A study released by the Center for Media and Public Affairs (CMPA) found that late night comedians featured jokes about Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney more than all Democratic candidates combined.
Gov. Romney was the target of 148 jokes, while President Barack Obama was the butt of only 62 punch lines told by late night hosts Jay Leno, David Letterman, Jimmy Fallon, and Craig Ferguson.
The study was conducted during the period from Aug. 27 to Oct. 3, analyzing the humor featured on “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno,” “Late Show with David Letterman,” “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon,” and “Late, Late Show with Craig Ferguson.”
“Romney is leading in the humor race, but being the biggest joke is a race nobody wants to win,” the CMPA’s president Dr. Robert Lichter said in a statement.
Research also showed that Republicans were the targets of political humor more than twice as often as were Democrats. According to the CMPA, 290 jokes were made about Republicans while 138 were told about Democrats.
Well known Republicans, including GOP vice presidential candidate Paul Ryan, former California governor and actor Arnold Schwarzenegger, filmmaker Clint Eastwood, and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, were also the subject of late night humor.
High-profile Democrats that inspired late night jokes included former President Bill Clinton and Vice President Joe Biden.
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