Effective communication through humor

This video explains well how Reagan was indeed 'the Great Communicator'. He was able to ingeniously use Soviet jokes in his speeches that were aired in front of millions from both America and the rest of the world, invoke their laughter, and still get away with this act (albeit subtle) of airing dirty Soviet laundry in public. Each laughter meant a small victory over the Soviets, because it increasingly made the world re-think the communist system.
Notice the incredible ease that Reagan was able to tell the different jokes from this video. Try imagining another president (think Richard Nixon) trying to pull off such a feat. It is not something all that easy at all.