Do you think you could have handled this joke so well having knowledge that only 1 or 2 others in the room knew?

I would not have laughed. Does not have anything to do with secret knowledge of Bin Laden.
The jokes just were not funny. At all.

I think part of being a good head of State is showmanship. Think of how many things happen where a President or other leader of a nation acted genuinely surprised about some event that you know they were in on it or at least knew about it. With the President’s job, you’re in the public eye, but you’re privy to incredible secrets of international importance. You have to know when to bluff and when to act dumb.

@ragingloli – This joke is about the same you hear all the time on John Stewart’s show. Everyone makes fun of C-Span. It wasn’t really about bin Ladin and more about how nobody actually watches C-Span. It wasn’t funny, but it would have looked weird if he didn’t politely laugh at it.

The rehearsal for that is sitting through kindergarten dance recitals, ninth grade D squad girls’ lacrosse, and the sixth graders’ performance of “As You Like It,” with one of the girls wearing a peignoir from MY closet (unbeknownst to me).

Every good parent knows how to fake it.

I don’t think its too hard to sit through. He was probably smiling/laughing before hand so all he had to do was keep it up. Anyway, since as @keobooks said, the joke had effectively nothing to do with where Bin Laden actually was, I doubt it was that tough.

@ragingloli I found the jokes a little funny. I’m guessing the people in the room found them funnier because they are more aware of the reputation different stations have.