The Real Romney -- a biography by David Brooks.

I don't say this often, so pay attention: Read David Brooks' attempt at humor, because it is intensely funny but it undoubtedly does not connect with his normal, targeted audience.

"Romney was a precocious and gifted child. He uttered his first words (“I like to fire people”) at age 14 months, made his first gaffe at 15 months and purchased his first nursery school at 24 months. The school, highly leveraged, went under, but Romney made 24 million Jujubes on the deal." 

"Some people say he retreated into himself during these years. He had a pet rock, which ran away from home because it was starved of affection. He bought a mood ring, but it remained permanently transparent."  

"Romney also went on a mission to France. He spent two years knocking on doors, failing to win a single convert. This was a feat he would replicate during his 2008 presidential bid."

I know that Brooks is trying to satirize the critique of Mitt Romney, while at the same time showing that Mitt's as insecure as the rest of us.  But unfortunately, conservatives long ago lost their funny bone; they will view this as an attack on Mitt.

Of course, those of us who live on the left side of the tracks, know that such humor cannot succeed without some hint of truth.  Therein we can contrast the brilliance of Stephen Colbert -- someone who has mastered the craft of satirizing politics -- to Brooks.  Brooks has succeeded in proving that the only way you can make fun of conservatives, is to make them look serious, not funny.

You can't share an inside joke with people who don't have the capacity to understand inside jokes.