Since I don’t watch the NFL, I spent part of my afternoon this past Sunday channel surfing and landing on a PBS documentary on Will Rogers.

One of America’s best humorists, Will Rogers had a good touch on the pulse of America, and had a deep interest in politics. His musings on the state of politics and the American condition in the 1920s and ’30s are still quoted today.

And as I watched the program, I thought about our current political climate and how some of Will’s humor might apply. There is the famous quote attributed to him that “we have the best Congress money can buy,” which still holds true.

“I don’t make jokes,” he said, “I just watch the government and report the facts.”

So I went online to the websites “Will Rogers Today,” and “Indian Country,” to see what other gems I could glean from a master pundit.

A couple apply to the coming presidential election, which is entering the home stretch.

As I have said before, neither candidate excites me and I’ve already said I’m writing in Honest Gil Fulbright, himself a parody character in ads calling for more accountability in campaign finance laws. But let’s face it, we really don’t have the best two candidates running for the nation’s highest office, between Donald Trump’s shoot from the hip mentality and vague promises (Has he given any detail on his programs?) and the constant barrage of charges against Hilary concerning emails and the Benghazi tragedy. This election could be “hold your nose, close your eyes and press something.”

This quote from Will gives us a better perspective: “There is only one redeeming thing about this whole election. It will be over at sundown (in November), and let everybody pray that it’s not a tie, for we couldn’t go through with this thing again.”

Or this, “It looks to me like any man (or woman) that wants to be president in times like these lacks something.”

As far as our divided, partisan “do nothing” Congress, we could apply this Will Rogers tidbit: “Never blame a legislative body for not doing something. When they do nothing, they don’t hurt anybody. When they do something is when they become dangerous.”

Or maybe this comment: “We all joke about Congress but we can’t improve on them. Have you noticed that no matter who we elect, he is just as bad as the one he replaces?”

“I tell jokes,” Will once said. “Congressmen tell jokes, too. The difference is when Congress tells a joke, it becomes a law.”

Our political system has, over the past few years, become an embarrassment, regardless of your political affiliation. But there is, according to Will Rogers, hope.

“This country has gotten where it is in spite of politics, not by the aid of it. That we have carried as much political bunk as we have and still survived shows we are a super nation.”