Z: Have Democrats lost their sense of humor?

She: I still think you’re funny.

Z: Yes, but you drink. I mean, in general. With the most serious president we’ve had in office in decades, have all Democrats become too serious?

She: People do seem to be crazy strident about any Obama jokes.

Z: Which is odd, ‘cause there haven’t even been that many of them. I think he’s tough to make fun of because he’s so serious, he’s smart and he’s clearly trying hard. You can only make so many Urkel jokes.

She: Bush was much easier to make fun of. Really, too easy. Fish in a barrel easy. Special Olympics easy — which isn’t something we should joke about, especially not if we’re the president.

Z: But Obama is the man in power, now. He’s president, and the house is Democratic. This is who we’re supposed to make jokes about — the people in power.

She: Has the left ever had a sense of humor?

Z: I think most comedians are Democrats. Take Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert. Some of the funniest political comics around.

She: Do you really think Colbert is a Democrat? I have a hard time figuring him out.

Z: I think he’s a Colbertocrat. He likes to name things after himself, why not a political party?

She: Besides, being funny is different from having a sense of humor.

Z: I guess it’s also different because they had an easy eight years of making fun of Republicans. While the right was in power, they constantly created all sorts of easy comedy targets. Nothing funnier than hypocrisy, idiocy, and shooting your friend in the head.

She: Do you think we laugh more at Republican jokes because we’re Democrats?

Z: No, it’s because Republicans are easier to make fun of.

She: It’s great that you have such deep self-knowledge.

Z: How many Democrats does it take to screw in a light bulb?

She: Uh … three?

Z: It takes a village. How many Republicans does it take to screw in a light bulb?

She: Uh … three?

Z: No handouts! If the light bulb needs changin’, it better change itself.

She: Your point?

Z: To joke about Democrats, you make fun of hippies who want to help other people. When you joke about Republicans, you joke about selfishness. It feels less mean to make jokes about Republicans, and it’s also funnier.

She: But you’re still arguing from the Democrats good, Republicans bad standpoint.

Z: Democrats in power can still be hypocrites. Clinton eventually painted a big laugh target on his back. Or, at least on a blue dress.

She: It’s probably still too early for this administration. We have to give Obama more time to screw up. Then he’ll be funny.

Z: Back to my original point — will liberals laugh?

She: If it’s funny.

Z: I don’t know. I picture the classic conservative as a round, country club guy with a red nose, a crested blazer and a tastefully garish shirt, laughing at just about anything over a couple martinis.

She: It’s easy to laugh when you own everything — and when you drink martinis.

Z: While the classic liberal is out there splashing sheep blood on fur coats.

She: I do picture fewer giggles there, especially for the sheep.

Z: On the other hand, sheep humor is nonpartisan.

She: Except to sheepocrats.

Z: Two sheep walk in the grasslands. Suddenly they both fall in a hole. They can’t get out. The first sheep shouts, “Help! Help!” Nothing happens. Again, “Help! Help!” The second sheep says, “It might help if we shout together.” The first one shouts, “Together! Together!”

She: That’s not a sheep joke, and it’s not a political joke. That’s a blond joke.

Z: Universally funny to Democrats and Republicans alike.

She: Yes, dear.

Share your political — or nonpolitical — humor with She and Z at leslie@lesliedinaberg.com.