Nov. 8 (Bloomberg) -- When it comes to humor, George W. Bush is no Ronald Reagan or John F. Kennedy, much less an Abraham Lincoln. He is, however, a cut above Jimmy Carter or William McKinley.

That's the assessment from former senator and one-time presidential candidate Robert Dole, who wrote the book, ``Great Presidential Wit,'' ranking the humor quotient of the nation's first 41 presidents.

``He's not a quipster or storyteller like Abraham Lincoln or Ronald Reagan,'' said Dole, a man known himself for a sharp wit. While his book was published before Bush took office, Dole said, ``I'd put him in the top 20.''

Even with his job-approval rating at or near all-time lows and his legacy burdened by an unpopular war, Bush still sprinkles many of his speeches with ad-libbed wisecracks and a well-worn repertoire of one-liners.

Like many aspects of his presidency, Bush's attempts at levity can be controversial, and they sometimes backfire. His barbs often have a serrated edge.

Taking questions from an audience in Rogers, Arkansas, last month, Bush called on a man in a Veterans of Foreign Wars cap.

``I had the honor of sitting up front when you addressed the national convention of the VFW in Kansas City,'' the man began, only to have the president cut in: ``Yes, sir. Were you the guy that was sound asleep?''

Two years ago, he poked fun at a reporter who showed up at a press conference wearing sunglasses, only to find out later that the man wore them because of a condition that rendered him legally blind. Chagrined, Bush called him to apologize.

`Colloquial Style'

``Bush has a very colloquial style of joshing, but it doesn't always translate well,'' said Bob Orben, a professional humorist who was the late President Gerald Ford's main speechwriter. ``Sometimes when Bush tries to parry questions with alleged humor, it comes across as mean.''

Liz Carpenter, a humorist who worked in the press office of the late President Lyndon Baines Johnson -- No. 8 on Dole's list -- said Bush often employs jokes ``when he is on the defensive. When it doesn't work, he smirks.''

Bush, 61, doesn't just fire zingers at hapless questioners. One of his favorite tactics is to play off his reputation as an indifferent student.

Ducking a question last month about prospects for a recession, he joked: ``You need to talk to economists. I think I got a B in Econ 101.''

No Shakespeare

This summer, when he drew a blank on Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff's title and referred to him as ``the Homeland Guy,'' Bush shrugged off the lapse by saying, ``Look, nobody has accused me of being Shakespeare, you know?''

While those lines often draw laughs from members of the public and supporters, some listeners are unnerved by the references to Bush's reputation as an intellectual lightweight. ``It's not especially helpful,'' said Mark Katz, a former writer for Bill Clinton. ``At this point in his presidency, there's nothing reassuring in him joking that he isn't smart.''

To some professional wordsmiths, the one-liners serve as a pressure-valve for a beleaguered leader. ``Right now, the humor that comes naturally to the president is mainly for his personal benefit,'' said Landon Parvin, a former White House speechwriter who has penned jokes for Bush. ``He couldn't survive what he is going through without his sense of humor.''

Kennedy and Reagan

The men who Dole and other students of humor rank as the wittiest among modern presidents typically used self-deprecation as their weapon.

``Kennedy and Reagan were so good, they didn't need any writers, or help with their delivery or their timing,'' Dole, 84, said.

One Reagan classic came during the 1984 presidential debate against Democrat Walter Mondale. As the oldest man to occupy the White House, and facing a candidate 17 years his junior, Reagan was asked whether age should be an issue. He disarmed opponents by quipping that he wouldn't ``exploit for political purposes my opponent's youth and inexperience.''

Kennedy sought to defuse suspicions about his family's wealth and influence before his presidential campaign by saying at a 1958 Washington dinner: ``I just received the following wire from my generous Daddy. `Dear Jack, Don't buy a single vote more than is necessary. I'll be damned if I'm going to pay for a landslide.'''

Bush may not be the funniest president, yet in one comedic area he remains unsurpassed: Few U.S. leaders have provided so much material for stand-up comedians and TV talk-show hosts.

In September, he unwittingly addressed a question he posed during his 2000 presidential campaign: ``Is our children learning?'' In New York for an event to tout the accomplishments of his education policies, Bush tripped over his tongue with the answer: ``Childrens do learn.''

The response from comedians was quick.

``Oh, does they?'' Jon Stewart asked that night on his satiric Comedy Central program, ``The Daily Show.''

To contact the reporter on this story: Holly Rosenkrantz in Washington at hrosenkrantz@bloomberg.net.

Last Updated: November 8, 2007 00:07 EST