OK, all of this has been talked to death but I am surprised I beat JJV to this, although he has been in denial/despair about the GOP plus he has the culture war to fight. Also, my disgust with the Soviet-style spectacle of "stormy prolonged applause"* after every sentence makes for grim watching even if I happen to agree with what was being said, and affects my ability to pay attention while simultaneously gritting my teeth. Nevertheless, my observations about the State of the Union:
1) Is it just me or was Cheney struggling to keep a straight face during the part about reducing oil consumption? I mean sure, so was Bush, but still.
2) I was alarmed by the synchronized Presidential-Vice Presidential water drinking. First of all, it kills the whole point of Cheney's ventriloquist act. Also, I thought that the President and Vice President were supposed to sip alternately so that they don't run the risk of a simultaneous choke/spit-take. Pelosi, realizing the succession implications, wisely refrained from imbibing.
3) The announcement to increase the size of the armed forces by 92,000 was not accompanied by the logically necessary federalization of the Boy and Girl Scouts, so I don't see how that's going to happen.
4) I had read a fair bit about freshman Representative Michelle Bachmann (Wacko-MN) but was not prepared for the Magnetic Hand of Presidential Contact she inflicted on a clearly bemused President Bush while marginally-less-bemused security types hovered nearby.
5) Shorter ending: "P.S., the state of the Union is strong." That is the first time I can recall that required piece of kabuki slipped in at the end. I thought you were always supposed to open with a joke.
*A staple of transcripts of Soviet leaders' speeches before (occasionally pre-) captive audiences.
2 comments:
I applaud you Dave, first on your productivity (slip the kids some Benadryl?) and second, on actually being able to sit through an entire SOTU address, something I don't think I've done since the Jimmy Carter days (ooh, hasn't he turned into quite the controversial fellow!). My hope in the future is to adjust my whole karma/body energy thing through yoga and meditation (I'm trying to give up the heavy drinking) so that I, too, can watch something like this and find the humor in it instead of turning red, gnashing my teeth, throwing food at the television and hitting any small cute thing that wanders near me. Kudos to you on your well-adjustedness!
I always watch these things but tend to mute button a lot of it. I must say the polls show it was well recieved. I even watched during the Clinton years but my then roommate will tell you it was Scotch fueled. There is no question Cheney was laughing on the oil point. High prices reduce consumption, low prices increase it. If our goal is to keep gas afforadable (and what Democrat will say otherwise) we will consume more than they want us to.
On the second point, each of them sipped from the water cup each time Nancy Pelosi's blinked 1000 times.
The Army and Marines will be increased by that amount. All during the 70's, 80's and most of the 90's we had ground forces that large. It is perfectly attainable.
That Congresswomen? Who the heck is she and what is her deal.
Finally, the deficit is narrowing rapidly, unemployment is low, home ownership at all time high and we are the strongest power in the world. The Left view that the Country is in some kind of particulary mess is nonsense. But give Pelosi time.....
Also, I liked Mutumbo of Georgetown and nearly choked when that baby einstein lady came on. I knew she must be making a mint but jeez!
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