Hillary Clinton: Dead-On Comic, Dull Politician

It's a truism in comedy that the hardest role is that of the straight sidekick, the bemused Abbott who, standing in for the audience, uses subtle facial expressions and clarifying questions to allow Costello's frenzy to have its full absurdist impact. This morning, Hillary Clinton revealed herself to be an excellent sidekick--one with a bit more kick than most--the sharp, funny person her friends have told us about. She was a guest on Zach Galifianakis's "Between Two Ferns," an acerbic, occasional series on the comedy Web site Funny or Die. Usually, Galifianakis, who plays a rude, clueless talk-show host, picks movie-star foils--Brad Pitt, Will Ferrell, Steve Carrell--and it's clear that the back-and-forth insults are all in good fun. Though one previous political guest was President Obama, who jabbed Galifianakis with more abuse than he received.