SOTU and response
All right, I actually started watching Bush's speech even though I hadn't planned to. I bailed 10 minutes into it because I was bored to tears. It seemed to me little more than a laundry list of domestic initiatives, many of which he's been pitching in one form or another for years already. The only difference is that now it's completely irrelevant since he's a lame duck facing an oppositional Congress. Critics seemed to give it high marks for a Bush speech, but really, who cares.
The Democratic response was rather more interesting. Not necessarily "better," mind you, but certainly more interesting. To be honest, I actually like Jim Webb. It's not often you see politicians these days bemoaning the feminization of the military or openly lauding the Confederacy, so I find that rather refreshing. His performance last night, however, seemed stiff and awkward. Much has been made of the fact that he wrote his own speech. Perhaps someone with a modicum of screen presence should have delivered it.
Comments
It was just a bland mish mash of nothing. I’m really tired of listening to the president talk about all the great things he’s got planned ten years down the road. They’re all a bunch of crap. The man wasn’t able to accomplish any of his initiatives when he had a willing congress. Because he never intended to do any of it…it’s just words and dreams…fantasies like the miraculous hydrogen car, that would require a refitting of every existing gas station with hydrogen pumps to even make feasible.
It’s no secret that I’ve never been a Bush fan, but I’m really just sick of it. I just want the president to go away and sit quietly and stop talking. I’m under no illusions that the next guy will be the Quisat Sadarak but anything would be better. He’s a joke, an utter joke.
Posted by: zilla | January 24, 2007 09:56 AM
Bush's speech would have been good if it were given to an elementary school crowd. That's his level and he can not do better than that.
It is almost funny to watch him "promising" health care for everyone. Does he think that all Americans have the same I.Q. with him? If so, he is wrong. He is in the lower 1%.
Posted by: Blue Wind | January 24, 2007 10:15 AM
That's why I didn't even bother to watch it. Nothing new there. You called it right. Also, he is a really bad public speaker and his speech writers are genuinely awful. His best lines often fall flat to the ear. "Axis of evil" just doesn't ring the same way that "an Iron Curtain has fallen over Europe" rings.
As for Webb, it was okay. It also lacked punch for me. If he'd taken a more combative tone then I might have liked it better. I think we need to show the world that there's a new sheriff in town if we are to get the cooperation we need to find some diplomatic solutions to our current problems. Bush's line was, "Have another helping of the same" and Webb's was, "Well, that sucks so we're gonna keep an eye on you." Webb left Bush in charge of too much, and that does not bode well for change.
Posted by: DBK | January 24, 2007 10:46 AM
War -- stay the course.
Health Care -- tax those with employer provided health care and distribute it to those without, so that more people have worthless health care plans and insurance companies continue to rake it in.
Energy -- give Archer Daniels Midland billions in extra profit for their corn now that they have successfully ruined most family-owned farms and taken them over. Turn corn into fuel by using more energy than the corn can produce. Reduce gasoline consumption by 20% in ten years, but without CAFE standards or any restraint on business.
Social Security -- Now that Repugs have blown the surplus and created a huge deficit, the Democrats need to tighten their belts and put every penny towards paying for the Republicans six year long fiscal orgy.
Earmarks -- now that Republicans are no longer in power, those need to stop. If they aren't going to good people like Jack Abramoff, they should be banned!
Just once I'd like to puke in his Chimp face.
Posted by: Bailey Hankins | January 25, 2007 11:53 AM