China's Premier Zhao Ziyang, for all of his billion constituents, seemed in the evening's lovely flow like a favorite uncle, smiling a little too much, wanting to be a bit American, talking about peace and pork chops.

A sense of humor is needed armor.

The legions of reporters who cover politics don't want to quit the clash and thunder of electoral combat for the dry duty of analyzing the federal budget. As a consequence, we have created the perpetual presidential campaign.

A White House dinner is the American family assembled, from labor leaders to billionaires, actors, architects, academicians and athletes.

We are creating a political demolition derby, not a presidential debate. Those strange impulses in the American soul that have produced mud wrestling and The Gong Show seem to have claimed the national campaign.

The problems seem so easy out there on the stump. Deficits shrink with a rhetorical flourish.

Carry laughter with you wherever you go.