Thanks for the idea...in addition to humnor, compassion is also a good one. Like the story of the little boy and the goldfish when he met Grobachev at the large residence in Geneva. It seems a little boy who lived there but was displaced by the meetings had gold fish that needed looking after and the President took it upon himself to do so. When one died in his care, he made sure another just like it was replaced before they left, and he then personally wrote the boy and expressed his sorrow, but let him know he had replaced it.
The leader of the free world was not too busy to help a little kid. A great man that!
Here are some more humorous quotes:
On Politics:
"Politics is supposed to be the second-oldest profession. I have come to realize it bears a very close resemblance to the first."
"Politics is just like show business. You have a hell of an opening, you coast for awhile, you have a hell of a closing."
"Politics is not a bad profession. If you succeed there are many rewards, if you disgrace yourself you can always write a book."
On Actors and Politics:
"How can a president not be an actor?" (Upon being asked how an actor could become president.)
"I don’t know. I’ve never played a governor." (Upon being asked by a reporter in 1966 what kind of governor he would be.)
"What makes him think a middle-aged actor, who’s played with a chimp, could have a future in politics?" (On Clint Eastwood’s bid to be Mayor of Carmel, California.)
On Congress:
"I have wondered at times what the Ten Commandments would have looked like if Moses had run them through the U.S. Congress."
"I’m afraid I can’t use a mule. I have several hundred up on Capitol Hill."
On Government:
"Government is like a baby. An alimentary canal with a big appetite at one end and no sense of responsibility at the other."
"My friends, some years ago the federal government declared war on poverty — and poverty won."
On the Economy and Taxes:
"Government’s view of the economy could be summed up in a few short phrases: If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidize it."
"Republicans believe every day is 4th of July, but Democrats believe every day is April 15."
"I am not worried about the deficit. It is big enough to take care of itself."
"Recession is when your neighbor loses his job. Depression is when you lose yours. And recovery is when Jimmy Carter loses his."
On Communism:
"How do you tell a Communist? It’s someone who reads Marx and Lenin. And how do you tell an anti-Communist? It’s someone who understands Marx and Lenin."
On Being President:
"I have left orders to be awakened at any time in case of national emergency — even if I’m in a cabinet meeting."
"But there are advantages to being elected President. The day after I was elected, I had my high school grades classified Top Secret."
On the Assassination Attempt:
"Honey, I forgot to duck." (Explaining to his wife, Nancy Reagan, why he had been hit by John Hinckley’s bullet.)
"I hope you’re all Republicans." (To the surgeons in the operating room after the assassination attempt.)
On His Age:
"I want you to know that I will not make age an issue in this campaign. I am not going to exploit, for political purposes, my opponent’s youth and inexperience." (In response to a question during the second of the 1984 Presidential Debates against opposing candidate Walter Mondale.)
Cultural references were often the basis of Reagan's humor, as when he said, "The other side's promises are a little like Minnie Pearl's hat. They both have big price tags hanging from them." And, "If my opponent's campaign were a TV show it would be 'Let's Make a Deal.' You'd get to trade your prosperity for the surprise behind the curtain."