State of the Union Addresses

[Josh]

Based on the clips I've seen of this SOTU address and the analysis of it, it looks like I made a good decision to keep listening to yet another SOTU address.

I did watch one from Trump during COVID when he announced the COVID lockdowns. In retrospect, I would have been better off skipping that one, as well.

[Ken]

I don't think I have listened to or watched one since the early Obama days.

[Szdfan]

I generally avoid the State of the Union. Most of the time, it's some version of a campaign speech, especially during an election year. I can't think of the last time that a speech was unifying or transcendened the moment.

[barnhart]

As far as I can remember, I have never listened to one.

[Ernie]

I watched this one for the entertainment provided from behind and from in front of the President. Thanks to multiple cameras zooming in on folks.

[Robert]

I generally avoid the State of the Union. Most of the time, it's some version of a campaign speech, especially during an election year. I can't think of the last time that a speech was unifying or transcendened the moment.

I agree with your synopsis. I watch them every year. While I do not get all involved in either party, I love to watch as a spectator.

[Jazman]

I generally avoid the State of the Union. Most of the time, it's some version of a campaign speech, especially during an election year. I can't think of the last time that a speech was unifying or transcendened the moment.

Do you think it's always been this way, or has it devolved? - at least in our lifetimes (and that limited perspective). I don't know if I've ever watched a full one recently and nor have I watched or listened to older ones before my life time.(40-50+ yrs)

[Szdfan]

I generally avoid the State of the Union. Most of the time, it's some version of a campaign speech, especially during an election year. I can't think of the last time that a speech was unifying or transcendened the moment.

Do you think it's always been this way, or has it devolved? - at least in our lifetimes (and that limited perspective). I don't know if I've ever watched a full one recently and nor have I watched or listened to older ones before my life time.(40-50+ yrs)

I haven't watched enough of these to really know, but I imagine that as the politics of the US have degraded, so have the speeches as well. I can't imagine that heckling the president during the SOTU would have been accepted at one point.

[Robert]

I haven't watched enough of these to really know, but I imagine that as the politics of the US have degraded, so have the speeches as well. I can't imagine that heckling the president during the SOTU would have been accepted at one point.

I can remember all the way back tot he Clinton SOTU speeches. They were similar experiences. One side cheered. One side sat stone faced. I can remember someone hollering out in many.

Few were as angry as the recent one. They are usually more positive with a vail of attempt to be uniting.

[barnhart]

Do you think it's always been this way, or has it devolved? - at least in our lifetimes (and that limited perspective). I don't know if I've ever watched a full one recently and nor have I watched or listened to older ones before my life time.(40-50+ yrs)

I haven't been watching so I can't offer an opinion, but the government system in general is slipping further from my field of interest. I used to follow the primaries because I considered that more representative of the national mood than the actual election. Right now neither offers much interest for me. Predictable, boring, trapped in amber...