He shall from time to time

Article II

Section 3.

He shall from time to time give to the Congress information of the state of the union, and recommend to their consideration such measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient...

But why ? The 'state of the union' address is never remembered. Sure we may remember a few phrases, or the one time a POTUS said something other than "the state of the union is strong". the pundits talk about how important this speech is, but other than them, who cares ?

I have followed politics for some time now, and other than noticing the way a POTUS speaks, I have never been enamoured of any one of the state of the union addresses. Sure some have spoken with more eloquence than others. Some have payed more attention to focus groups so they say the things that sound really good. In the end, however, most of what is said doesn't matter. Its an exercise in placation.

The friends of POTUS will feel slightly slighted. The ones who want to be, will feel that he made a great speech. Those who are not his friends... well they won't be impressed.

Its no different than listening to a campaign speech: a bit about what he has done. A bit on what he would like to do going forward. Mixed in with a dash of reaching across the party lines to 'come to a consensus' and work together.

I need more Mr. President...

Tell me that the state of the union is not strong.

There are rifts between us that threaten the very fabric who we have spent generations laboring to become. There are those among us that sew that rift for their own political and financial gain, who leave the citizenry to reap the spoiled crop of those efforts. Groups that come into our own house and destroy all that we have labored to achieve, and have the audacity to insist that we clean up their mess. No the state of the union is not strong.

We have a labor force desperate for the work that employers sent overseas. The highest unemployed and underemployed workforce than many people have a point of reference to.

We have a higher crime rate, and worse educational stats than any other industrialized nation. No, the state of the union is not strong.

That's just where he should start.

as ever, tell me what you think.

GET UP, GET INTERESTED, GET INFORMED, GET OUT AND GET ACTIVE...

Then decide.