Seth Meyers Quotes

I think that Obama is very cool. And I think he's clever, and I think he can be witty. But I don't think he's funny in either the way that Reagan was funny - or John McCain and Dick Cheney are both funny in that ruthless, kind of mean way.

A lot of comics claimed to be political comedians when George W. Bush was in office just by calling him an idiot. For me, Obama is actually more interesting comically, because not everybody can figure it out.

I like a President who tells jokes instead of appointing them.

I think it's probably much easier to do political comedy from a two-party point of view, in that the majority have some sense of what it means to be one or the other.

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

I'm a politician, and as you know, politicians are rarely very funny.

Solemnity in politicians is not only tiresome but may even mask those twin sins - self-righteousness and intolerance - for the opinions of others. If I couldn't laugh, I couldn't live, especially in politics.

There's plenty of room for humor in politics, God knows, but it's a serious business.

I'm not a traditional politician, and I have a sense of humor. I'll try to soften it and become boring, maybe even very boring, but I'm not sure if I'll be able to.

No politician would ever comment on a cartoon unless it was to show what a great sense of humour they have, that they can laugh at themselves.

If I studied all my life, I couldn't think up half the number of funny things passed in one session of congress.

Every joke a President makes about himself is another barb that is taken out of the arsenal of his opponent.

Although no one explicitly wants a president who could have a reliable fall back career in stand-up comedy, everyone shudders at the thought of a Rutherford B. Hayes or John Kerry.

The great thing about writing jokes for President Obama is that he is not afraid to tell jokes that are actually funny - and not just funny for a politician.

The funny thing about The West Wing is - and I don't know what Aaron Sorkin says about it - but I'm convinced it was a comedy. It's a very intellectual and cerebral comedy, but it was SportsNight in the White House. It had an energy and a vitality and an intelligence and a passion that's rare. And it was extremely difficult to do, because they were so demanding about the dialogue.

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.

I was going to start off tonight with an Obama joke but I don't want to get audited by the IRS.

It was easy to make fun of Bush, but it was sort of like shooting fish in a barrel and it didn't really feel all that good because it was so easy to do. I would much rather live under a thoughtful president. Even if it makes it harder to be funny about politics, it makes it more interesting to be funny about politics.

Of course there's a backlash. Of course. Look, half the country voted for Donald Trump. But I think one of the things that we try to do on Update is we try to hit him on the facts. If Hillary Clinton was President we would be making fun of her just as much. We're not trying to be right, we're not trying to be wrong, we're trying to be funny.

I could be an idiot, or I can serve in Congress, but I repeat myself.

I tell people view the federal government as a source of entertainment. It's a lot easier.

Some of the best work done to combat the Republicans has been wit and humor.

According to some reports coming out of Washington today, President Obama said Kanye West is a 'jackass.' Not since 'yes, we can' has Obama found a slogan so many Americans can get behind.

I don't do a lot of political jokes. Too many are getting elected.

Kennedy didn't beat Nixon. Satire beat Nixon.