Campaigns with no humor

By Park Moo-jong

Most politicians live and die by their use of language. Some win thanks to their witty silver tongue. Some lose due to their poor sense of humor or an absurd slip of the tongue.

Over the decades, "successful" world leaders have demonstrated how humor can be the best weapon.
When it comes to a politician's humor, Winston Churchill (1874-1965) could be second to none, together with Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865).

Sometime in 1946, Churchill, the British prime minister during World War II, was leaving the House of Commons, when Bessie Braddock (1899-1970), a member of parliament from the Labour Party, hit him with an insult saying, "Winston, you are drunk and what's more you are disgustingly drunk."

Churchill fired back at her with an insult, too, saying, "Bessie, my dear, you are ugly, and what's more you are disgustingly ugly. But tomorrow I shall be sober and you will still be disgustingly ugly."

Lincoln, who led the United States through its Civil War and paved the way for the abolition of slavery, was accused of being two-faced by his arch-rival Stephen A. Douglas during a debate in Illinois in 1858 for a Senate seat. Lincoln replied calmly, "I leave it to my audience: If I had two faces, would I be wearing this one?" (Douglas also lost to Lincoln in the 1860 presidential election.)

Ronald Reagan's (1911-2004) age-old wisdom and humor shows how a leader can be awe-inspiring.

In a presidential TV debate for his reelection in 1984, then 56-year-old Walter Mondale tackled Reagan's age of 73, asking if he is too old to be president.

Reagan quipped, "I will not make age an issue of this campaign. I am not going to exploit, for political purposes, my opponent's youth and inexperience," even soliciting a laugh from his rival. (The Republican actor-turned-statesman ended up winning by a landslide).

These episodes give crystal-clear testimony about the importance of a politician's sense of humor.

How about the reality in the Republic of Korea where the presidential candidates are making last-ditch campaigns for the May 9 (Tuesday) election?

The answer is simple and very easy: Where has all the humor gone? The five TV debates featured only tough verbal attacks, vulgar curses and shallow witticisms plus threatening words.

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Voters watching TV, particularly undecided voters, had to sigh, as they could not choose the candidate to vote for.
Ahead of the few days to go, the candidates have been all out in their production of menacing remarks only to boost the split among the people and encourage conflicts between the left and right.

In selfish attempts to bind their supporters closer, the candidates are fanning the deep-rooted feud between conservatives and progressives without presenting any forward-looking views to help unite the acute split in public opinion over crucial national issues, including the ever-mounting security crisis over North Korea's nuclear threats.
They were busy picking on their rivals, condemning each other as deep-rooted evils and even abusing each other's supporters.

Many people might get chills upon hearing the "spiteful" words of former Prime Minister Lee Hae-chan, the co-chief campaigner of front-runner Moon Jae-in, during a stump rally where he said "(we) have to completely destroy the extreme conservative forces."

Moon, himself, also said earlier that he would "burn" conservatives (if elected), and his conservative rival Hong Joon-pyo quipped, "I shall be burnt at the stake."

In short, the campaigning is something like a "blood and thunder" film. Korean politicians really lack humor and laughter.

When we need a bridge over troubled water, it should be through the power of humor. It plays the role of a lubricant to help open mutual communication and sympathy. Humor is one of the important virtues political leaders of today should have.

ABC (American Broadcasting Company) TV reported in October 2015 that nearly three-quarters of the American people count a sense of humor as an essential attribute of successful politicians.

Indeed, the leader's sense of humor is a barometer of a nation's political level.

Barrack Obama upgraded the class of U.S. politics with his mastered art of using humor to humanize himself and advance his agenda in this age of viral videos and unconventional new modes of communication, as NBC reported last December.

His successor, Mr. Donald Trump? At the moment, the U.S. president seems to have a silver tongue, but does not seem to be witty or deliberate enough, giving rise to a newly coined term, "Trump Risk."

Human life has more tragic elements than comedic ones. But it is humor and the spirit of affirmation that help humans think of life as worth living despite a hard and difficult reality.

Whoever becomes the president five days from now, the new leader will travel a long and winding road to tackle North Korea's nuclear threats, conflict with China, the split of national opinion and economic problems among others.

The new occupant of Choeng Wa Dae will be able to enjoy public support in solving this heap of questions only when he helps the people laugh with humor and tolerance.

Park Moo-jong is The Korea Times advisor. He served as president-publisher of the nation's first English newspaper founded in 1950 from 2004 to 2014 after working as a reporter for the daily since 1974. He can be reached at moojong@ktimes.com or emjei29@gmail.com