Thoughts on the State of the Union Address:
I think we can do without the programmed applause.
I kept thinking during the address how much President Bush has grown since the election. I know he held back some during the campaign, but he seems to have mastered the job now. He runs it, instead of it running him. This is what people are responding to, and why he has such high approval ratings.
He has accomplished his goal of bringing a new atmosphere to Washington. While there are still partisan battles, and should be, the bitterness of the Reagan/Clinton years is slowly fading. A few die hards are trying to keep the rhetoric flying, but most are realizing that it is much more effective to work with the President, than against him. The education bill is a case in point. Neither side got everything they wanted, but they hammered out a workable compromise.
One thing I noticed was the lack of negativity towards his opponents. Rather than scolding the Senate for failing to act, he encouraged them to work to match the House. Granted, the warning was there, although veiled, but the old proverb that you catch more flies with honey than vinegar works in DC as well as everywhere else.
The major thing I noticed was he put our enemies on notice, and named them specifically. Iran, Iraq, and North Korea have been put on notice, and in front of the whole world. I really would have liked to see the Saudis added to the list.
Posted by Rich at January 31, 2002 12:10 PM