海角大神

In his final appearance at the annual White House Correspondents鈥� Dinner, now it can be said: President Obama is always funnier than the paid comedian.

Larry Wilmore, host of Comedy Central鈥檚 鈥淭he Nightly Show,鈥� kind of bombed, in fact. Let鈥檚 just say, he told the 鈥淭ed Cruz is really the Zodiac Killer鈥� joke about seven times too many. And it was probably a good thing that his dropping of the N-word came in the sign-off, because the audience might not have stood for more.

But let鈥檚 focus on the positive: the best jokes. Mr. Obama had plenty, and in this wild election year, there was a ton of material for his speech-writers. Even Hillary Clinton wasn鈥檛 spared, in a way that might not make her too happy. He praised her smarts and experience, then continued:

鈥淵ou鈥檝e got to admit it, though, Hillary trying to appeal to young voters is a little bit like your relative that just signed up for Facebook,鈥� Obama said.

鈥淒ear America, did you get my poke?鈥� he mocked. 鈥淚s it appearing on your wall? I鈥檓 not sure I鈥檓 using this right. Love, Aunt Hillary.鈥�

Here are some other good ones by Obama:

On 鈥淐.P.T鈥�: The president started off with a bang, apologizing for being late (which he wasn鈥檛). 聽鈥淚 was running on C.P.T., which stands for 鈥榡okes that white people should not make,鈥欌�� he said.

It was a jab at New York Mayor Bill De Blasio, who recently quipped at another political dinner that he had waited to endorse Mrs. Clinton because he was on 鈥淐.P. Time鈥� 鈥� a racially demeaning term that stands for 鈥淐olored People Time.鈥�

On Bernie Sanders, who was in the audience: "Bernie, you look like a million bucks,鈥� Obama said. 鈥淥r, to put it in terms you understand, you look like 37,000 donations of $27 each."

On being 鈥渟nubbed鈥� by foreign leaders because he鈥檚 a lame duck: 鈥淟ast week, Prince George showed up to our meeting in his bathrobe.鈥� (Prince George is two years old.)

On Joe Biden (and Dick Cheney): 鈥淚 love Joe Biden, I really do. 聽And I want to thank him for his friendship, for his counsel, for always giving it to me straight, for not shooting anybody in the face.鈥�

Obama was referring to the time, in 2006, when then-Vice President Cheney accidentally shot a hunting partner in the face with a pellet gun.

On Senator Cruz: 聽鈥淭ed had a tough week. 聽He went to Indiana 鈥� Hoosier country 鈥� stood on a basketball court, and called the hoop a 鈥渂asketball ring. What else is in his lexicon? Baseball sticks? Football hats? But sure, I鈥檓 the foreign one.鈥�

On himself: 鈥淭his is my eighth and final appearance and I am excited. If this material works well, I鈥檓 going to use it at Goldman Sachs next year [and] earn me some serious Tubmans.鈥�

And of course, Donald Trump: Obama said he was hurt and surprised that Mr. Trump didn鈥檛 come to this year鈥檚 dinner.

鈥淵ou've got a room full of reporters, celebrities, cameras, and he says no?鈥� Obama said. 鈥淚s this dinner too tacky for The Donald? 聽What could he possibly be doing instead? Is he at home, eating a Trump Steak, tweeting out insults to Angela Merkel?鈥�

Mr. Wilmore followed Obama, admitting it鈥檚 the toughest assignment in comedy. Wilmore, who is also African American, went for a lot of racial humor, always risky but perhaps more so now in these racially charged times.

Wilmore started his remarks in that vein: 鈥淲ell, welcome to 鈥楴egro Night鈥� here at the Washington Hilton, or as Fox News will report, 鈥楾wo thugs disrupt elegant dinner in D.C.,鈥欌�� Wilmore said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 how they do us, right?鈥�

The folks from Fox News seated next to the Monitor鈥檚 table were not amused.

When Wilmore addressed Obama directly, he doubled down on the racial humor: 聽鈥淵our hair is so white, it tried to punch me at a Trump rally,鈥� he said.

鈥淧resident鈥檚 hair is so white it keeps saying 鈥榓ll lives matter.鈥� Alright, fine. Fine, I get it. I get it.鈥�

鈥淣o, but man, you came in here looking like Denzel. Now you going out looking like Grady from 鈥楽anford and Son.鈥欌��

Wilmore also took off after the superannuated Senator Sanders: 聽鈥淚鈥檓 surprised, you never come to these things. He usually goes to the White House correspondents鈥� early-bird dinner.鈥�

And he recalled the White House Correspondents鈥� Dinner of 2011, which, in retrospect, may be Obama鈥檚 most extraordinary performance of all.

鈥淚 gotta be careful picking on you, though, Mr. President,鈥� Wilmore said. 鈥淐ouple years ago during this dinner, you were like killing Osama bin Laden. Remember that?鈥�

We do remember that, and recall that the president鈥檚 cool and impeccable comedic timing betrayed nothing of what was happening in another part of the world. Trump was also at that dinner 鈥� an occasion that Obama used to rib him mercilessly about his TV show, 鈥淐elebrity Apprentice,鈥� his birth certificate conspiracy, and 鈥� yes 鈥� about his presidential ambitions.

A year from now, a new president will probably be addressing the White House Correspondents鈥� Dinner. And who knows, maybe Trump will have the last laugh.