Everyone seems to be looking for ways to save money these days even, of all people, Barack Obama — he’s paying lip service to it anyway, while inventing new ways to spend — so I have my own humble suggestion: Abolish the State of the Union address. Think of all the cash that’s being wasted on this litany of platitudes – all the limos and film crews, all the tedious commentary.
And about what? Never in my life can I recall hearing a good SOTU – can you? – and we certainly didn’t have one tonight. Besides if the President has anything of import to say, he can commandeer a TV crew on a moment’s notice. Heck, this President’s never off television. So abolish SOTU or at least suspend it for a couple of years and see if we miss it.
Side benefit: No more Sheila Jackson Lee.
I don’t think we should absolutely abolish it, Roger, just go back to the way the founding fathers did it.
From Thomas Jefferson (at least, it may actually have been done earlier) on to the early 20th century, the State of the Union was presented to Congress on paper. No big speeches, just a written report.
That way, Congress still gets their annual report from the White House, the original spirit of the State of the Union is restored, and we save all that money.
Works for me.
If we use an e-mail, we can also save a tree…
In addition to saving money, a written report would tend to lead to a more serious approach to government than tonights prom night. And when posted on the internet, the Presidents analyses and proposals could be seriously considered, point by point.
Perhaps the largest expense that wasn’t mentioned was the multiple millions of $$ spent on security last night. Think of the dent in the deficit (albeit small) if the President would only give his pep talk as a televised address from the Oval Office. That might keep it shorter as well….
Imagine if you can…
Bilgeman, KarenT, you both make excellent points.
Let the President deliver his report on the State of the Union in writing, online (no web-speeches, please), and let everyone from both sides of the aisle analyze it, dissect it, post excerpts from it, and in general debate it, like we’re supposed to do with serious matters.
The SOTU address is not Constitutionally Mandated. A report on the State of the Union is. Ever since the SOTU has been an address to congress and broadcasted we have not been in compliance with a Constitutional Mandate. There is precious little about the Stae of the Union. All it biols down to is Political Theatre for which ever Party has the Current President.
If the want an yearly address to both houses of congress, fine. I can go with that, but it is not and never has been The State of the Union.
The speech is always released ahead of time as a report, per the Constitutional Mandate.