So, tonight President Bush will deliver his last State of the Union address. Most political analysts agree that it will not make much difference and will not dramatically alter our current political landscape. There are several reasons for this. First, this is President Bush’s last year in office which is traditionally a lame duck period. Second, President Bush’s approval rating remains low and he’s dealing with a Congress controlled by the Democrats. All of that means it will be difficult for him to get anything substantial passed through Congress. Finally, the presidential election is going 100-miles-per hour down the track and with it is most of the attention. Put another way, there’s only so much oxygen in the room and the political candidates are sucking it all up. This leaves Bush will a greatly diminished bully pulpit.
Still tonight will be fun to watch. Here are a few things that I generally look for during the State of the Union speeches.
- How will the Democrats react? Will they be polite or will they feel their oats and show the president their displeasure. And if they do the latter, will it be a loud showing or a quiet, sit on your hands reaction?
- How will the presidential candidates react? We know Sen. McCain will skip the speech, but Sens. Obama and Clinton will be there. The cameras are likely to be trained on them as much as anyone else in the room. How will they react to the president’s speech? WSLS Political Analyst Dr. Bob Denton says both candidates have likely practiced some of their reactions. Their non-verbal communication can send some powerful messages.
- How will President Bush present his speech? Will it be a valedictory speech full of all his accomplishments over the past seven years? That’s how Bill Clinton approached his final State of the Union address. Or will President Bush use it as one last time to show his resolve on the defining issue of his presidency: the war in Iraq? Finally, will President Bush show some humor and humility in talking to the opposition party?
This will likely be President Bush’s final time to address the joint Houses of Congress. It’s historic and should present some entertaining moments. Question is, will anyone be watching?
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