Humor is very very risky, particularly for a candidate, unless he’s been in so long that it just doesn’t matter, and he’s not running for president. But it’s just that people are so sensitive and so touchy, and you’re just going to upset somebody without ever realizing it.

Russell—best known as a political satirist—highlights the paradox of humor in electoral politics: it can humanize a candidate and signal confidence, but it also multiplies the chances of misinterpretation. The quote stresses how modern political audiences (and media ecosystems) are primed to take offense, so a joke’s target can shift from playful critique to perceived insult. His distinction between long-tenured figures and presidential contenders underscores the stakes: the higher the office and the broader the coalition, the more constituencies a single quip can alienate. The remark ultimately frames humor as a high-variance tactic—rewarding when it lands, but politically costly when it doesn’t.