Leno recalled his friendship with Rodney Dangerfield as an example of not letting politics get in the way. "I knew Rodney 40 years and I have no idea if he was a Democrat or Republican," Leno noted. "We never discussed politics, we just discussed jokes. I like to think that people come to a comedy show to get away from the pressures of life."

Jay Leno is happy standing in the middle of the aisle as far as political humor goes. During a recent conversation with David Trulio for The Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation, the former late-night host spoke about some of the risks that can come with mixing politics and comedy.