Two takeaways: Romney has an acute sense of humor, and it operates most often at his own expense. Hey, any Mormon who can joke about polygamy knows something about self-deprecation.
My experience has always been that a sense of humor is a sign of intelligence. And Romney's ability to poke fun at himself is a refreshing contrast to the prickly, self-satisfied current occupant of The White House -- whose jibes are most often directed toward others rather than himself.
There's a definite downside to joking for a candidate -- especially when there isn't an adoring press corps refusing to poke fun at your expense. But self-deprecation, cleverly done, is a good way for a candidate to humanize himself . . . something Mitt Romney should keep in mind.