with the African-American community. I think you can see that. I feel that they really wanted me to come to that conclusion, and I think I did a great job and a great service, not only for the country, but for the president, in getting him to produce his birth certificate.” —Donald Trump to Lester Holt in last night’s debate with Hillary Clinton, on whether his promotion of the false “birther” issue against President Obama contributed in any way to racial healing, quoted in Amanda Hoover, “Donald Trump Had ‘Nothing’ to Say About ‘Birther’ Issue to People of Color,” The Boston Globe, Sept. 27, 2016

I got in a bit late last night, but I still felt compelled to watch for a few minutes the first debate between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton. The response I came in on was the above. My immediate reaction was simple: What the hell was that?

Normally, whenever I post a “Joke of the Day” or a quote clearly intended to be humorous, it comes from a stand-up comic or a sitcom. But five years ago, as the last Presidential election geared up, political hypocrisy so overwhelming it made me burst out laughing led me to put up a post about Newt Gingrich, that paragon of faithfulness, giving a pledge of marital fidelity—for the fourth time in his life.

I never thought I would see the likes of it again in my lifetime. But I hadn’t reckoned with this election or this nominee.

And so, I offer this to you, Faithful Reader. You and I have desperately needed a laugh for a long time, and Trump—bless his little heart and his big mouth!—has come through for us, in a hu-u-u-u-ge way.