Ronald Reagan was a very popular President, and many Americans continue to honor his memory.  Of course, he had his enemies, and his ideological opponents actually hated him and vilified him.  Their scathing attacks were frequently blunted by Reagan’s basic affability and sense of humor.  Somehow, no matter the gravity of the moment, he never appeared to take the world, nor himself, too seriously.  I recall that time when he had been shot, was slowly bleeding to death, and was being prepared for emergency surgery.  At that critical moment Reagan expressed the hope that the attending physicians were Republicans.

I like many things about President Trump, but I do wish he had something of Reagan’s bonhomie and sense of humor.  If so, he could slough off much of the opposition’s bitter and often outrageous accusations and win more support from the general public.

President Lincoln was another President with a great sense of humor.  I remember reading about Abraham Lincoln’s response to a group of enemies.  When they threatened to ride him out of town on a rail, he said “If it weren’t for the honor of it, I would rather walk.”