Comments on: Boycotting the State of the Union http://www.frumforum.com/boycotting-the-state-of-the-union Building a conservatism that can win again Sat, 11 Feb 2012 17:50:44 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: DFL http://www.frumforum.com/boycotting-the-state-of-the-union/comment-page-1#comment-81074 DFL Thu, 28 Jan 2010 16:20:45 +0000 http://www.frumforum.com/?p=21074#comment-81074 One of Woodrow Wilson's worst innovations was in transforming the Constitutionally mandated State of the Union presidential report to Congress into a yearly State of the Union speech. But Wilson was our first professor-president, a didactic blowhard by nature. Of course, the State of the Union address was only one of Wilson's many bad ideas that sought to centrally govern the nation. Dr. Wilson also gave us such centralizing forces as the Federal Reserve Board, the Federal Income Tax, Direct Election of Senators, Women's Suffrage, entry into World War One, Deweyite Education and the League of Nations (fortunately the US did not join). Truly an awful president, wouldn't it be grand to turn our backs on the State of the Union as a gesture of defiance towards Woodrow Wilson's legacy of the bipartisan big government that rules us today. There are more enjoyable things to do on a cold winter's evening than watch boring oratory and trained seals dressed up as politicians clap their fins. One of Woodrow Wilson’s worst innovations was in transforming the Constitutionally mandated State of the Union presidential report to Congress into a yearly State of the Union speech. But Wilson was our first professor-president, a didactic blowhard by nature. Of course, the State of the Union address was only one of Wilson’s many bad ideas that sought to centrally govern the nation. Dr. Wilson also gave us such centralizing forces as the Federal Reserve Board, the Federal Income Tax, Direct Election of Senators, Women’s Suffrage, entry into World War One, Deweyite Education and the League of Nations (fortunately the US did not join). Truly an awful president, wouldn’t it be grand to turn our backs on the State of the Union as a gesture of defiance towards Woodrow Wilson’s legacy of the bipartisan big government that rules us today. There are more enjoyable things to do on a cold winter’s evening than watch boring oratory and trained seals dressed up as politicians clap their fins.

]]> By: andydp http://www.frumforum.com/boycotting-the-state-of-the-union/comment-page-1#comment-81068 andydp Thu, 28 Jan 2010 15:50:04 +0000 http://www.frumforum.com/?p=21074#comment-81068 I haven't watched a SOTU for about 10 years (propaganda or not). Last night I preferred watching a Big East BB game (SHU Pirates play USF tonight). The speeches are ALL the same. Well deseerved introductions of real American Heroes, nice platitudes, some proposals, and a lot of feel good statements. The opposing side gives its trashing. Two days later, life goes on uninterrupted. Rinse, lather, repeat. I haven’t watched a SOTU for about 10 years (propaganda or not). Last night I preferred watching a Big East BB game (SHU Pirates play USF tonight).

The speeches are ALL the same. Well deseerved introductions of real American Heroes, nice platitudes, some proposals, and a lot of feel good statements. The opposing side gives its trashing. Two days later, life goes on uninterrupted.

Rinse, lather, repeat.

]]> By: GOProud http://www.frumforum.com/boycotting-the-state-of-the-union/comment-page-1#comment-81066 GOProud Thu, 28 Jan 2010 15:35:12 +0000 http://www.frumforum.com/?p=21074#comment-81066 Sean, a little humor and diversion is probably a sane course given Obama's track record for lying and partisan animadversion. The truth is in the Nielsen figures, though... Obama's 1st SOTU got fewer viewers than Bush's SOTUs... his pre-Iraq invasion one, his 9-11 one, his last one. Of course, Nielsen has long had a reputation as a liberal organization, manned by pro-Democrat contributors... so even with all the hype, all the pre-SOTU leaks of juicy tidbits, why did Obama's first SOTU rank at the bottom of SOTU audiences? Is it the messenger or the message? Sean, a little humor and diversion is probably a sane course given Obama’s track record for lying and partisan animadversion.

The truth is in the Nielsen figures, though…

Obama’s 1st SOTU got fewer viewers than Bush’s SOTUs… his pre-Iraq invasion one, his 9-11 one, his last one.

Of course, Nielsen has long had a reputation as a liberal organization, manned by pro-Democrat contributors… so even with all the hype, all the pre-SOTU leaks of juicy tidbits, why did Obama’s first SOTU rank at the bottom of SOTU audiences?

Is it the messenger or the message?

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