Bernie Sanders, Stand-Up Comic – The New York Times

Some, however, do not land.

During the Democratic debate in December, a moderator noted recent remarks by former President Barack Obama, who said that the world’s problems were usually because of “old people, usually old men, not getting out of the way.”

“Senator Sanders, you are the oldest candidate onstage this evening,” the moderator began.

“And I’m white, as well!” Mr. Sanders broke in. Silence.

Indeed, his is a comedic style that is dry and quick, a product of Brooklyn in the 1940s that often requires his Brooklyn baritone and his waving armsfor intended effect. He frequently deploys his one-liners with such a straight face, with such characteristic crustiness, that it takes a while for his audience to catch on. He rarely chuckles at his own attempts, though he sometimes can’t resist a grin.

At the debate last month in Nevada, for instance, a moderator asked him the results of a poll that said voters were uncomfortable with a socialist president.

“What was the result of that poll? Who was winning?” Mr. Sanders said, wooden-faced. (He was.)

He recently prodded a reluctant audience in Iowa to participate in an informal question-and-answer session.

“I know it’s not easy for people to stand up in front of the TV cameras,” he said, motioning to reporters in the back. “Just ignore them. I ignore them all the time!”

“I love Bernie’s smile, but honestly the best is when he says something with his dry delivery and a straight face, which leaves the rest of us laughing,” said Faiz Shakir, Mr. Sanders’s campaign manager. “Because, the truth is, the jokes are for us — not him.”

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