Evan Esar Quotes

I never wanted to do political satire because it seems too surface to me.

The reason I wrote political satire was because I thought it - politics - was important... that public policy was important. Then I transitioned into books, then into radio.

Politics is developing more comedians than radio ever did.

I don't really have funny things to say about politics. I wish I did, but I don't.

You try to - you want to fly on both sides of the political fence because that's where the - where the comedy is.

For me, my party views don't advance my narrative. Until I can find a way to write political satire like my idols Christopher Buckley or P.J. O'Rourke, I'll simply say what team I play for and leave it at that.

I'm not the guy to ask about politics. I'm a gag writer.

I've always been interested in socially political, or overtly political, comedy.

Every day I turn on my television set and I see Newt Gingrich on television, I rejoice.

You know, I'm a comedian the same as Bill Maher and Jon Stewart. We all came up the same way. The three of us have interest in politics; I call us fundits, we're fundits! We're not pundits!

I don't make jokes. I just watch the government and report the facts.

Whoever's president I'm not going to be short on material.

If you wanted to hear politics, you'd go to Henry Kissinger; you wouldn't go to hear Jackie Mason. The reason I speak about politics is because I know I can get a laugh out of it.

In a weird way, our satirists probably have the most complicated, nuanced views of our politics now - Jon Stewart, Stephen Colbert, John Oliver. I don't know what that says about our country.

People go, 'Oh, Trump must be good for comedy,' and I go, 'Ehhh.'

Republicans are easy to make fun of.

I think I've seen every 'Bill Maher' episode.

I stay far away from political humor.

Sarah Palin gave a speech in South Korea. Just what the Koreans needed: Two crazy dictators in fashionable lady's glasses.

One of my most often repeated quips was the one I made when former Presidents Carter, Ford and Nixon stood by each other at a White House event. 'There they are,' I said. 'See no evil, hear no evil, and . . . evil.'

The comedy gods are smiling on me tonight, because I have been saying, for the longest time, that president Bush must set a timetable for removing his head from his ass...and, by god, today they went in and looked for it... They didn't find it. So now we don't know where it is, but at least for once in my life, I get to see the words "Bush", "operation", and "success" in the same sentence.

Wit puts politicians at risk.

I wouldn't have the slightest interest in running for public office. I'd rather make jokes about politicians than become one of them.

I think politics have gotten vulgar and we comedically portray that.

I care about politics, but I have a tough time making comedy out of it. I was so happy to have a chance to be on The Daily Show, and I think Jon Stewart's so funny... but mostly in my own comedy, I care about less relevant things.