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The Reader’s Digest Presidential Laugh-Off

President Barack Obama and Republican candidate Mitt Romney each told us a joke—now you tell us who's funnier.

By Caitlin O'Connell

The Reader’s Digest Presidential Laugh-Off
Inspired by the statistical and the goofy ways to predict the presidency—Halloween mask sales, cookie contests, coffee cups, and Redskins wins to name a few—our editor-in-chief Liz Vaccariello decided, Reader’s Digest style, to challenge the presidential nominees to tell their best joke (spontaneously!) during her interviews with each.

Here are the jokes, folks: We edited and posted them below. Vote for your favorite, and we’ll reveal soon which funny fellow you think should be headed to the White House.

Joke 1:

“While in a large room of supporters, I turned to my wife and said, ‘In your wildest dreams, did you see me running for political office?’ And she turned back and said, ‘Honey, you weren’t in my wildest dreams.’”

Joke 2:

“A four-year-old boy saw a picture of the president. His parent said, ‘Do you know what that man does?’ The boy looked and said, ‘Yes: He approves this message.’”

poll by twiigs.com

Your Comments

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000225301358 Petula Donahue

    I HATE ROMNEY

    • Acleansweepjan

      Hate is not a good thing..
      Just because they hate Obama does not make it right for us to hate as well.
      Romney reminds me of a high school friend that would do anything including lying go fit in.

    • http://profile.yahoo.com/JQXCP7PZEWCW4YVDKQLLU2CXGU Sid

      i hate obummer

    • Chris

      Wow, what a loser you are.

    • Depth Tested

      Yes, but he loves you. That’s why he’s trying to remove the empty suit we have in the White House, so you can have a better life. You can send him a thank you note at his inauguration, 

      • http://www.facebook.com/photoboothe Boothe Davis

        The Rombott doesn’t love anyone, with the possible exception of the
        accountants who helped him prosper at the expense of outsourcing
        American jobs.
        But hate is an ugly thing, so I don’t hate the Rombott. I just despise him.  Thoroughly.

    • Kensee8

      Why hate Romney, he does not do anything bad, but Obama 4 years did nothing for the country, we need change, beside all second term will be for himself not the country.

    • mehdi

       obama is second to none

  • Zueley

    I bet the funny joke was Obama’s, he has way more personality and so does his wife!

    • Suzgirl

      Acrually, the joke receiving the most votes (joke 1) is Romney’s

      • http://profile.yahoo.com/JQXCP7PZEWCW4YVDKQLLU2CXGU Sid

        i think joke 1 is obamas because it matches michele’s type of sarcasm

        • Jay

          I think the first joke is Obama’s too

          • Depth Tested

            See, you’re voting for an image, not reality.

        • Dwshive

          The joke was most definitely Romney’s.   Look it up on Google.

    • Anonymous

       Ya, he was hilarious during the debate! Empty suit was more like it!

    • Depth Tested

      Unfortunately for the country, personality does’t pay down the debt, create jobs, or guide an effective foreign policy. To do those things you need experience, intelligence and character. Romney and his wife have more of those.

  • Sarah Koury

    I thought we were looking for the leader of the free world not a stand up comedian.

  • Gzielinska

    People judge by the contects   (” is funny to joke about infedility “) I think joke #2 is a better one bq it makes fun of the political process.

    • Chris

      They are both funny… they are jokes… no subject conditions

  • http://twitter.com/RatedRepublican Rated Republican

    We don’t hate Obama, just his policies, which are to make everyone in Western Civilization as poor as the people in Somalia, Ethiopia, Kenya, North Korea, and Cuba.  We’d like to see those countries fixed through freedom, democracy, and capitalism.

    • Sikaburo

      Stereotypes and prejudice! Who tells you all people in those countries are poor. Generalizations. When you hate Obama, he is gracious enough and embraces ALL.

    • Karencento

       Have you listened to Romney?

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Celeste-Christi/100000108380286 Celeste Christi

    Don’t care who’s funny. Do care who wins. R&R 2012!!

    • Jemfinch1

      Everyone but the rich totally screwed by 2013, ya moron.

  • Anonymous

    I think Joke 2 is obama.  I think Joke 1 is romney because who would actually have romney in any wild dreams?  (and he knows it)

  • Shahnaztarannum

    It is President Obama’s Joke. Romney does not know how to make jokes he knows how to attack Obama. That is one of his joke about Obama’s campaign.

  • Unidav

    I am certain the first joke was told by Obama.    I doubt that Ann would risk offending her rather humorless husband.    

  • Mudassar Iqbal

    it is never too late to give up prejudice

  • http://www.facebook.com/photoboothe Boothe Davis

    The Rombott doesn’t love anyone, with the possible exception of the accountants who helped him prosper at the expense of outsourcing American jobs.
    But hate is an ugly thing, so I don’t hate the Rombott. I just despise him. Thoroughly.

  • Anonymous

    I think the funniest comment was the one Obama made to Biden.

    “We got to save our phoney baloney jobs!”.

    Oh, wait a moment, I think that was from a Mel Brooks movie.

  • gene

    I hate YOU’ALL, you’all but I love you too.

  • CONSERVATIVE SUE

    I THINK ROMNEY IS GREAT!  HE IS OUR NEXT PRESIDENT – THANK GOODNESS! 

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Brandon-Smith/536470293 Brandon Smith

    Why did you put quotation marks around the second joke when that is not at all what Obama said in the readers digest article? You stripped it of all comedic delivery and then ask which one is funnier. Well. The one that still contains a joke, obviously.

  • Anonymous

    Hate hurts the hater more than it hurts the  hurt-e. …Extended  periods of hate,  devours love, care and concern, likely eliminating the will-power to change.

    Don’t hate anyone. Disliking their ways is acceptable.